Vendor Options -> Soft PLC

[Roy Dickens]

I was having a look at the new RDworks v8.01.14 and in the vendor options there's a tab for soft PLC with a load of tick boxes. I've had a poke about on the control board with my multimeter and cant seem to find anything that changes when these tick boxes are messed about with. Does anyone know what they do and how to use them?

Thanks Roy.


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Using a modded 50W china blue.
- Amp meter fitted
- Relay fitted to toggle air on and off using the blower option with manual override
- LCD fitted to show current run time and temperature of water and air pump
- I also have tied it into my home automation system to log temperatures and I get a text message to tell me when a job has finished or if anything gets too hot

[Pete Cyr]

Sorry - I can only guess.
Probably for use with something other than a laser like a plasma cutter to control other devices

[Jeffrey Aley]

These are for the "Work Status Lamps" indicated in the RuiDa diagram. Connector CN1, pin 4 should go to ground.
They are more commonly known as "Stack Lights" - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_light . We have these lights on the robots in our factories and labs where I work.

Ordinarily, I'd expect to show Green for Idle and Run, Yellow for Pause, and Red for Alarm. Or you might use Yellow for Idle and Pause.

Given that this seems to support 4 different outputs, perhaps it is for a different RuiDa than the RDC644XG-A.

[Jeffrey Aley]

Using a modded 50W china blue.

- I also have tied it into my home automation system to log temperatures and I get a text message to tell me when a job has finished or if anything gets too hot

Umm, what? Do you have some kind of automatic fire-suppression system? Or are you only engraving slate and other non-flammable materials?

As a general rule, NEVER LEAVE AN OPERATING LASER UNATTENDED.

[Tim Mellor]

At a very rough guess you can enable driving external LED's/Alarms on any of those condition states. Never having seen a board for one of these most likely looking for an unused plug? It is also possible that is is a feature not all controllers have on the board.

Probe carefully lest the smoke come out.

[Roy Dickens]

Thanks for the replys guys. That all makes sense. It doesn't look like I can do anything with those options.

I am using the WIND CN1 pin 5 to turn on and off my air pump. Using STATUS CN1 pin 4 for checking if my laser is running.

If anyone wants to use the WIND pin its fairly simple. You need a 24v DC relay going between WIND and a +24v to power the coil. The air pump live wire then gets cut after its on / off switch and connected to the common and the normally open pins on the relay. Needless to say only carry out this mod if your happy working with mains electricity and you machine has been unplugged for a while to make sure you don't electrocute yourself.

I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR SAFETY AND FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE TO THE LASER.

I NEVER leave my laser unwatched it currently sits in my conservatory and I'm on a pc the other side of glass doors next to it. The door is usually closed as the extractor fan is noisy and as the window is open for the extract duct. I often check it but I usually miss the beep when it has finished its job.

Thanks again guys
Roy

[Gene Uselman]

If you have not already, you may want to check Russ' video on his Ultimate Air Assist system, which he revised to cut off the air pump- not sure if that is now the Ultimate Ultimate Air Assist system or something like that. It works a treat and Cloudray now sells a kit which seems to feature his system for $60 [as I recall].

[Ken Witucki]

Any one know about out1 and out2 in the RuiDa RDC6442?
Lightburn has what looks like control.

[Ken Witucki]

Phoenix494
Laverne from the Lightburn forum

Oct '19
Further to this discussion. I hooked up LED’s to the GP outputs OUT1 and OUT2.

Without Lamp/Bell enabled, I discovered OUT1 turned on when the Controller was Idle. For example during a Reset or running a job the light went off. When Stopped or Pausing the light went on.

{READY TO RUN ONLY LIGHT does not see OUT2 faults } Ken

OUT2 appears to be a fault or alarm indicator. For example, if Water Protect is enabled and there is no water flow or Door Protection is enabled and the Door/Lid is opened then the light will turn on and prevent movement and laser operation.

{FAULT TO RUN ONLY Does not show fault for pulse Switch or Jog with above conditions. } Ken

With Lamp Enabled and trying different lamp scenarios the OUT1 and OUT2 did not behave any different from above.

[Gene Uselman]

Try getting that info from Ruida. You do know Chinese, right? I am proud of the mighty Oz and his team.