X1 and X2 wired backwards

[crash5050]

When I try to c3 my bot to set the zero based on the proximity switches, my gantry moves the wrong way. It goes - instead of positive. The only explanation is that I have the motors hooked up backwards.

Since I have already gotten the entire thing wired, zip tied and looking fairly safe to operate, other than taking the entire wiring harness apart and changing cables, is there any other way to lie to the machine and make it go the opposite direction?

David

[Shane]

When I try to c3 my bot to set the zero based on the proximity switches, my gantry moves the wrong way. It goes - instead of positive. The only explanation is that I have the motors hooked up backwards.

Since I have already gotten the entire thing wired, zip tied and looking fairly safe to operate, other than taking the entire wiring harness apart and changing cables, is there any other way to lie to the machine and make it go the opposite direction?

David

Check with the more experiences guys or shopbot support first but to change the direction you can swap the black and green wires in the control box that hooks up directly to the drivers. http://www.shopbotdocs.com/RBK-adjust.html

Shows a picture of the drivers after your remove the control board. It should be the 3rd and 4th wire connection down from the top.

But please double check with someone else first. I'm fairly new to the Shopbot but I had to do this today on mine to get the - & + matching the right direction for the front of the bot.

Shane.

[myxpykalix]

I can't tell you which wire but i think it would be as simple as switching a wire on your terminal block in the control box. I don't think you would need to change anything at the motors or in your wiring harness.

Or you could turn the gantry around 180 degrees on the rails:rolleyes: lol
You might want to verify that you indeed have the gantry on correctly.

maybe a couple pics in the box and of the gantry might help.
There are also some settings. Check VU to see what your settings for your different axis are. There should not be a - in front of them.
I think it will be a matter of changing a couple wires frankly. I'd send an email to support or call them. I know when i got mine i had a few wires crossed and we fixed it in short order.

[Brady Watson]

On the back side of the motor plates are dots. 2 Red dots for X2, which is the FRONT motor, and one dot for the back X1 motor. You probably have them backwards. Just reverse the X1 & X2 connections in the control box, or change the VU for the X axis to a negative. Put a - sign in front of the X value in SB3.

-B

[tlempicke]

Stand by one!
The very first thing to do is find out if in fact your motors are running backwards or wrong in ANY way. If they are you will have many many mysterious problems.

With the control box and computer on and running the Shopbot program.
Have the carriage somewhere in the middle at least a couple of inches from the end.

Raise the Z axis so that it is at least an inch above the surface

Do a Z3 to zero all of the axis

type in my1 and enter

The carriage should move to your left. See the operators manual to make sure you are in the correct position.

Type in mx1 and enter. The carriage should move away from you or on a Buddy the table will move toward you.

Get the machine to do this first, then if you have problems with c3 it is in the program. While you are set up for this if you mount a dial indicator on something heavy and check to see if the carriage really moves an inch and is repeatable you can save a ton of time latter on. Don't forget to do both x and y axis!

[curtiss]

It would seem reversing the X1 & X2 connections in the control box would be easiest, that way your software is still set to the defaults.

The C3 seems to be working which is good. The x motors are moving the gantry in the "same direction" which is good.

I learned this week that I have been standing on the "left side" of my machine all this time... the bot loads from the side.... not the front.

[Shane]

Yes I learnt that lesson also. Even though when following the instructions about it saying the rail with the control box was the front etc. I guess my brain just ignored the front part when it came to the x,y & z axis settings.

Someone mentioned that the manual was well written and clearly states in their about the location of the 'front' of the bot. I beg to differ, if it was so well written why does it seem there are lots of people who are not understanding where the front is when setting up there machine. Sure it may be written in the manual but it is 100% clear and concise? I found even though the manual was pretty helpful that it sometimes didn't flow naturally and I felt it wanted me to do steps that were not even possible until it explained a previous step later in the manual.

Also with my manual, they had done an update and changed the name of the leg levellers but were calling the part by its old and new name in 2 different sections. This was really confusing, I had a good idea what they were trying to convey but I thought that I'd better do it exactly how the manual says and that is what had me stumped until the I read the latest manual online and noticed the reference to the part name had been changed in both sections.

A few more pictures couldn't hurt either. They speak a thousand words and could help immensely.

But that is my rant about the manual, others probably think the opposite. No fault of Shopbot for their phone support(which Frank has been outstanding), but being in Australia means having to phone them at midnight and I can't exactly be near the machine at that time of the night, so relying on a clear and concise manual was even more important.

At the end of the day, one Y stepper motor was replaced due to DOA, a new backing plate also had to be sent as the locktite used on the bolts did not want to relinquish their hold. A tweak of the driver wires and also changing the driver settings due to the replacement stepper being a previous model. After all this I'm now doing air cuts and if I get time, the first true cut will commence today.

Shane.

[Brady Watson]

Shane,
If there are inconsistencies with the manual, please send your findings to: support@shopbottools.com

ShopBot Support does not monitor this forum, so in the spirit of giving back to the community, please send a note explaining the areas that you found confusing or in need of more detail.

As a well seasoned user, I take a lot of things for granted since so much is 2nd nature to me, so what may seem obvious to me or techs @ SB, might not be so obvious to a new user.

Good luck with your new tool - You must be very excited!

-B

[myxpykalix]

Shane,
I could tell you what your problem was...since you are on the opposite side of the earth everything was upside down and backwards!:D

At first i was like you, confused about the orientation because i thought the "front" of the machine was the short side end I happen to be standing in front of!
And at first it was confusing on the control panel the directional arrows for movement because where i stand i hit the right arrow to travel down the X, left to come back, ect.. This is the way i had orient my machine in my shop in relation to where i stand.

There were a few inconsistencies in the manual when i got mine 6 years ago but a call to tech support got it straightened out. Although you might want to see if tech support can Skype seeing as you are in Australia.:eek:

[Bob Eustace]

Jack if you buy a Buddy, Shopbot put a dirty big arrow on the X and Y axis. Very handy for the silver haired set! Oh course you are in strife if you replace the table and forget as you need a much bigger bot to stick it on the new able.

[Shane]

Shane,
I could tell you what your problem was...since you are on the opposite side of the earth everything was upside down and backwards!:D

At first i was like you, confused about the orientation because i thought the "front" of the machine was the short side end I happen to be standing in front of!
And at first it was confusing on the control panel the directional arrows for movement because where i stand i hit the right arrow to travel down the X, left to come back, ect.. This is the way i had orient my machine in my shop in relation to where i stand.

There were a few inconsistencies in the manual when i got mine 6 years ago but a call to tech support got it straightened out. Although you might want to see if tech support can Skype seeing as you are in Australia.:eek:

Don't worry, being an Aussie I already turned the manual upside down to read it correctly ;)

I have unlimited phone calls from my mobile (cell) phone so calling Shopbot Support wasn't a money issue. But I don't think the neighbours would appreciate me making noise in the shed at midnight.

Shane.

[Shane]

Shane,
If there are inconsistencies with the manual, please send your findings to: support@shopbottools.com

ShopBot Support does not monitor this forum, so in the spirit of giving back to the community, please send a note explaining the areas that you found confusing or in need of more detail.

As a well seasoned user, I take a lot of things for granted since so much is 2nd nature to me, so what may seem obvious to me or techs @ SB, might not be so obvious to a new user.

Good luck with your new tool - You must be very excited!

-B

Once you get to know your way about using the Shopbot the manual will probably make sense but in reality the manual should help the complete novice who has never touched a Shopbot.

The manual is more detailed than I expected which is a good thing considering some 'manuals' these days are nothing more than chinglish and lucky to have any pictures. I've always thought a manual should be written by an expert and also someone without any knowledge of the machine. This way, what seems to be common knowledge for an expert, may be picked up by the novice that it may not be the case and further helpful information could be needed to clarify the situation.

I have already mentioned to support about a few things but should I be using my time to list what I found frustrating about the manual when they should be paying someone to uncover these issues themselves? I run a business and so do Shopbot. I've paid a lot of money for the machine so I expect the manual to be clear and concise. If I was buying a chinese machine directly from China for a cheap price, I wouldn't expect a quality manual.

Shane.

[Brady Watson]

I have already mentioned to support about a few things but should I be using my time to list what I found frustrating about the manual when they should be paying someone to uncover these issues themselves? I run a business and so do Shopbot. I've paid a lot of money for the machine so I expect the manual to be clear and concise. If I was buying a chinese machine directly from China for a cheap price, I wouldn't expect a quality manual.


Shane,
I get it. I paid nearly $30k 12 years ago and the manual wasn't even an iota as good as it is now. I would put money on ShopBot having the best manual, documentation, and training materials of any CNC under $100k in the marketplace right now. Sure, there is always room for improvement and anything in the market is an 'offering' - you can't please everyone, but I think SB does a good job of pleasing most.

I think you will find the ShopBot forum full of professionals, who also run a business full time & also paid the cost of entry into the world of CNC. Most of us are very giving when it comes to sharing tips, tricks and techniques you just won't find anywhere else. If there is a problem with the software, we report it so that it benefits the community at large. If there is a feature not in the software or hardware, ShopBot is pretty receptive & creative in making it happen so that you can customize your machine to YOUR needs.

In keeping with the community spirit, reporting areas in the documentation that are 'blind spots' or inconsistencies that you see from your unique perspective, may help the next guy (which could be YOU) - It's a 'pay it forward' kinda thing. I find that much better solution than yet another 'It ain't my job' outlook in this day & age. So nobody is twisting your arm to write an email, but it would be something nice to do for your fellow CNC users that will be coming in behind you. What goes around comes around, right? :)

Cheers
-B

[crash5050]

Just my .02 here. The manual is pretty good, they leave out some stuff that would make kife easier, like installing the wiring on the e chain, and some of the pictures are a bit cryptic. But all in all it is a pretty good manual. What drew me to the shop bot was the forum (you guys), and the fact that I can get an answer to my questions from the guys that designed the thing almost 24 hours a day..

Granted some of the information garnered here on the board may not be as correct as we would like, it does make one think about the situation a bit and make some informed choices about how to proceed.

My 1st router was sent to me in 4 boxes and no pictures, I had to figure it out. I am just happy we have a place where we can share ideas, right or wrong.

David

P.S. I deeply appreciate all who have answered my posts. I hate being spoon fed, but when google and the manual come up empty, you gotta go to the guys that use the machines daily.

[Shane]

Shane,
I get it. I paid nearly $30k 12 years ago and the manual wasn't even an iota as good as it is now. I would put money on ShopBot having the best manual, documentation, and training materials of any CNC under $100k in the marketplace right now. Sure, there is always room for improvement and anything in the market is an 'offering' - you can't please everyone, but I think SB does a good job of pleasing most.

I think you will find the ShopBot forum full of professionals, who also run a business full time & also paid the cost of entry into the world of CNC. Most of us are very giving when it comes to sharing tips, tricks and techniques you just won't find anywhere else. If there is a problem with the software, we report it so that it benefits the community at large. If there is a feature not in the software or hardware, ShopBot is pretty receptive & creative in making it happen so that you can customize your machine to YOUR needs.

In keeping with the community spirit, reporting areas in the documentation that are 'blind spots' or inconsistencies that you see from your unique perspective, may help the next guy (which could be YOU) - It's a 'pay it forward' kinda thing. I find that much better solution than yet another 'It ain't my job' outlook in this day & age. So nobody is twisting your arm to write an email, but it would be something nice to do for your fellow CNC users that will be coming in behind you. What goes around comes around, right? :)

Cheers
-B

Hi Brady, Yes I agree with everything you have said. I don't mind submitting to support about one or two issues with the manual. But I was more referring to a general overhaul of the manual, as I think it needs to be rewritten in general a little better. I don't have the time to send an essay to Shopbot regarding it and I hope they will continue to work on the manual to keep up with their already high standards.


I appreciate this forum and other shopbotters that have posted and answered queries and I hope to give back to the forum when I am more experienced with the Shopbot.

Shane.

[myxpykalix]

Shane,
Some of us (not me of course:rolleyes:) are guilty of talking in "Shopbot shorthand", which when we read it makes perfect sense but to a inexperienced user can be frustrating.
I think the manual may be a little intimidating and you could get a little confused. The great thing is you can come here and ask for clarity.

I asked a question once and some D*Bag basically said "figure it out for yourself" and he hasn't posted since and that was probably 5 years ago. Thankfully those types are few here. Everyone knows that THEY were a newbie at one time and are more then willing to help.
Plus we like to show how smart we are when we help someone else:D
So put your frustration away and ask whatever you need help for, some of us have seen the same question asked hundreds of times:eek:

[bcondon]

I received an early desktop for one of my clients and the zeroing routines
did not work. The problem (thanks to Ryan helping on a saturday afternoon when he was at the mall with his family) was that the blue wiring blocks were wire wrong. What happen was the the block pull off their pins to wire. When you pull it off, the screws to hold the wires were on the bottom so we beleive the tech rotated the blocks to a screw in the up position but forgot to rotate the cable with the 4 wires so that wire 1 was in pin 4, wire 2 was in pin 3... etc

Ryan helped me figure that out and then we rewired but you ca see how easy it is to make a mistake even with the first few units..

Thanks
Bob