Probe Install not working with X-Controller

X-Carve
1

The title about says it all. I installed my new X-Controller today. All tests seem OK, except the probe. I have both the new Inventables probe that I got with the upgrade package and the Triquetra probe. I had previously used the Triquetra connected to the A5 pin. Worked great. I’m assuming that the wiring of the Triquetra and the Inventables probes are that same (just wires, no resistors, etc.).

I installed the Triquetra probe wiring directly into the PROBE and GROUND connections on the X-Controller. The Easel probe install test does not see that the connections are touched. The Picsender probe command does not see a contact, nor does running the Triquetra zeroing code.

I tested continuity from the X-Controller connector screws in both PROBE and GROUND to the ends of the probe wires. All is OK. I have not yet calibrated the steps.

Grbl 1.0c [’$’ for help]
<Idle,MPos:0.0000,0.0000,0.0000,WPos:-1.0000,0.0000,0.0000,Pin:000|0|0000>
ok
[G0 G54 G17 G20 G91 G94 M0 M5 M9 T0 F0.0 S0.]
ok

$0=10 (step pulse, usec)
$1=255 (step idle delay, msec)
$2=0 (step port invert mask:00000000)
$3=3 (dir port invert mask:00000011)
$4=0 (step enable invert, bool)
$5=0 (limit pins invert, bool)
$6=0 (probe pin invert, bool)
$10=115 (status report mask:01110011)
$11=0.020 (junction deviation, mm)
$12=0.002 (arc tolerance, mm)
$13=1 (report inches, bool)
$20=0 (soft limits, bool)
$21=0 (hard limits, bool)
$22=0 (homing cycle, bool)
$23=3 (homing dir invert mask:00000011)
$24=25.000 (homing feed, mm/min)
$25=750.000 (homing seek, mm/min)
$26=250 (homing debounce, msec)
$27=1.000 (homing pull-off, mm)
$30=1. (rpm max)
$31=0. (rpm min)
$100=40.000 (x, step/mm)
$101=40.000 (y, step/mm)
$102=188.976 (z, step/mm)
$110=8000.000 (x max rate, mm/min)
$111=8000.000 (y max rate, mm/min)
$112=500.000 (z max rate, mm/min)
$120=500.000 (x accel, mm/sec^2)
$121=500.000 (y accel, mm/sec^2)
$122=50.000 (z accel, mm/sec^2)
$130=790.000 (x max travel, mm)
$131=790.000 (y max travel, mm)
$132=100.000 (z max travel, mm)
ok

Done

2

In PicSender, click on the ? command. It will give you the status of the homing switches and the probe pin.

Here is the output with all homing switches tripped and the probe tripped.

Idle,MPos:0.000,0.000,0.000,WPos:-10.000,-10.000,20.000,Pin:111|1|0000

Same output with no switches tripped and the probe not tripped.

Idle,MPos:0.000,0.000,0.000,WPos:-10.000,-10.000,20.000,Pin:000|0|0000

The probe bit is the center section of the Pin status.

You can use this output to test the hardware to make sure it’s working, then move to the software issues, if any.

3

The PIN is all ‘0’ before and after trying to probe. Easel setup also does not see any connection in their test,

4

Well… It all works now. The more I thought about it, it had to be a bad connection somewhere. I took the X-Controller apart, re-seated everything, and put it all back together. This time I was EXTREMELY careful to check that everything was fully engaged. I even put new batteries in my flashlight. :grinning: The smoke gods approved (no smoke leaked out) and all went well.

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