I know this has been covered extensively because I’ve been at this for hours, and frustration got the better of me. Apologies upfront.
I’m trying to burn a downloaded file onto a cutting board with a Foxalien Vasto XL machine fitted with a 10w laser and I want to start the project in the front left corner. My machine homes in the front left without issue. It’s the starting origin point that I’m struggling with. No matter how I set it up, my machine has it’s own starting point (the same every time) about 3 inches off in both directions. Set and Clear Origin don’t do anything. I homed my machine and took these screenshots. Thanks in advance for any advice!
This indicates that you’re working in negative coordinates:
This indicates that you’ve set a work offset. How did you arrive at these values?
This is likely accounting for the offset you’re describing.
Note that this likely has nothing to do with Set or Clear Origin. Also note that Set Origin has no bearing when using Absolute Coords.
Thank you for your help. You are the Man! I don’t recall setting up work offsets. I don’t want them. Can you help me zero them?
Run these commands in Console and return the full output:
$RST=#
$10=1
$H
$#
?
This will do the following:
- Remove the work offset
- Change Report Status format to Machine position
- Home the laser
- Report on work offset and current position
It looks like your machine starts as a negative coordinate machine system. Will need to account for that.
Run these commands in Console and return output please:
G10 L2 P1 X-597Y-597
$10=0
$H
$#
?
Your machine should report position of 0,0 after homing.
Yes. That’s from the first line of the last set of commands.
You will need this to get your machine to work in a positive coordinate system.
If you also use your machine for CNC operation you may need to remove the work offset.
Test the framing and make sure that it’s working as expected.
OK. Thanks. I’ll check. So are you saying I may need to run $RST=# when I switch to CNC operation?
That’s one way to do it. The other is to explicitly make the change. Here’s what I would suggest.
Stick this into a macro into Console. Something like “Switch to CNC”
G10 L2 P1 X0Y0
$10=1
Do same for “Switch to Laser”
G10 L2 P1 X-597Y-597
$10=0
Success! You’ve fixed another problem. Thank You! So, in absolute coordinates, I just need to place the front left corner of my cutting board at the homed location and I should be centered? I will definitely set up macros as you suggested. Thanks again!
Yes. Basically the workspace is an analog for the location on your bed. So if you want lower left, place the design lower left. If you want upper-right, place upper-right.
Perfect! Have a great night!
Ok. I ran a beautiful laser project yesterday. Today position numbers changed to this. When I try to burn the laser moves the wrong direction into the limit switch. Not sure what happened.
Is the machine homing properly? It seems the X limit switch is being actuated. That could be from either a malfunction or because the pull-off distance is not adequate for the machine.
Can you try rehoming and seeing what the results are? Please return output.
$H
$$
$#
?
First, do a mechanical review of the machine. Particularly focus on the X-axis. Look for anything loose or potentially getting caught. If it was homing reliably before but not now this is likely some mechanical issue.
You could potentially increase pull-off distance but 3mm should really be sufficient.
To increase the pull you’d change the value of $27 which is currently set for 3mm. Increasing that value will likely cause position after homing to increase. You could adjust for that with a change to the offset.
For example, if you wanted to adjust pull-off to 5mm:
$27=5
G10 L2 P1 X-595Y-595
Let me know how you’d like to proceed.
I will check the machine and change the offset. I don’t understand position 600,600. The other day we had it as 0,0.???
I’m assuming this is because homing is not completing correctly but that’s easily confirmed after the situation with homing is addressed.
Ok. Not sure what happened but after last post I had to plug back into machine and it homed fine. so I ran $# and ?. position was back to 0,0. I didn’t make any changes. project is running now. i don’t understand what happened. Thank you!