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Changing the direction of a motor
PRSstandard ONLY!!! Do Not Alter Connections on a PRSalpha! ALTERING THE
CABLES ON A PRSalpha TOOL WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY!!!!!!!!
It is straightforward to change the direction of a PRSstandard motor and essentially
involves just reversing two wires in the motor cable connector. To change the direction that
a motor is running, turn all the power off and unplug the motor cable for the motor from the
Control Box (remember that if you are changing the direction of both motors on the X axis,
you will need to make the following change to both motor wire connectors, they have one
and two red tape bands). We just need to change the position of two wires in the connector
(only change the one connector on the motor wire that goes into the Control Box). You
should have a little nylon tool that came with your Control Box or documentation. It can be
used to open the spring clips in the gray connectors and release the wires then re-insert
them (these are Wago Connectors so we call it a WAGO Tool). If you cannot find this tool,
you can use a very small screwdriver to release the wires (slide the blade of the screwdriver
into the slot just above the hole that the wire goes in; when its all the way back, lever the
tip down a bit and the wire will release). Now, to change the direction of a motor, reverse
the green and black wire positions in the connector. This would be the wires in pin 3 and 4
on the connector. Plug the connector back in, and off you go ... (if you did both the X
motors, better test them one at a time to make sure they are both going the right direction
… and of course, turn the power off each time you plug or unplug a motor).
Determining whether you have a software, electrical, or mechanical
problem when an axis moves but does not go the correct distance
Let's try the move a couple of times and over different distances so you're sure of what's
going on. Make certain you are in absolute distance mode [SA] and correctly understand
how absolute distance is working. That is, if you issue a [MX] 2 Command your tool will go
to where it thinks the 2.000 location is. If you issue the Command again, the tool will not
move, because it is already at 2.00. You need to give it the Command [MX] 4 to go another
2 inches up the X axis. At this point also check to make sure the speed has not been
inadvertently set too high. The XY Move Speed should probably be in the range of .5-4.5
in/sec and the XY Jog Speed at 4-6 in/sec. Try the Z Move Speed at 1.5 and the Jog Speed
at 3 in/sec. Stalling (and lost position) will occur if the speed is set too high.
Another thing to check while we’re still powered up is to make sure that the set-screws in
the pinion gears are tight and the pinions not rotating on the motor shaft. You can test this
by trying to push each motor car back and forth with the power on but the tool not moving.
The car should be locked in position. If the pinion is loose, you will feel the car slip back and
forth.
So, assuming that we've got the idea of the Commands right, the speed is not set too high,
and the pinions are not slipping, does the tool seem to be running relatively smoothly and
consistently making the same error -- for example, going a little too far or a little short. If
so, we probably have a software issue involving setting the correct 'Unit Values' for the gear
ratio of your tool. ShopBots use a variety of gear ratios depending on their configuration,
thus it is necessary to make sure you’ve set the Unit Values correctly when you first use the
software and when you subsequently upgrade the software. The Command [VU; 'V'alues
'U'nit] allows you to enter the correct parameters for the gear ratio on your tool. You should
be able to find those values in the documentation we have sent with your tool. There is one
number that will be used for the X and Y axes, and another for the Z. If you have a second
Z axis or indexer, you will also need to set the Unit Value for that axis.
SBG00142080923UserGuide.doc
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