MASSO freezing and behaving erratic

[johnharvey]

I have my unit set up and able to home (see notes), jog, run spindle, etc.
lately, the unit freezes during homing, courser is frozen, I have to cycle the power on the machine to get out of it, reboot, then it will freeze again on another axis. screen tends to freeze during an axis moving during homing. When the axis is on the move the screen freezes, axis still moving, hits the switch then stops, no pull off. Also it will freeze when using MDI. and trying to run any simple program.
Also now, If it will get through a complete homing cycle, the "Homing please wait" alarm remains blinking yellow, despite it is done homing and has pulled off every switch. Can not jog machine and all tabs will not respond F1 F2 etc. running 3.42.4

It began with random freezing a few days ago while just being on, now its getting more so, like its becoming worse.

Getting very frustrating, this machine needs to make money soon. 24v system

Any ideas? I need to be cutting materiel Monday. I'm that close.

found on a post where WIFI was causing similar random issues but I disabled WIFI with no results. Seemed to work fine with WIFI the other few days it has been on.

cheers,
john

 

[cncnutz]

Hi John,

There might be 2 issues at play here. The first may be related to the Wifi but the 2nd might be related to the auto tool zero feature.

If you have not assigned a touchoff plate input in Masso configuration then it will complete the 3 axis homing and then freeze with the Homing please wait indication.

The most likely problem in this situation is that you assigned a probing input rather than a touchplate input.

First turn off the Auto tool zero and see if homing works properly with the Wifi off. After that turn on the Auto tool zero feature and go from there.

Cheers

Peter

 

[johnharvey]

Hey Peter,

So I did have a touch plate (micro switch) wired to #18 Touch plate input is chosen

I have the XY dims etc. set. in auto change position

I turn off auto tool change and yes it does fix the frozen wait problem.

Question, I see the wiring diagram for the touch plate, I do not need that accuracy. So I wired a simple push switch that the tool will break contact, I have inverted the input, when pressed, the input goes high as it should. Is the resistor solely to reduce voltage to the "touch plate" circuit? is the resistor absolutely necessary?

YET, I can enter T1 M6 and the machine does not move to position? I have a tool listed in the table.



Also, it is probably becasue the MDI input does not respond at all. input g0 z-3 enter for instance, nothing. then the esc key will not get ride of the window, frozen. ARG! The only thing that happens is the job timer begins counting, no movement.

Also no programs will run when cycle start is initiated no mater how simple, then it is frozen again! Yes, I do rewind first. This is far from intuitive behavior. What am I doing wrong?

The only thing I can do with the MASSO is jog and run the spindle?

john

 

[breezy]

@johnharvey

You have made it complicated by adding push switch, I kept it simple by using a small piece of aluminum secured to the worktable with the input wire trapped underneath and connected as per documentation. The spindle is connected to -ve of the MASSO. The resistor is required to limit the current when the tool contacts the plate, otherwise you'll have a dead short across your power supply.

With the tool change function, have set a tool change position? When the command is issued the head should move to that position, after tool change pressing cycle start should move to ATZ, measure and then return to the position it was at before the command was issued.

One other thing if your MASSO is a G3 are there any axis unconfigured? This seems to cause lockups.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[johnharvey]

Thanks for the input Breezy.

According to MASSO here

List of Configurable Inputs

www.masso.com.au

The tool touch off can be a simple switch. Yes it is a dead short per-say, just as the limit switches are so it should not be an issue, I can see a resistor to reduce the potential for arcing which is not good for a sharp tool edgse so I do not believe this is an issue causing my problems with MASSO. That, I can not get a good ground through the spindle to the tool and I do not want to attach a ground to the tool every time I need to measure a tool.

The tool change position has been recorded in the settings per instructions. All the Axis are configured and function in jog or continuous mode only. The machine homes as it should with auto tool zero off even though I have tool touch plate as my input configured correctly.

My big issue is that MDI nor any program will run. the "job timer" begins to run but no movement. I can jog any axis all day long. I just can not input any g-code to make the MASSO move the axis. I have reinstalled the current OS to no avail. If I enter say something as simple as

G0 Z-3 (rapid z negative 3 units) in the MDI and hit enter, the cycle start button lights up, job timer starts but no movement and now the system is locked up. Weird, makes no sense, I need a MASSO tech to explain why ASAP. Right now the machine is dead in the water and not making money, this issue is the only thing keeping me from running jobs.



john

 

[johnharvey]

So I happened to randomly come across this post here

Search results for query: masso-g3-mdi-gcode-execution-gets-stuck-keyboard-repeat-problem-ui-issues/

www.masso.com.au

we need some better DOCUMENTATION GUYS!!!!!

So I ordered a 4 axis G3 in anticipation of adding the rotary axis later for a plasma tubing cutter. As such I left the Axis motor data blank since i was not programing anything that called for an A axis move. Well, low and behold, this post talks about my non movement issues to the "TEE" due to blank A axis settings.

So tomorrow I will try this out and hopefully start making money again!! Stay tuned.

So yes, a disable switch for non used axis AND BETTER DOCUMENTATION is in order.

Not a dis by any means, but I wonder if the MASSO's engineering and software crew have any journeymen CNC machinists on staff??? Many suggestions I have read here seem like they should have been "givens" for anyone practiced in operating CNC machine controls for a living?



john

 

[breezy]

John,

I did mention in my previous post that G3 MASSOs had unconfigured axis problem.

As more G3 MASSO get out there, there have been more and more reports of being able to jog but NO response to MDI or Gcode commands and in all cases the cause has been unconfigured A axis. Now I have a 5 axis G2 MASSO with B slaved to Y and A axis left unconfigured and have had no troubles, so when HIND Technologies designed the new G3 they have included all axis in the firmware calculations and leaving an axis unconfigured causes the MASSO to lockup instead of throwing a error warning.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[breezy]

Quote from johnharvey on December 10, 2019, 3:34 am

I can see a resistor to reduce the potential for arcing which is not good for a sharp tool edgse so I do not believe this is an issue causing my problems with MASSO.

No the resistor is there to prevent your power supply from tripping out because of a short across is output.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[johnharvey]

Thanks,

yeah, the axis configuration noted mentally, only applied to ones being used when read because of my default assumption, but made sense after tripping on the other thread.

SO YES, NOW MASSO WORKS AS IT SHOULD!!!!!!! SHEEESH, three days of head banging later, lol!

Now off to making parts and discovering other hidden quirks, LOL!

I'll be adding a resistor despite the inputs page description. If this below is incorrect then should not every contact have a resistor?

You mention multiple threads stating this but none ever came up for me looking for three days. So maybe a single resource of known current "bugs" as a "sticky page" would be helpful over trudging through countless posts with many variations of key word searches to no avail. The thread I tripped on last night was a God given fluke!

Thanks everyone.

 

[breezy]

John,

For the wiring diagram you have shown, NO resistor is required.

The resistor is only required where the +ve of the PS will come in contact with the -ve of PS. eg. A touch plate connected to +ve and MASSO input, with the tool connected to -ve.

You mention multiple threads stating this but none ever came up for me looking for three days.

I have only noticed it because I read every post that appears in this forum. And quite often the problem shows up after the OP has resolved some other problem with the setup of their G3.

Regards,

Arie.