| Swapping the motor cables at the control board or back of the control box is 
a troubleshooting method that is meant to isolate the cause of a problem with 
the motors.   After swapping the cables:  
   If the problem stays on the same axis/motor, that indicates the problem 
  is with that motor or cable.  If the problem moves to another axis, that means the problem is before 
  the motor cable/motor.   To perform this procedure:  
  Lock 
  out power to the machine  Using a silver marker or tape with writing on it, label the locations and 
  names of all cables you are going to move.   Take several pictures of the cables and control box with the labels 
  visible. This will assist in troubleshooting and reassembly later.   Gain access to the inside of the controller or to the back, wherever the 
  connectors lead.   Locate the motor signal and power cables, which will be in different 
  locations depending on your Controller 
  box  LC / LP Motor/encoder cables   
 LC+ Motor/encoder cables  <  Old RG / MP box Motor/encoder cables   
 
   Once you have found the cables, swap the problem axis with another axis 
  by switching BOTH the motor power and encoder signal cables for both motors.  
   NOTE: Be careful when pulling terminals off the board. NEVER pull a 
terminal by the wire, always pull by the plastic jacket.  
   If you only switch half the cables, or you switch cables randomly between 
  all three axes, the problem will be greatly exacerbated.   
   After performing this swap, be cautious when enabling the machine, ready 
  to engage the E-stop at the first sign of trouble.   After performing this procedure, use the result to progress with your 
troubleshooting by returning to the document that instructed you to perform this 
procedure in the first place.   Note: If you are going to be working with swapping the Z axis, care must be 
taken to ensure that the set of cables that will now physically lead to the Z 
motor have the green and white wires hooked into the proper terminals on the 
circuit board. This may require you to leave the green and white terminals 
plugged in while you move the black and red terminals elsewhere.  |