LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

Has anyone rewired their e-stop switch (emergency stop)? I don't want it to shut off the machine entirely (I installed a real on-off switch at the front of the machine so don't need the e-stop to do this too), but stop the gantry and laser and pause the job. It should also stop everything if currently resetting or autofocussing.

"FOOTSW" looks to be the logical spot for it according to the RDC6442 manual, and it does pause the machine and stop the laser and gantry, but it also slowly moves the table down(!) and I haven't found anything that stops this behaviour.

Another options is "DrProc", but that just pauses the job. It doesn't stop everything if the machine is in the middle of resetting or autofocussing.

Anyone figure this out?

Emergency stop is just that and in an industrial setting would generally trip the contactor attached, isolating the machine (whatever it is) entirely from the grid. Anything not this would never be allowed under OH&S. Emergency stop switches are also never considered to be 'power switches' or used as such. To effectively remove this functionality on your own Laser is far from ideal. While you may know what it does or doesn't do if someone else needs to punch the button thinking the power removed from the Laser could be fatal if you depart from 'normal' practice so don't.

Better you look at either a software solution or an additional hardware switch upstream from your E-Stop.

I agree with Tim, though it's wise to ensure the machine's Estop was wired correctly in the first place [you'd be surprised...]

I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to achieve or why. There's a "Pause" button on the controller's panel that I use when I want the job to pause. It stops the gantry and the laser and I can press Pause again to resume where I left off. I use it all the time - when I think I'm getting too much flame while cutting, or if I need to leave the room for some reason.

I don't have Autofocus, so I don't know what effect Pause has on the Z-axis.

Thanks for your concern, but next time please read the post. The e-stop is wired dangerously (as they are in almost all Chinese lasers). I want to fix it. If you don't know how to wire an e-stop on a Ruida controller then don't pollute the thread.

The "Pause" button doesn't do anything when homing or autofocusing. If I'm doing these things and need to quickly stop the machine the only way is to shut off the entire machine. From the Ruida manual the "footswitch" input turns off the laser and steppers, but it's also moving the z-axis stepper for some reason.

If YOU don't know what an E-Stop is for DON'T play with it or if it needs 'fixing' then do it properly. They are a safety device not a control device. My background for what it is worth is an EE, Control Systems and Industrial machinery.

If being concerned for safety is polluting your thread then to bad you will have to live with it.

The controller is obviously meant to have the estop wired into it.

Estops aren't wired into the main power and they don't just randomly shut off motors without telling the controller what's going on. Jesus. Anyone who applies the tiniest bit of critical thinking can see why that would quickly put the machine in a dangerous state.

I spent 15 years in HSE for the oil and gas, and mining industries. Please don't spout random made-up nonsensical "safety" advice -- someone who doesn't know any better may listen to you and end up hurting themselves.

Try understanding the basics on an E-Stop instead of trying to rewrite normal practice. Emergency Stops in ALL INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS ISOLATE equipment from the mains. Please do some basic research online as you clearly are choosing to ignore this fact. There is no way this is or can be dangerous and you show a complete lack of knowledge as to the basic function of an Emergency stop. It is YOU who is proposing something dangerous so as I said you will have to deal with being told that AGAIN.

If you are trying to hold your bed in postition during a controller off state that has nothing to do with an E-Stop and has to do with gravity and a then unpowered stepper motor on your bed. Keeping your bed in place without power to the controller can be done but as you no doubt won't take advice as you know all the answers to the question you first asked I see no point offering you a solution.