MACH 3 Major E-STOP ISSUE:

[diyengineer]

E-stop causes the machine to properly stop. However.. When i turn E-stop off. It will NOT get out of estop in mach3.

I have the newest version of Mach 3 installed on a fresh windows XP 32bit system, with the newest smooth stepper plugin and drivers installed. Machine runs perfect, just this estop issue is annoying. I have to power cycle my system and restart mach every time.
Below i show the first video of the issue. In the second video, i use a fresh install of mach, on a brand new controller, and grounded the smooth stepper better. Both had no effect on the issue. Arturo over @ cnc4pc.com has been helping me figure out the problem, but the guys @ cnczone suggested it might be a mach 3 bug. Hope to hear from someone soon. Thanks.

First Video of issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIoG1ePppZ4
Second Video of Issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb-_PYq_Ca4


Link to my build log:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general_metal_working_machines/103291-15_long_8_wide_ex-boeing.html#post908641

[ger21]

When you first power everything up, and start mach3, is the Estop LED on the breakout board on, before your initial reset?

My guess is a breakout board or wiring issue, but I've never used a SS or the breakout board you're using.

[diyengineer]

Hey Ger21!

It seems as if the breakout board and E-stop work PERFECTLY fine without mach 3 running. Very odd...

As soon as i open up mach 3 the problem occurs if estop is then pressed.

Below is my video response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x28bASmVMYg

Your question led me to that discovery. (when i start the system up, the Estop LED is not on.) The Estop is also wired properly.

[Warp9TD]

Hi diyengineer,

You should really reconsider your EStop.  At a minimum, EStop should kill power to your servo drives.  You shouldn't trust anything short of a mechanical switch to stop movement.  Killing power to the motor drives is the only safe thing to do.

With that said, I noticed in one of the videos that showed the SmoothStepper's data monitoring screen, that the EStop flag was checked.  This says that the SmoothStepper thinks the EStop is asserted.  In Ports & Pins you showed it as being Active High, which means the EStop needs to be at +5V in order for it to be in EStop.  I would go straight to the source and use your volt meter to measure the voltage on pin 10 of port 1 before and after.  You must release the EStop in order for it to get out of EStop.  Otherwise Mach will stay in that state.  If the EStop button is released and the voltage on that pin stays stuck high, then there is a problem with the breakout board.  This is an input on the SmoothStepper, so it is unlikely it is causing it to stay stuck.

Greg

[diyengineer]

Thanks Greg. I will look into using a relay or such to drop my power supply off when Estop is enabled.

I performed the following test:

System on, computer on, mach 3 OFF:

Button NOT pressed: Estop voltage 1.6mv (BOB Estop LED OFF)
Button Pressed: 3.08V (BOB Estop LED ON)
Button released: 1.6mv (BOB Estop LED TURNS OFF)

System on, computer on, Mach 3 ON:

Button Not pressed: 3.3mv (BOB Estop LED is off)
Button Pressed: 3.02V (BOB Estop LED ON)
Button released: 2.4mv (BOB Estop LED REMAINS ON)

What do you make of that?

[Warp9TD]

That is very strange.  What does the status is the SmoothStepper's Data Monitoring dialog say?  There is both a checkbox for EStop and also the raw data from the inputs.  Is Port 1 Pin 10 checked or not?  According to the data you presented, it should not be checked when the button is released.

Thanks,

Greg

[diyengineer]

I just ran out there and checked!

Machine starts up, computer starts, mach starts. Jogged the machine around. checked the data monitoring and had no estop flag. Walked over and clicked the Estop. checked the data monitor and it indicated Estop (check in the box). Turned the estop button "off". walked back over, went to "click" data monitoring again and it will NOT let me open up the data monitoring screen. I clicked "reset" for the estop thinking that was it. That did nothing. It seems like it wont let me access the smooth stepper Info or monitoring tab under plugins at all. I click on it and it does nothing. I accidentally clicked on the video plug in and that attempted to open up.

Seems like something with the SS?

[Warp9TD]

It sure sounds like the SmoothStepper's USB communications are getting clobbered, but from the videos it looked like the red LED was still flashing.  What happens if you do it with the data monitoring window open?  Which version of plugin are you running?

Thanks,

Greg

[diyengineer]

Currently im using:
SmoothStepper_Beta2_v015ogx2.m3p

I tried it with this earlier but same result:
SmoothStepper_v17bd.zip

I left the data window open as you suggested just now. I will turn off
the estop button, but the check mark remains in the box. I can exit
the screen, but i cannot get back into it. I think the SS at that
point though has somehow already lost communication.

The SS red light blinks FAST, but when i engage the Estop button it
momentarily stops blinking for about 1.5 seconds. Then starts blinking
rapidly again. When I disengage the ESTOP switch i can then hear my
motors start to pulsate and make noises (only on the disengage).

hmmmmm

[diyengineer]

http://www.warp9td.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=33&func=view&id=2768&catid=7

Discussion is migrating to the Warp 9 forum. Link above.