Hi ,
I have a new 2017 version 1000mm xcarve. I just added homing switches as I didn’t purchase them with the machine. They seem to work ok but after Homing to the front left corner, the Easel machine inspector consistently says my machine position is;
X -789.000
Y -789.000
Z -1.000
If I reboot, it will report that I am at Machine (0,0,0) but if I then HOME or $H, it shows the above coordinates.
I assume that it is these particular numbers as it is 1mm off my work area of 790mm x 790mm for a 1000mm machine. However I think that would mean that my zero point is actually at the back right rather than the front left where you would normally want it.
I have already tried all the usual trouble shooting - setting the machine to use Homing switches, rebooting and re-loading the firmware.
Carve => remove material => subtract => negative space
You are correct that that Machine Home, is 1mm off the 800x800 point. This is due to the amount of pull-off (1mm, defined by GRBL value $27) from the Homing switches.
Machine Home can only be at one of the extreme ends.
Easel “Home Position” - or Work Zero can be anywhere within the space the machine can reach.
In Easel you assign Work Zero by clicking “Confirm Home Position” - you are actually telling the controller that that point is work zero
Machine Home provide a consistent reference point of one where to use preset points, work offset etc.
Home Position tell your CNC where to start carving.
I am not very concerned about running in negative space, it was just not what I expected. When I set my Work zero, it runs positive toward the back right, so I thought that my Machine home coordinates would function the same.
As long as this is 'normal ’ and remains consistent I am not going to worry about it. I added the Homing switches because my USB hiccupped( for unknown reasons) halfway through an hour carve and then I learned the hard way that work zero is lost. A common story I expect.
I can’t speak to the context issue, however, in grbl negative/positive space and which way homing goes are two independent functions.
Best I can determine the convention for homing is to move the axis in the positive direction.
If you followed the build instructions for the original X-carve positive Z is up, positive X is right, and positive Y is back.
That’s why most people using the earlier machine had to use a $3 setting of three ($3=3) to reverse the direction of movement on X and Y to get the machine to home Z up, X left, Y front.
Larry, quite awhile ago you helped me work in positive space when I was using 1.0c (I think). Are you saying there is a way to do that using 1.1f? I would like to use the variable speed that’s available in 1.1f but I can’t wrap my head around the negative space that is used in 1.1f.
Thanks,
…Gord
Thank you so much, Larry! I don’t get to use the XC as much as I would like but I hope to get this installed in the near future and I will let you know how I make out.
Thanks again,
…Gord
Hi Larry,
I haven’t been ignoring you or forgotten about you, I just haven’t had a chance to get back to the XC until today. I got the new version installed today and now I can use the variable speed and still have the positive numbers. Thank you so much. I really appreciate this and also all the other valuable information and advice you give everyone on this forum!
All the best,
…Gord
