¶ FTC signal wire alarm
The controller does not trust the head-height signal. Stop and find out why. Do not bypass the input, force the head downward, disable collision protection, or cut in a fixed-height workaround.
The linked FTC signal wire alarm report was still unresolved at the review date above. The checks below help narrow it down; the thread is not proof that buying a particular part will fix it.
¶ Make the state safe
Disable laser output. Move the head away from clamps/gaps using only normal safe controls if motion remains trustworthy. If the head is touching, driving downward, or the cable is visibly damaged, stop and isolate the machine before inspection.
¶ Check the sensing end
- Fit a clean, undamaged, correctly seated nozzle.
- Inspect the ceramic for cracks, contamination, looseness, or impact damage.
- Use clean, flat, bare conductive sheet over solid support—not film, paint, heavy rust, a slat gap, or a loose offcut.
- Check the head is assembled for the intended CNC/FTC mode rather than a leftover handheld or mismatched configuration.
¶ Check accessible signal connections
With required energy isolated, inspect and reseat only user-accessible documented FTC/signal connectors. Look for a loose collar, bent/recessed pin, coolant/oil contamination, abrasion, crushed cable, tight bend, or a point that moves with the gantry. Do not probe live circuits or open controller/source enclosures without qualification and service documentation.
If the alarm appears only at one gantry position, record the coordinates and cable posture; an intermittent path/connector becomes more plausible. Do not repeatedly flex a damaged cable to “prove” it.
¶ Re-establish software/configuration
Confirm the correct CNC head/controller configuration and the preserved factory parameter set are loaded. Fully record the error, then use the documented restart sequence. Attempt FTC calibration only over a safe supported point and watch the descent. Stop if detection does not occur normally.
¶ What to send Gweike
- exact alarm wording/code and when it appears;
- model/serial, head type, mLaser version, and active configuration;
- whether it began after a head/mode/nozzle/ceramic/cable change or collision;
- close, well-lit photos of nozzle, ceramic, and accessible connectors;
- video of a single safe calibration attempt;
- whether the alarm changes with gantry position;
- all checks above and the result.
Ask support for the documented signal-path test and expected readings for your exact FTC/head/controller. Do not use credentials or test values copied from another unit.
¶ Official Gweike video
This is Gweike's own walkthrough. Keep the checks above, watch the sequence, then prove the result on your machine.
- 40. Replace the Signal Cable
- Full playlist: Gweike M-Series official videos