After owning the machine for year and a half I still have trust issues.
Now that I finally got the space (but very little time) I have started using the machine. For a while I faced zero issues, but today the machine started acting up with a limit switch(or what ever you call it) on X-axis. I looked it up and realised it’s indeed, once again, a connector issue.
I activated the “switch” so the led turns on and wiggled the connector so I can see clearly how bad the connection is. When initializing the machine I get loud noises because the switch is breaking up. But not everytime. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
When I got my machine I faced similar issues with the stepper motor connectors and changed some parts to fix it. Now the steppers work but after changing a new gantry I got once again a shitty connector.
I really can’t trust this machine now and I have some work to do with it. How should I fix this issue? I could solder the wires or something like that but last time they said it is not recommended. I think I’m out of warranty already.
There’s nothing in the code or the hardware that should cause any noise if a limit switch is bad. It will either home in the wrong position, or crash because it failed to see a switch closure.
There was one batch of motors a year or so ago where the vendor used a conterfiet Molex connector for the Z motor . Looking at your ticket history, it seems like you had one. We replaced all of those that we were aware of.
The limit switches and other motors come from a different vendor that have never, to our knowledge, used anything but a genuine connector.
You can get a new PCB if the connector is bad on the PCB, or contact support get a new wiring harness or switch if it’s there.
You can solder it on your own. It’s not recommended, but if it’s out of warranty and you’re comfortable doing it…
Go to the MDI and enter G28.3. . That will mark the machine as homed with the current position as 0,0,0 and let it function without a limit switch. You’ll need to set a new zero each time you do that, or jog it to the back right corner and do it again if you need to use the BitSetter (since that needs to have a know location)
Shortly after I bought my Pro 4XXL, I had problems with the Z axis, so I eliminated the majority of the connectors on the gantry. Motor and sensor wires for the X and Z axis. I’ve left the Y axis alone, as the use of connectors in the wiring harness was minimal. I haven’t had any issues with the Z axis since then.
