To use a touch plate on any controller, all you need is a conductive flat material with a known thickness and some wire and alligator clips. Solder a wire to the touch plate and connect the other end of the wire to the free input terminal of the controller. Connect a wire with an alligator clip to the ground of the controller (on the Mach3 USB controller, this ground is the DCM terminal, or the digital gnd on the 24VDC power supply). Connect the alligator clip to the end mill.

You can either use a script to serve as the probe, or you can use the ref all home button and setup the touch plate as a home switch.

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I there a tutorial on hooking up a Z axis zero touch plate to the usb controller?

Safety should be the first consideration when configuring the Z-axis and how it shows on the DRO (Digital Readout). That is to say, the configuration should make sense to the operator of the machine.

We zero the tip of the end mill at the surface of the stock we are using. When the z-axis moves into the material (the direction that the z-axis travels when the page down key is pressed) the DRO goes into the negative region.

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Would common practice be to have the DRO show positive moment or negative movement when moving the Z axis down?

When the z axis is going down, the laser turns on. When the z axis is going up, it turns off. The z axis directions is only a signal that is either 5v or 0v. That determines the direction. In vectric, you will need to set your machining operations with a very very small depth so the time it takes to get to its final depth is a very short time.

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AM NOT SURE HOW TO SET THE Z AXIS TURN ON/OFF LASER WHEN CREATE CODE. KNOW THAT ITS TYPICALLY Z-AXIS MOVEMENT DOES THIS - BUT YOU DONT SHOW ANYTHING HOOKED UP IN PLACE OF AXIS.

To stop the laser completely from continuous firing after a job is complete, I recommend to have your file to end while reaching the clearance plane which you will enter in your CAM software. Make sure that your clearance plane value is very small (ex.) 0.001 above 0 and activates at -0.001 also adding a additional g-code manually that raises the z-axis towards the end of the job/run(only if experienced would we recommend using this). This will turn of the laser, rather than the laser staying on and at its current height.

When activating the emergency e-stop, (personal opinion) I would wire the e-stop at the beginning of the live/load wire going to the electronics power supply and the laser power supply.
It will be in at the beginning of the y connection, (https://buildyourcnc.com/blackToothLaserCutterAndEngraver.aspx#prettyPhoto/13/) so you will cut power to both instead of just the CNC electronics.

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Need help configuring Planet CNC software to control laser firing. Currently it is firing using the Z axis but leaves the laser on after a run or when the emergency stop is activated. HELP!!

A couple things to consider, the machine is most likely moving sideways, so the bristles won't be a problem. The lead screw has a very hight mechanical advantage and the bristles don't pose an issue with this. We have not found that the bristles cause any appreciable deflection to the work we do in our shop; however, you can change the brush for a more pliable plastic, or reduce the number of bristles by selectively pruning.

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THE DUST SHOE HAS STIFF BRISTLES, IS THERE PROBLEM WITH MOVING Z-AXIS DOWN SINCE BRISTLES PUSH AXIS SIDEWAYS

The motor that is attached to the 4th axis is wired as follows:

The motor should have red, green yellow and blue wires coming form the motor. The red and green are paired as one coil and the yellow and blue is paired as the other coil. You can wire the motor to a 3.0 amp driver with red to A+, green to A-, Yellow to B+ and Blue to B-

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HOW DO I WIRE THE 4TH AXIS THAT YOU SELL. I HAVE MACH3 SOFTWARE. NO INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR SITE

Increasing the size on your Z-axis is possible by making the over z axis longer (rails, wood structure). Remember the location of your router/spindle and over all integrity of the z-axis structure.
Now another way of getting a longer reach is making a adjustable height table, so that you can raise or lower the material section(2' x 4') to add taller material or get a deeper cut.

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Is it possible to increase the Z axis on the Blacktoe 2x4? My ideal would be to have 8" of travel.

Yes, we can provide a laser attachment for the long Z version of the greenBull 4x, 5x and 6x. Please call us to get more information and pricing for the laser attachment.

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I have a greenbull 5x with the long Z. Is there a laser kit that I can get for that model?

Yes, you can use a touch probe with our machines as it is really independent of the machine structure, mechanical components and motion electronics, for the most part. We don't currently sell touch probes, however, but standard touch probes for CNC machines will work fine.

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the bluechik - IS there a 3D Touch Scanning to scan in present made items ?

If you select the Settings Page and select or tick Auto Limit Override - this will allow you to back off the switch.

Additional Information:
limit and home switch

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IS THERE A WAY TO GET RID OF THE PARALLEL CABLE AND SOMEHOW USE USB ?

If you are located near Houston, Texas area you can stop by our shop. If you are not near us, you can check in our forums, and see if you can find someone in your area that has one of our machines, and would be willing to let you come see it in action.

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I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A STORE OR SHOP WHERE CAN SEE THE PRODUCT AND BUY IT?

This is a NEMA 24 motor. It could be dual shaft or single shaft, so be sure to choose correctly. Holding torque is generally measured in Nm globally, and translated to ounces/inch in the United States. Our NEMA 24 motors are rated at 425 oz/in holding torque.

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What is the replacement Z axis motor for a SM60HT86-2008BF-U2?

The formula and calculation is a starting point to get into the area of steps per inch. You will then need to use the mach3 calibration utility to get the exact steps per inch.

Formula:
step per inch = (motor steps * microstepping) / (travel at one turn of the motor in inches)
if microstepping is set at 16 (1/16 on the driver) then and you are using a sprocket and chain with a pitch of .25 inches and 12 teeth on the drive sprocket
= (200 * 16) / (12 * .25)
= 3200 / 3
= 1066.666 steps per inch

For lead screw that has a travel of .5 inches at one turn like the 5 start 1/2 inch lead screw and using 4 microsteps per step (1/4):
= (200 * 4) / (.5)
= 800 / .5
= 1600 steps per inch

Remember to use the mach3 calibration wizard and double check the driver microstep setting.

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WHAT IS THE FORMULA TO DETERMINE STEPS PER INCH OR RESOLUTION FOR EACH AXIS?

If by cogging, you are referring to the lack of torque by the presence of the lack of current to the motor, I would check the wires coming from the motor to see if there is any chafing, causing either shorting, or a connection issue. This happens on older motors due to the method of holding the wires steady using zip ties or other form that can cut the insulation of the wires. If you see this phenomenon only at specific locations on the axis, then wire chafing could be the culprit. But, can also be friction on the lead screw/anti-backlash nut.

Check the anti-backlash nut for any presence of oily debris. Remove this debris and re-lubricate the lead screw.

Check between the coupling at the motor shaft and the bearing that is positioned against the coupling. There should be a small outside diameter shim washer between the coupling and the inside race of the bearing. If there is no shim washer, then the coupling is rubbing against the outside race, causing friction, or binding.

If these methods do not work, please submit additional information on this FAQ page using the additional information button and a new solution will be submitted by us.

Customer response:
Thank you for your quick response. I found the Z-axis binding with the anti-backlash nut. What would you recommend to lubricate the anti-backlash nut and lead screw?

Additional answer:
I would recommend using 3-in-1 oil to lubricate the lead screw and the anti-backlash nut. Don't worry about the material of the anti-backlash nut breaking down since it is made of Delrin, a plastic that can be exposed to lubricants and oils.

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My Z axis stepper is "cogging," new problem on an older machine, any solutions?

If one of your stepper motors decides to stop moving and the others are moving during a CNC milling or laser cutting job, then there could be two things that could be causing this.

- The motor found its limiting torque (usually comes with a not-so-pleasant sound). This is where the control software is trying to move the stepper motor too fast (velocity, or too fast too quickly, acceleration) and the load against the stepper motor (inertia of the machine, or the material against the end mill while milling). Recommended action is to lower the velocity and/or acceleration, and/or lower the feedrate when cutting.

- There is a wiring issue with the wiring from the driver to the motor. This could be a loose wire, or a chafed wire (or two shorting together). It can also be a loose digital wire from the controller board to the driver. Sometimes wire ties can be the culprit. Recommended action would be to thoroughly inspect the wiring.

It's probably not the limit switches since that would cause a stop to the entire motion of the cnc router or laser machine.

Sometimes Mach3 will show a status when something goes wrong, but in cases where the motor is stopping due to its torque limit, then that would not be shown in the status. It's always good to check it anyway.

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I need to clarify my situation a little better after going to my shop and trying to run another program on Mach 3. About 15 minutes into the milling process all the motors (2-X axis, Y axis and Z axis)stop but the program continues to run. I stop the program and after a couple of minutes when I try to restart the program all the motors start working again. Then after another 15 minutes or so, all the motors stop again. I checked and rechecked my wiring. This has never happened to me before when running the same programs with the same setups and motor speeds. All of a sudden when I reloaded a program I successfully used before it does this. Do you have any recommendations?

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Yeah, it sounds like a more complex issue. Have you tried running in the air without using the spindle. This may be a power related issue.

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That's exactly what I did. I ran the program without the router motor on just to see if the motors would get through the whole program but they stopped working after about fifteen minutes and then I was able to start them again after about 3 or 4 minutes. I never had this problem before so you can imagine my frustration especially after ruining a couple of projects on expensive material.

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Sure. I can completely understand. Try this: disconnect all but one of the driver from power and digital connection and do the air run. Repeat this for each driver and note your findings. This will rule out the drivers causing a power failure.

Also, is your stepper motors and drivers on a separate power circuit from the computer?

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I will try disconnecting each driver and digital connection, which will be a real pain because it will be hard to access.

All the stepper motors, drivers and computer are plugged into the same power strip.

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Ok, so there is no power failure going on, but I believe it is necessary to test each stepper motor and driver pair individually. Hopefully that will lead to a conclusion.

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It will take a little time but I will do it and report back on my findings.

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Curious, what machine is exhibiting this problem?

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I purchased a BYCNC kit back in 2009 with an approximate cutting area of 2' X 4'. I later changed out the Z-Axis Motor and controller for a larger one and have two X-axis motors and controllers. In 2010 I rebuilt the machine out of birch plywood instead of the particle board that the kit supplied. I sent Patrick pictures to him. The machine never gave me a problem till now.

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Thanks for the update. This is Patrick by the way. I answer pretty much all of the Customer Service questions. That machine has given quite a good history.

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I love the machine and made a number of samples of my work for my e-commerce site, but I can't start selling product until I know this problem is solved because I will not be able to fulfill orders. I finally got all the electronics out of its enclosed protected area near the machine so that I test each controller as you recommended. I hope the problem can be rectified. Will let you know.

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Thanks.

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I tested each stepper motor and driver pair individually and they worked so what might be the next step?

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Did each stepper motor driver pair work for the full +15 minutes?

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Yes, I had them in operation for over 30 minutes.

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Ok, well it’s good that the motors and driver are ok. We are now down to the power supply and the breakout board as possible causes for the stop. I have a feeling it may be the power supply where with all three drivers drawing current and the power supply maybe getting too hot. Is the fan in the power supply working? You can also test to see if there is 36 volts on the power supply voltage output (V+ and V-).

Regarding the breakout board, if you have an oscilloscope, you can test if the driver pulses are outputting, but I would consider this as a last resort after you determine if there is a problem with the power supply.

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I tested the power supply with a voltmeter and each output was registering 39-40 volts. I think the problem may be the g-code. I am using V-Carve pro to do design and output to Mach 3 Mill g-code. When I studied the g-code lines I noticed that further into the program the z-axis g-code stopped zeroing out to move to the next part of the carving. In other words both the x and y keep moving and the z just stopped working because there was g-code missing. I think something is missing when the design was converted to g-code. I noticed that when I ran a simpler project it worked without problems so I need to investigate this further.

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New Update, Its not the g-code. I started to run the long program and everything was working fine until about 45 minutes into it, all the motors stopped working (but the program was still running) and there was a high pitched hum. When I put my hands on the motors they were all trying to move but it seemed they were all stalled. I turned the power off, gave it a minute and when I turned it back on I was able to move the motors again. Could this be a power supply problem?

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It does sound more and more like a power supply problem. Did you test the power supply after the motors stopped?

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No, I did not. What should I be looking for.

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It’s good that you know the voltage during normal operation, so you have a base understood. If the power supply is the problem, the voltage will be reduced or non existent when measured after the problem.

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Also, check to see if the fan is running on the power supply when the motors stop. That may (not absolutely) be an indication.

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I'll run another test, check the voltage and fan when the problem occurs and let you know. Thanks for hanging in there with me as we try to resolve the problem.

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It’s my pleasure. This service is rarely used and is faster then email. Odd nobody uses it. Any recommendations you can give would be great. No problem using this FAQ to pose ideas as this resolution will be cleaned up later.

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It might be that people do not realize you can communicate through the sight like this because they are so used to e-mail and texting. You may want to explain this feature in the customer service section.

I ran the program this morning and it did not take long before the motors stopped. While operating the voltages for all three motors was 46 volts, when the motors stalled (and again there was a high pitch hum) the voltage went up to 60 volts and the fan on the power supply was operating.

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So, the driver work individually, but not all together. There is a high pitch sound when the motors fail. You have noted 60 volts from the power supply and the supply fan remains on. This is a difficult issue to resolve, but it seems to me that your power supply may be bad. The 60v measurement tells me that the current dropped and ohms law tells us that is current drops, volts will rise if the resistance stays the same.

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As one last test I am going to test each driver again and let them go through the entire program because it seems that the failure can occur at the beginning or towards the end of the program. When I originally tested ach driver I let them run for about a half an hour and the program takes over an hour to run completely. I just want to make sure that it is not the drivers. I will report back when I finished but as you noted it may be the power supply but I want to make sure.

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That’s a great idea.

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I just ran the x-axis through the whole program and there was no problem especially since I have two NEMA 23 motors moving that axis. Before I check the Y and Z could having a NEMA 34 on the Z axis with appropriate controller be a problem. I used the larger motor on the z axis because the router I am using is a large 1 1/2 hp. I've run this program in the past with this set-up and have not had a problem.

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Having a, say 3.0 amp driver, driving a stepper motor that typically requires a 6 amp driver would not seem to be an issue since the driver is limiting the current draw, but the driver may not be able to handle larger coil and back EMF with the protection on the 3.0 amp driver. With that said, I don’t believe that is the issue in this case.

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I don't either because I was able to run this and other complicated programs with this set-up in the past. I will let you know on the y and z axis.

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Thanks

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I ran the Y axis and z axis separately through the entire program and there was no stopping or problem. I guess the culprit is the power supply and I'll order a new one and hope that resolves the problem.

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Yes, that is the most probable cause. Please keep me informed. Thanks!

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Received and installed the new power supply. I ran the program with the router on and it worked flawlessly. The program runs for an hour and a half and I did not have a single problem. I guess it was the power supply but I was glad to go through all the diagnostics we discussed before replacing it. I hope this power supply lasts a lot longer than the last one. Thanks much for hanging in there with me and coming up with the solution.

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It’s my absolute pleasure and I am so happy to hear that the power supply replacement solved the problem.

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Y axis stop working X & Z work fine Y axis has two motors have check wiring & connections new breakout board still the same port & Pin set OK dont no were to go next David

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my cnc plasma cutter will run out the program when cutting. what is the cause?

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The cnc plasma question shod be a separate question. Can you pise that question by clicking the customer service live menu button at the top? Thanks.

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WHAT CAUSES ONE OF MY TWO AXIS MOTORS TO STOP WHILE THE MACH3 PROGRAM IS STILL RUNNING

I would not recommend slaving an axis using the method of taking an additional axis from the USB interface. Instead, wire both drivers to a single axis on the USB interface. This will insure perfect signal output to both drivers. If you requre the motors to spin in opposite directions, simply wire one of the motors to the driver reversing the coil A and B connections, or use a hex inverter (https://www.buildyourcnc.com/tutorials/Tutorial-Two-Motors-Spinning-Oppositely-On-Single-Axis).

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I purchased a USB Breakout board, motors and drivers, paid for CNC USB Controller Software and I CAN NOT "Slave" an axis, but there is an option to do that. The moment I connect USB Breakout Board "Slave" option becomes shaded and I can no longer select it (becomes not functional). What is going on? Need help asap. Thanks

The driver's LED serves to indicate a fault condition. The driver chip has built in protection for overheating and over current. If the LED is on, most likely, the driver will stop until the condition is resolved. If you see the LED on, adjust the vref trimmer. First, connect a multimeter to the pads just next to the trimmer potentiometer and adjust until the voltage is lowered a bit. Alternatively, even though the PCB contains a vast amount of thermal vias and a relatively large ground plane connected to the belly of the driver, there still may be a need to cool the driver chip using a small heat sink. Do this only if you are not satisfied with the performance of the motor at the torque require.

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Under what conditions should the LED on the 3d printer driver be lit when the driver is connected to the MB?

We recommend using an anti-backlash nut with collar in addition to whichever coupling you are using.

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Is there a thrust bearing you recommend for taking the vertical forces traveling through a Z-axis lead screw?

The greenBull 4X comes with all of the components and electronics to assemble the gantry of the machine. You will need to build the table. We provide the rails and roller chain for the X-axis (along the length of the table for full 8 feet of travel). You will need to provide some wire to connect the electronics and a computer to run the machine. You will also need to purchase the software that you will need to run the machine that matches how you will apply the machine. We suggest the mach3 control program. The CAM program is up to you as there are many options out there.

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I am interested in buying the greenBull 5X Long Z CNC Machine Kit, but it is not clear for me what is included in this kit. Is there anything else I need to get the machine work?