Onefinity X-axis stepper motor is jiggling

[kbrilliant (ken brilliant)]

My onefinity Journeyman started to develop a problem in the x-axis travel. Mid-way into a carve the x-axis motion jumps or jiggles and gets off the Datum I set using the touch plate. This happens without notice. When I stop and restart, it will start cutting along the tool path and at point it will creep or jitter and get off again. Is this a stepper motor issue, or something else?

[SailorMike (Michael Bruck)]

Does it do that at the same point in your carve every time? If so, there may be too many nodes in your toolpath. In VCarve, you can edit the nodes to reduce their numbers, I don’t know about other software. If it’s random, there could be numerous causes such as bad cable, motor, etc.

[Aiph5u (Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))]

Hey Ken,

this is a frequently asked question. We have a search function here.

Onefinity provides a help file which deals with many kinds of blocking of an axis:

• Troubleshooting: Rail is getting hung, stuck, or out of alignment

I would check all points one by one to see why your carriage does not move anymore in the middle of the axis.

There are three causes that are not mentioned in the document above:

1. Should your machine not be properly rectangular (“squared”), the Y movement can block.

2. And the second possible cause not mentioned in the document above is: This mysterious issue some time ago.

3. Electromagnetic interference (EMI), as e.g. mentioned here.

[OnefinityCNC (Onefinity Support)]

You 100% have a wire issue in x.

Follow this faq to determine which wire is the issue

Support: How to determine if a wire or motor is damaged

This faq is used by support to determine if a wire or motor is damaged, and how to identify each one. WARNING: DO NOT UNPLUG OR PLUG ANY WIRES IN WHILE THE CONTROLLER IS ON! YOU WILL DAMGAGE YOUR MOTOR DRIVERS AND VOID THE WARRANTY! You will need a screen and power connected during the tests. You will REMOVE power while switching wires. If you switch wires while the controller is on, you will damage the controller. Therefore, you will be powering up the controller, testing movement via the…

[kbrilliant (ken brilliant)]

Thanks for the assistance. however I removed the X-axis motor from the gantry and then powered on the controller. When I go to home the machine, the Z axis moves normally. The Y axis moves normally. But the X- motor (motor 0) vibrates and jiggles back and forth. This is while the motor is removed from the gantry and so it must be something in the controller?

[Aiph5u (Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))]

Hey ken,

it is more likely that it is the connector or the cable than the controller. The connectors are the weak spot on the Buildbotics.com and the Onefinity CNC Controllers.

• Support: How to determine if a wire or motor is damaged

See also

• Support: How to Access the inner tube motor wire – Youtube
• How to remove the motor from the end of the rail – Youtube

[OnefinityCNC (Onefinity Support)]

It’s 100% a wire issue along the chain in x.
You’ve also cut and soldered all the wires together, which is not supported and can damage your machine if not done correctly (which seems to be the case here.
Your best bet is to buy all new wires for every one in x.