Posting this in case someone else spends way too much time troubleshooting the same “problem” I did, only to find that it was sooo simple.
I recently upgraded my LongMill MK2.5 to the closed-loop stepper kit with the SLB-EXT controller. After wiring everything up, I had:
- Alarm 10 that would not clear
- E-stop lights would not illuminate
- CNC Status light stayed red
- HALT light stayed red
- No blue relay light
- Motors would only initialize if I used the E-stop bypass
I checked wiring. I swapped E-stops. I tried multiple E-stop cables. I disconnected all the motors. Sienci even sent me a replacement controller (thank you, Stephanie…and I’m sorry). Same result.
I updated the firmware. Re-ran the CLSM macro. Still nothing.
At this point, I had proven conclusively that the machine was broken.
Except it wasn’t.
The problem was that there are two 7-pin connectors that will physically accept the E-stop plug.
I had the E-stop plugged into the 7-pin connector inside the controller enclosure, which is labeled in tiny lettering LIMITS.
The correct connector is the external 7-pin connector labeled E-STOP. In my defense (I’m begging for a sliver of respect here…lol), where I mounted the SLB-EXT, I couldn’t easily see the nicely-labeled port that said E-STOP in nice large letters below it!
Moved the plug to the correct connector and — magically — everything works.
So, if you have an SLB-EXT with:
- persistent Alarm 10
- dark E-stop
- red HALT
- red CNC Status
- no blue relay light
- but the E-stop bypass works
…before replacing half the machine, make sure the E-stop is actually plugged into the connector that says E-STOP.
I’m posting this so the next person who does this can find the answer faster than I did.
And also because somewhere at Sienci Support, Stephanie is banging her head against her desk with less than kind thoughts about the bozo in Texas who can’t read and then wants to argue about what he can’t read!
Thanks for your patience, Stephanie! The extra controller is on its way back to you.