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Author Topic: SS axis motion != DRO indicators  (Read 3807 times)

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SS axis motion != DRO indicators
« on: July 25, 2012, 01:31:12 PM »
I recently set up a SmoothStepper board on my DIY mill with Mach 3. It works great(!!) with my desktop PC, but not my laptop. When using the laptop, X and Y axis ONLY move in a positive direction in response to arrow keys and Z never moves at all. Y only responds to page-up and page-down (Z) arrow keys. Left, right, up, down, page up, and page down arrow keys all make sense on the Mach DRO. All motion commands are properly correlated on the DRO, but the axis response is not doing what the DRO says it should be doing.

I have checked all of the Mach hot-key settings, and resetting them has no effect. I have checked port and pin mapping. All of the settings look good, or at least all that I know to look at. I tried using the same XML configuration file that works on the desktop machine with no luck. I know the hardware is all working because I have many hours of successful use on this system using my desktop PC. Is there something I need to know about setting up a laptop?

Both machines are running XP Pro if that makes any difference. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks -
D

Offline Hood

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Re: SS axis motion != DRO indicators
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2012, 06:55:20 PM »
Attach the xml from both and I will have a look.
Hood
Re: SS axis motion != DRO indicators
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2012, 08:07:45 PM »
Here are the two XML files.  The file "Mach3_Gecko_SS.xml" is running on the desktop machine, which has never given me any trouble. The laptop is running "Mach3Mill_SS_Laptop.xml". Running  "Mach3_Gecko_SS.xml" on the laptop makes no difference.

Additional info:
I tried a USB keyboard on the laptop and it made no difference. Running G-code on the laptop acts similarly to the keyboard input with a subtle difference. X and Y still move only in a positive direction, but negative directions are ignored. When using arrow keys, the axis move in a positive direction with EITHER arrow command; they do not ignore negative arrow input. Manually entered G-code also ignores negative direction inputs.

Thanks -
D

Offline Hood

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Re: SS axis motion != DRO indicators
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2012, 03:05:19 AM »
Your pins for the motors are totally different between xml's for example in laptop its
X= 2, 6
Y= 3, 7
Z =4, 8
But in your Gecko it is
X = 2, 3
Y = 4. 5
Z = 6, 7
Hood
Re: SS axis motion != DRO indicators
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2012, 09:28:14 AM »
Thank you!!
I cannot tell you how many times I looked at that and said it was good. I probably only THOUGHT I tried the working XML file on the laptop. It all works now. Congratulations to me as I have been clearly identified as an idiot in my very first post! Hmmmm, maybe I should change my user name....

BTW, I must say that Smoothstepper product really works great. It has cured a lost-step problem I have been having when slowly stepping Z at the same time X was moved at near half speed. My motors now run reliably at a 20% faster setting, and life is good in the work shop.

Thanks again -
D

Offline Hood

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Re: SS axis motion != DRO indicators
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2012, 10:53:28 AM »
Ha ha dont worry about it, we all make mistakes, especially when things are new to us.
Smoothstepper is great, I have used it since the beta testing days probably 3 or so years ago, the ethernet one is even better.

Hood