Soft Limits
Let’s cover software limits within Optimum CNC plasma cutting software and the ways in which we can override them. What the software limits allow us to do is essentially draw some kind of rectangle from the 0,0 origin point to some point on the machine that will then limit the movement of the machine — so we won’t be able to move past this rectangle. Here, the machine being used is a 4×4.
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To access the override for the software limits, we go into the Homing tab and navigate to the Soft Limits section. Right now, the limits are enabled and the override is set to zero. As we travel in the positive X and Y directions, we’ll see that the system will eventually slow down and hit the limits around 49 inches, which are slightly larger than the 4×4 range. At that point, the screen will light up in red to indicate that the software limits for X and Y have been triggered. Once we move away from the limit, the warning disappears.
The same behavior applies to the Z axis. On most machines, the Z-axis upper limit is at zero. So if we try to move up, eventually we hit the software limit — the “Do” button will light up red to indicate no further movement is allowed, and the system stops until the Z axis is moved back down to a safe operational height.
In the Homing popup window under Software Limits, we can enter a software limits override. For example, if we normally have a 4×4 machine but there’s something in the upper corner we want to avoid — like a large part — or we simply want to constrain the tool within a smaller rectangle, we can input new values. Let’s say we enter 30 inches for the X axis. The new limit becomes 0 to 30 for X. If we don’t enter an override for Y, we’ll still be able to travel up to the original 48 inches. Now, when we move to the right, we hit the new X limit and get an error. The Y axis continues to the usual 49 inches.
Let’s say we want software limits larger than the default. For instance, instead of the standard 49×49 (approximately 4×4), we can set 60×60. When we move in the positive X and Y directions, the system respects these new override values.
You can also disable software limits altogether, in which case the machine relies solely on hardware limit sensors. If no hardware sensors are set up — like in this demo — the machine can move freely until it physically hits the edge of the machine, which is not safe. That’s why it’s recommended to set software limits and keep the override within a safe range.
Soft Limits Section Location: The Soft Limits area is located within the dropdown menu when you tap on the HOMING button found on the main navigational bar across the top of the software to the left of the Optimum CNC logo . Click on the HOMING navigation button drops down a menu of options for
– Automatic Homing (X, Y, Z, XYZ),
– for Manual Homing (X, Y, Z, XYZ),
– for Soft Limits (ON/OFF),
– and Soft Limits Override (X, Y).
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Soft Limits Override:
In addition to the homing buttons, the widget also contains access to the Soft Limits Override functionality. This allows the user to set the software machine limits to constrain movement past a certain set of machine coordinates. To enable software limits, toggle the button shown below so that it turns green. This means that the software limits are now enabled.
When enabled, by default the limits are defined by the system integrator in the Machine Settings. The area from (0,0) to (X,Y) in machine coordinates is determined by the size of the machine at hand (for instance, (0,0) to (48,48) for a 4×4 machine).
To override the limit settings, use the X and Y fields:
By default, these are set at zero. When set to a value different from 0, the new working area will be defined from (0,0) to the new (X,Y). For example, to set the working area of your machine from (0,0) to (30,30), enter the following: Soft Limits Override: X=0 Y=60
The new limits are shown below (As can be seen, the system will highlight the affected side in red, in this case, positive X and positive Y. ( Click here to view )
If the system runs into a software limit, the visualization will help to indicate that this is the case, as shown in the example above (with the highlighted edges). Another example is shown below, where the Z-axis button will light up in red when the system reaches the software limit.
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