Swap X & Y and re-home 0,0 to the left

[Simops]

Andrew- Im with Brady on swapping axes. The "front" of the machine is when I am standing looking at the gantry. In order to swap X and Y you need to change your driver definitions, and also swap the signal wires on your X and Y prox switches, then everything works the way you would expect.
D

I have a Buddy 48 standard setup with 6' stick to give a 48" x 48" cutting size.

I would like to swap my X & Y axii and have it home (0,0) at bottom left....see pic attached. It would make sense for me to do this and it would correlate with my setup having the control computer attached tothe left and so 'make sense' with the Partworks/Aspire drawing view and also means I have the 0,0 home position on same side.....makes for easier Z zeroing, etc.

Now I searched the threads and all I could find was a brief quote from Dana and Brady saying that they had done this (as per Dana's quote above) but little else by way of detail in the method. I have had my Buddy for a year and now I'm brave enough to do this change BUT not without more specific detail in the method.

From what I can make out this is a two step process:
1. Change the X & Y signal wires......OK see pic attached of my control board....which wires?

2. Driver definitions.....I need more specifics? I understand that there must be some sort of software editing so that the C3 command works and homes to the left 0,0 position plus the cuts from the partworks will cut in correct sense......OK but how and what changes do I make for this to happen?

Thanks

Mike

[Brady Watson]

There are a couple of ways that you can do it. The easy way involves swapping X for Y using the VI command. Y will be channel 1, X will be channel 2. The table will most likely move in the opposite direction than you intend it to, so you'll have to sign the axis unit value negative in the VU command to get it moving in the right direction. Then your arrow keys should be sync'd up with the machine movement. You'll then have to swap the physical wires from Input 2 (X Prox) with Input 3 (Y Prox) so that C3 works the way you expect it to, and physically adjust Prox/Limit targets where they make sense, because 0,0 is now on the opposite front corner of the table.

The more involved way, but the way I would do it, is to pull the RBK board and swap the X driver for the Y driver so that I didn't have to go through signing the UV negative and VI assignments in case I lost my settings somewhere down the line...Either way is fine, and you'll have to swap Inputs 2 & 3 regardless. Try the 'easy' way 1st before you get involved with pulling drivers etc.

Does that make sense?

-B

[Simops]

Ta Brady.....I'll checkout the V1 & VU commands to make sure I can make sense of editing them. Do I just type V1 and VU in the SB3 software to open them up for editing?

I'll let you know if I'm successful or not!

Cheers and thanks
MT

[Brady Watson]

Yes - it's VI (Vee Eye) not V1 (Vee One).

It is easy...Just put Y as channel 1 & X as channel 2. Then move the table around with Keyboard mode...If they move differently than you expect, you can sign the axis unit value negative using the VU command.

To reverse the motor direction via wires, just swap the green & black wires near the motor connector. You only have to swap 2 physical wires on one side of the connector...use your 'f' looking Wago tool that came stuck in your probe Wago connector by the Zzero plate.

-B

[Simops]

Hi Brady......
Editing VI & VU commands.....no probs easy!

But reversing the wires is where I'm unsure of at this time. I had a look and cannot see how you can reverse the wires at the stepper motor end. Looked but didn't see a Wago tool (what does it look like?). The cable to the motor is sealed......can this be done at the control board end instead?

Cheers

Mike

[dana_swift]

Michael- just noticed your post.

DONT switch the motor wiring, just go to the VI command and set the Driver Channel 1 to Y, and Driver Channel 2 to X.

Then in the VU command put a "-" sign in front of X and Y.

Switching the prox switches is not the same as switching the motor wiring. The prox switch signal wires inside the silver control box are little and easy to move.

Use a small screwdriver to loosen the connector-block wire-clamp screw for just the two prox switch signal wires, then move each of the the wires to the other terminal and re-tighten the clamp screws. Now the C3 command will work unmodified.

Done.

I hope that made sense. I would take some photos, but getting into my silver box is not easy the way I have my bot located. I almost never need to get in there.

If you need more info, send me a PM.

D

[dana_swift]

Also- one other thought. There is a way to do the prox switch change in software. If you understand programming its easier to do it this way, but either way works.

Here is the key snippet of code from the XYzero.sbc file. This is NOT the whole file..

Check_PRS:
&TrgtHIT = 0
IF &DriverCh1 = "X" THEN &Xtrgt = 2
IF &DriverCh1 = "X" THEN &Ytrgt = 3
IF &DriverCh1 = "Y" THEN &Ytrgt = 2
IF &DriverCh1 = "Y" THEN &Xtrgt = 3

What its doing is checking the driver definitions, then exchanging the input signal sources in software.

Either the software or hardware solution will work, but don't do BOTH!

Some folks are handier with a screwdriver, others with a keyboard. I like both tools! Use the one that is most comfortable to you-

D

[Simops]

Thanks guys! All a success now. Dana your second last message dropped the pin with me and now i understand what Brady was saying in his first message above.....should have read Brady's message more carefully....it was the prox switches to swap not stepper motors....Duh!!
Tried it and the only difference I made was to leave the Y positive in the VU script. Now the XY home position is to bottom left corner as per my pic above when using the C3 command.
Up Y (away) is now positive and going right X is positive. This now correlates exactly with my Partworks / Aspire drawing XY orientation plus the spindle is now next to my control computer so changing bits, z zero, etc is where I stand!

Fantastic mentors on this Forum.......glad I bought a Shopbot:):)

Cheers

Mike T