LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

Hi Andy

Did you or know if the previous owner replaced any of the limit switches?

These switches have two flavors, NPN and PNP, they are not interchangeable! Typically the part number has either a P or N in the part number. I think Rudia controllers use the PNP type but I will check that against my unit.

You may want to check this thread for additional troubleshooting.

viewtopic.php?p=30069#p30069

Gene Uselman wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 Check this link- viewtopic.php?f=100&t=5836

Gene , I'd been looking for user settings in the top menu settings with Vendor settings , but your nudge in looking right helped me spot it .. its well hidden. For those who like me work well will pictures , and not just crayons heres a screen to help you find it .

So I'll down load the exisiting user settings and compare against "user_settings russ 3050 machine.RDUSet" later and see if this is able to make a differance with the issues.

Cheers

Andy

Frank- there is no normal for anything about laser machines- Russ said it so well in the video where he said that you should look at a Chicom laser machine as a kit assembled by people who may or may not know anything about lasers or assembly. That is why Ruida has so many, many settings for different types of limit switches and then many many ways that they might be wired. I makes me tired.

Frank Small wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 Hi Andy

Did you or know if the previous owner replaced any of the limit switches?

These switches have two flavors, NPN and PNP, they are not interchangeable! Typically the part number has either a P or N in the part number. I think Rudia controllers use the PNP type but I will check that against my unit.

You may want to check this thread for additional troubleshooting.

viewtopic.php?p=30069#p30069

Don't know if they have ever been changed.
Think from looking at the rig before changing anything myself it was completely standard.
Don't think anything has ever been changed on it apart from marks on mirror mounts suggesting mirror changes/cleaning.
Have just checked and the Proximity switch I've replaced ,as a test, is a matching NPN ..
Thanks for the suggestion.
Going to be trying the user setting in a bit so see what changes I can get tweaking those ..
Any progress will be posted ..

I am struggling with a Homing/Limiter article for the FAQ section as this is a common and very confusing topic. This is a jpg I just made comparing how the limit switch settings look for Lightburn and RDworks on the same machine. I will keep working on the article but... it is very confusing. Perhaps this will help.

.

Gene , Love the comparison was looking at the two myself .. I agree it does seem to be a widely discussed issue with varying degrees of detail to the answers. Once I've made it to the otherside I was going to do a post covering my journey / the final recovery and the steps required . etc.
Between your knowledge , your hard work creating ad how to post and my fumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch the world should be a better place !

Now to test the user setting ...
cheers Andy

Though I'd recap on where i am .
Reviewing some of Russ's videos the Proximity switches on X & Y are in the same location.
The bed size is also the same a 500 /300 bed
So based on that I watched the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-tva0CSJao or restoring settings .
But its still side slamming .

I created a square in RDW and sent it to write and when starts the job it does light the proximity switches on both X & Y so they do work and are recognized when doing a job from RDW .

So i side question outside of the whole quest is this .. Do the Rudia controller buttons when directing the gantry and cutting head to the proxminty sensor normally trigger and stop the movement . OR the the Proxmity sensors only limit the gantry and head when operating via RDW ?

Answers on a postcard !

I think I mentioned I was writing an article on limit switches- here is an excerpt from it, maybe will help. I do not think as clearly as I once did- the limit switches connect to the controller terminals labeled X limit [+ or -] and the same for the Y [and Z if it has one].


Normal Homing Behavior

1. The laser head and gantry move quickly towards the limit switches. Each axis stops when the limit switch detects (lights up).

2. After both limit switches detect, the laser head + gantry moves very slowly away from the limit switches. Each axis stops when
the limit switch no longer detects (light goes out).

3. The laser head & gantry then move very slowly until the limit switches detect again (lights up).

4. The X & Y will then move to a position called the offset that is set in the Machine Settings.




Troubleshooting switches

Common problem #1: the head or gantry moves AWAY from the limit switches instead of towards them. (Gene, I think you noted the menus where to change this.)

Common problem #2: the limit switch detects the laser head and gantry (both switches light up), but the motors don't stop. This is due to the controller not reacting to the
activation of the limit switch(es). First check the software (see Gene's screenshos) to be sure the limit switches are enabled in the software. Second, check to see that the
limit switches are actually wired to the RuiDa controller (see 644x wiring diagram). Most limit switches need +24V, GND, and the output of the limit switch connectd to X- or Y-.


Common problem #3: the limit switch fails to detect the laser head and/or gantry (doesn't light up). First I'd test to see if the limit switches work. You can use any large
piece of steel - a screwdriver, a wrench, etc. When you put it near a magnetic limit switch (within 5mm), the switch should light up. If it doesn't, check to see if the limit
switch i actually connected to the RuiDa controller and if the wire is good (there have been cases of broken / intermittent wires). Otherwise, replace the limit switch (they're not expensive).

If the limit switch works with your piece of metal, but doesn't detect the laser head, try adjusting the mechanical position of the switch so that it is closer to the piece of metal
that it's supposed to detect (Or sometimes the metal on the moving part is should be sensing).

Gene , Thanks for the information unfortunately the proximity sensors don't behave or respond in the same way to any of the options of behavior in your info.

Distilled issue :
Proximity Sensors react and work when a job is controlled from RDW. IE light up and stop the Gantry or head.
Proximity Sensor do not light to show activation when metal is presented to it when static.
Proximity Sensors do not Light when in start up and the gantry and head are "homing"
( Side note as this might help diagnosis ) The Z axis still refuses to move from the Ruida "direction arrows" .

My logic suggests that the Proximity sensor work as in not broken as a piece hardware.
Why work with RDW but not with Ruida controller alone. ?
When writing a job from RDW ie ; Draw a rectangle and then press start, does it write the information to the Rudia or pass through ?


Has anyone else had this as a symptom ..

Edit to last post !
Drew a rectangle in Lightburn sent it to write.
Gantry moved to top triggering Y Proximity ( light on ) and Head moved to Left triggering the X Proximity ( Light On ) .
Ruida stopped the job and gave a "hard limit" error message.
Pressed ESC and then it attempted to complete the job by hammering/juddering the head X access into the edge !?

Ho Hum