Rods "Spaceship" Scratch built Plasma Cutter build

Hello Rod,
i hope you can help me out and also i hope that its not a problem to write it into your post, but if so then let me know and i will delete the post.

So, i got my 2 Pole 6 Position switch from aliexpress, same one as you have used (at least i think) which i want to use for the axis scale and mpg enable. (exactly what ou have done. Here the link to the switch: www.aliexpress.com/item/4000687267288.ht...3.0.0.30a65931P1Gvvg

I have 2 MPGs for my Lathe, but currently i am testing it only for one. So, i did exactly what you described on the 3. page of this thread.
I connected PIN 3, 4, 6 and 8 together (please take a look at the picture) and connected PIN 8 to +24V, so all have +24V.
The A and B pin to input 21 and 22 on my Mesa 7i76E.

I copy and paste you hal settings and just changed the or2.3 to 2.1 because i have currently only 2 or2`s (please take a look at the HAL files i added to the attachment).
The switch works, but only for the scale 0,1mm. I turned the switch completly to the left side, when i move it ones to the right side then i get the scale 0,1mm and the one MPG (X-axis) works, but not 0,01mm and also not 1,00mm.

I have opened Halmeter, choosed pin "mux4.0.out" which shows "0" when the switch is turned completly to the left side, when moved one click to the right it shows "0,1mm", then next clicks always "0".

I dont understand why, i really tried to find the problem. For example i choosed other pins instead e.g. pin 6 and 8, but what i ones got was that i got 2 times 0.1mm, so i seems like its some kind of .hal config problem.
I hope you can find some time to help me out with that. Let me know if you need more informations.

Thanks in advance!
Denis

I did this a long time ago.
I think you need to start at the beginning. That is to work out how the switch works with a multimeter and continuity tester. The outputs are binary bits and in binary we count
00
01
10
11

There is no guarantee your switch is the same as mine
So sel1 and sel2 (input 21 and input 22) are the two columns above
The switch probably has another output which would be sel3 if used with a mux8 (the third bit )
So before you wire anything, you need to build a truth table like I show for every switch position.
Then you will know which inputs (switch positions) need power to create the bitmap on the output pins.

You would be much better off creating a seperate thread as more people will see it

Thank you very much Rod.

I created a new Thread and did what you wrote. I build a truth table for every switch position.
All i have explained as good as possible the new thread:
forum.linuxcnc.org/24-hal-components/392...e-and-scale-settings

Well finally I have all of the stuff here to have a play. Some parts are not optimal but its what I could find in Australia.


Recapping, the enlcosed Lam drives are DS1076A 65 volts AC input, 6 amps ( 8 amps peak) output (approx 90v DC to motor)
The open frame driver is a LS1073A 65 volts AC input, 3amps (4.2 amp peak) A naked version of the DS1073A
The encoder is all I could find in Australia. Cost me $100. I did get a quote on a quality one at $550 that would bolt on to the back of the motor! I want to play with Tommy's boost setting (initially on a test rig turning a cast iron flywheel to add some load/inertia.

The toroids from Tortech are multi tapped but configured for 32 volts 20 amp. So in series I will get 64 volts AC, 20 amps or I can be a bit gentler on the smaller motors and just give them 32 volts AC ... (50 volts DC to the motor).

I queried them about the inrush current popping the circuit breaker and they included a couple of thermistors which when put on the AC input will gradually allow the current to ramp up over a second or so which should prevent this.

I'm hoping only the Z axis will need an encoder. I'm pretty sure I can write a component to apply boost only while the motor is accelerating and decelerating. On X & Y this will be a low duty cycle becasue we should get to cutting speed in < 50 ms if our model is right but on the Z axis, it could revert to a triangular motion profile so could be 100% duty cycle...

Well its taken a while to get everything here. The first thing I had to get somewhere to mount the toroids so I came up with a piggybank box that will mount behind the control box. This went off to powder coating yesterday. I'm sure they won't be any faster than Tommy's paint shop. The job I gave them early in the week was still sitting on the ground outside their office. It should come back the colour of the sample cable tied on.



Lam suggests that every AC wire going to the stepper drives has a fuse on them and I found some DIN rail fuse holders. So all up I think there will be about 24 DIN rail terminals squeezed into the box. Hence the standoff mounts.


And I mounted up the LAM drives yesterday too. Man I've got some wiring to tidy up! If you look closely, there is a 25mm hole in the top right above the power supplies which will let wires pass into the toroid box.



Th Z axis drive below the three DS 1076A's is an open frame LS1073A. Which is what they had in the country. Its tiny! The LS series is cheaper but I think I'd stick to the enclosed DS series as the LS does not have any removable connectors so not as convenient to wire up.

I also lucked onto a lot of 5 high quality Sanyo Denki NEMA23 drives. They didn't have any wiring harnesses with them but I found some so I've ended up with $200 steppers at < $30 a piece!

While my machine is off the air, I think I'll clean it up and paint the frame.

Man I've got some wiring to tidy up!

No kidding.