HI, I’m trying to use “pointer offset” and i get a error message; G-code motion target exceeds machine travel. Machine position safely retained. Alarm may be unlocked. (Right-click the ‘Devices’ button to reset the connection)
On or near line 1:
it was working before and now just the error message I’ve reset Lightburn, updated the firmware from Longer still no dice. i I have the Pointer offset off everything works fine. Any ideas?
Hi Jim,
The machine thinks you are trying to make it move outside of it’s working area.
What are you doing to make the error come up - are you trying to start an engraving job?
Can you home the machine?
After homing, can you jog the machine around using the arrow buttons in the Move window without errors?
Here is a troubleshooting guide for that error:
Be aware, once you set the pointer offset, you are reducing the available workspace by this amount. If you have a work area of 400x400 and set the pointer offset to 20,20, then your resulting usable workspace will be 380x380 (because both pointer AND laser beam need to reach all positions).
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Hi Nicholas,
so, I’m trying to set the pointer offset. I burned a horizontal and vertical line on cardboard. Then positioned the pointer on the intersection of those lines and burned a square, I measured the distance between the two. I then put the measurements, X axis -13.68mm Y axis 15.15mm.
and the enabled pointer offset. when I try to burn the square again, I get the error message. When I turn off the pointer offset the laser works fine. I have reset the device (right clicked on the devices button) and “homed” the laser and try again same outcome as soon as I enable the Pointer offset the laser does not move. I can move the laser head with the move buttons on the machine and through lightburn If the pointer offset is turned off.
Thank you for any ideas you have to solve this.
Jim
Hi Jim,
You might still be trying to send the laser somewhere it physically can’t go.
As @misken pointed out, once you enable a laser output offset, you need to be careful where you place your artwork (absolute mode : or even in the other modes if the job will get close to the edge) . The machine’s physical limits don’t change - but the usable workspace effectively shrinks by the amount of the offset.
For example, since you entered a 14mm X-axis offset, the controller will offset all laser output to the left by 14mm. That means you cannot place any part of your job within the first 14mm of the workspace on the left side, or it will immediately go out of bounds. Likewise, if you have a 15mm Y offset, you’ll lose that amount of space along the top edge.
So you’ll need to avoid that area entirely:
When version 2.1 becomes available, you might find it helpful to create and save an .lbt template file with guidelines showing the reduced workspace. You could even start LightBurn by opening this file so every new job begins with these visual boundaries already in place.
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HI
the area I’m using is center of laser bed and travel of about 3" max, nowhere close to machine travel limits. I have it set to user origin and start position lower left. I get the same error code if I use current position or user origin. this was working when I first set up the pointer it started glitching about a month after I first set it up. Don’t know if it was a light burn update or something else that started it to not work. If I disable pointer offset the laser works fine. and with the minimal off set I need Y -13.mm and X 15mm it’s a short jog. I have the pointer on the side of the laser head, (see Steve makes everything) video on YouTube. I do a lot of 4x4 ceramic tile and when the pointer offset was working it made the alignment much easier (the enclosure I use makes it hard to accurately position the job) I just don’t know what made it stop working.
Here are some screen shots
thanks,
Jim
@NicholasL and @misken are right, your project is going out of bounds. When asked if it was an image, you did not reply.
If it is an image, check the Overscanning setting in the Cuts window. Please answer all questions to help reach a diagnosis.
Better do not use user origin. It’s very special and you need to know exactly what you are doing. Better use absolute coordinates or current position.
The reason you are getting the error is that the machine thinks it’s standing at 0,0:
At current position this can’t work, because your x offset is negative and you can’t go beyond zero. There are two (three) ways to cure this:
- (let’s say the “correct way”) is to home the machine first, then the 0,0 position is correct. Afterward, move the laser into the workspace by using the arrow buttons (not touching the laser head) so that it gets a true positive position. Sending it to 20,20 is enough. Then you can move the laser head manually anywhere, since the laser now thinks it has enough space to travel -13.68 on the y axis.
- Disable soft limits: send $20=0 in console window. This will disable the boundary check. As long as you always make sure to stay within the laser boundaries, it doesn’t harm. It’s the fast and easy solution, but technically speaking not the “correct” way, because you just disable the check and don’t use the coordinate system in the intended way
- maybe to add another option: use absolute coordinates, then LB will already take care of the changed workspace size and do the calculation. But then you may never touch the laser head after homing, which is inconvenient in most cases.
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