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Y’all, I bought Charley’s Triquetra. Something about the way I have my XCarve currently setup is making it so the Triquetra probe doesn’t work --> it goes through the motions of executing the probe command in UGS but the bit never actually touches the touchplate. My XCarve works just fine.
These are the tests I ran, thanks to Charley’s infinite patience. What is wrong?
I fail step 4 in the PDF (Probe Wiring Tests.pdf )
&&& and Step 9 here b/c I get no power:
Disconnect the ground wire from the connection at the machine controller. (This is the easiest to unhook usually.)
Turn on your ohm meter and without the probes touching anything is should read something like “OL” yours may be different but just take note of what it reads.
With the ground wire disconnected and not touching anything, place the probes of your meter on the banana plug and the magnet.
The reading on your ohm meter should not change and continue reading “OL” or what ever it reads when powered on.
If it shows any resistance at all then there is a short in the wires and needs to be replaced. If no reading is shown then continue to #5.
Place one probe on the magnet and the other probe on the loose end of the ground wire. The meter should read 0.00. This indicates a good connection.
Place your probe on the banana plug and the other end of the positive wire. Again your meter should read 0.00
If all the above tests pass then reconnect your ground wire.
Set your meter to DC voltage with the selected range of 0 - 20. If yours doesn’t have 0-20 then select the lowest range available that has the hi value above 12 volts
9. With all your wires connected to the machine controller but not to the spindle, power on your machine and read the voltage between the banana plug and magnet. It should be right at 4.7 Volts DC. If it is above 5.1 then you are using an incorrect ground terminal.–> I got 0.00v
If the voltage reads 4.7 approximately, then try moving the wires around and see if it ever drops. If it does then I recommend that you check your connections to the machine controller. This often happens when the positive connection at the controller is shorted out against the metal case or if either connection is loose at the controller. That would cause a false positive during probing and do what you described.
Steps 1-6 should have your meter on DC Resistance or Continuity mode. In those steps you’re measuring resistance not voltage.
As mentioned in Step 7, you should change to DC Voltage for the Step 9 measurement.
If you’re reading 0.00V, then you’re probably connected to the wrong pin on the Arduino. One wire should be connected to A5, one wire to GND on the Arduino.
Sure, edited above too: Something about the way I have my XCarve currently setup is making it so the Triquetra probe doesn’t work → it goes through the motions of executing the probe command in UGS but the bit never actually touches the touchplate. My XCarve works just fine.
I don’t know what $10 means, but I’ll google how to look it up and change it? I flashed the Arduino using the Inventables instructions when I replaced it about a month ago.
@DavidAnnetta I setup the Dewalt spindle according to the original instructions, and I don’t’ how if that means the spindle is grounded or not.
@JustinBusby I changed the multimeter according to the instructions, and even double checked on several basic forums, like AdaFruit, to make sure I was reading the meter symbols right. The red lead is connected to A5 and the black ground wire is connected to the ground wire. The photos from the attached doc were of my actual machine.
@MRoss Do you mean the collet on the Dewalt? I’ll try that.
How far away from the touch block are you starting? I seem to remember Charley saying that it will only travel up to an inch (25mm) when looking for the block.
His problems are being seen without GRBL running the homing routine. Those steps he posted are manual measurements on the wires themselves. Easel/UGS won’t play into that issue.
@TheoRetos not sure how you are wired but can you try connecting the probe wire to a X/Y/Z limit output and see if you can read a voltage? Also, just to make sure, your Arduino is turned on while you are making the DC voltage measurements, right?
@CharleyThomas, I ran through the test listed above after getting a new Arduino from Inventables.
So, I still don’t read power from the A5 pin to the banana plug & I’m reading resistance in the wires from a disconnected ground wire to the magnet and then the banana plug to the end of the red wire.
Does this indicate there’s a short in the cord? Thanks.
With a multi-meter set to Ohms, check the resistance from the Banana plug to other end of the red wire where it connects to the Arduino Board. It should read right at 0.00. If it reads correctly then set your multi-meter to DC Voltage and check for 5VDC between the banana plug and the power supply ground. If it reads over 5.5 volts then check a different ground point until you get something between 4.7 to 5.2 VDC and connect the ground wire to that location. Then move to move to step 2. Also be sure that the red wire is not shorting out against a mount screw near pin A5 or the power supply case.
With a multi-meter set to Ohms, check the resistance from from the Magnet to the other end of the Black wire where it connects to the power supply ground. It should read right at 0.00. If the Magnet side is showing high resistance try to hold the wire where it goes into the black magnet holder and twist the black holder while keep the wire still. Give it about 1 full turn. You can also try pushing the wire in and out of the holder. There is a spring inside with the wire soldered to it that just presses against the magnet. This will twist the insides portion that you can’t see and may re-establish a connection with the magnet on the inside. If you are reading 0.00 resistance then check for voltage between the magnet and banana plug. If you read 0 vdc but you get 5 volts from step one then you have a bad wire connection one either the red or black wires.
If the wire fails the Ohms test one either the black or red sides let me know and I will send you a new set.
You won’t show any voltage between the banana plug and where it attaches to pin A5. You should show voltage between the banana plug and power supply ground though if your wire connecting to Pin A5 is making a connection. Try soldering a paper clip to the end of the red wire and inserting that into pin A5. Just be sure that it does not short out against anything inside the enclosure and then try to read the voltage between the banana plug and magnet.
You can check the ground continuity by checking for voltage from the magnet to the power supply positive output. (Right next to the location of the ground wire connection) I will read much higher than 5 volts dc but will confirm a good connection of the ground wire. If no voltage is found there then the ground wire is where your fault is.
Charley[quote=“TheoRetos, post:25, topic:35930”]
So, I still don’t read power from the A5 pin to the banana plug & I’m reading resistance in the wires from a disconnected ground wire to the magnet and then the banana plug to the end of the red wire.
[/quote]
I haven’t heard anything back from you. Do you have the problem resolved or do you need help still?
