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Overview of Reset Mode

If your machine will not come out of reset mode, there are many tips and procedures that you can follow to solve the problem. Go to Machine Won't Come Out of Reset.

For a general overview of reset mode, read Overview of Reset Mode.

Overview of Reset Mode

When the PathPilot® controller is first powered on, the Reset button flashes, indicating that the machine is in reset mode.

For PathPilot® to come out of reset mode, the:

Cables between the machine and the PathPilot® controller must be intact
Machine must have power

Once those conditions are met, the machine comes out of reset mode when — from the PathPilot® interface — you click Reset. Bringing the machine out of reset mode does the following:

Establishes communication between the PathPilot® controller and the machine
Releases the Z-axis brake

How Commands are Processed

When the PathPilot® controller is powered on, PathPilot® looks for the presence of a Machine OK signal on pin 15 of the DB25 cable in one of the following ways:

If the Machine Control Board is powered on, cable DB25 and ribbon cable J4 pull pin 15 to ground, sinking current from the Mesa card in the PathPilot® controller.
If the Machine Control Board in'tt powered on, the run/test jumper on the Machine Control Board pulls pin 15 to ground.

How Power is Controlled

If PathPilot® doesn't receive a Machine OK signal, it's probably due to a:

De-energized machine
De-energized Machine Control Board
Defective or loose DB25 cable
Defective or loose J4 ribbon cable
Defective Machine Control Board
Defective Mesa card in the PathPilot® Controller

De-energized Machine Control Board

The machine won't come out of reset mode if the Machine Control Board doesn't have power (as indicated by a red Power LED on the Machine Control Board). This is probably due to a:

De-energized machine
Defective Emergency Stop switch circuit
Defective fuse F1 (on the Machine Control Board)
Defective Machine Control Board
Defective start switch circuit

To determine why the Machine Control Board doesn't have power, examine the LEDs on the axes drives. If there's a green Power LED, the axes drives have power through contactor C1, which means that contactor C1 is latched and functioning properly.