Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: jwolfenstein on February 11, 2018, 06:18:47 PM
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I am a total newbie. Please be patient.
Hardware: ESS rev 2 Build 216, BOB: C11G Board Rev 9, Home made CNC Router
Software: Mach 4 ver 2.0.3481 Demo Mode
5v power to both boards. 58.7v to stepper drivers.
Running Mach 4 in Demo mode I can not get stepper motors to move. Trying jog, keyboard and MDI.
All lights are lit. ESS top green is steady. Bottom green flashing. EStop is communicating with BOB and cleared.
Screen shows they are moving.
ESS Diagnostics in Mach 4 only show odd pins(dir?) working when keyboard is pressed.
My stepper driver documentation says they run enabled by default.
Do I need to change JP3 jumper?
I have double and triple checked wiring, connections port output settings. Watched as many videos as I can fathom.
Searched forums and at a loss.
Please help.
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Hi,
what screenset are you using?
If you have a look on the Machine Diagnostics tab with Mach Enabled what is the status of output LEDs M0, M1 and M2?
Craig
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I am using wxRouter.set. I am unable to find the machine diagnostics tab, but I'm trying to edit now.
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Hi,
may I suggest using wx4.set to start with, its one of the older and more developed screensets.
Craig
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Just did. M0, M1 and M3 and M3(Slave to 0 running in reverse) all Enabled.
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Hi,
kool.
Try MDI
g0 x5
x0
x5
x0
x5
Should see x axis move back and forth 5 units. Keep a watch on the BoB you will with any sort of luck
see an LED turn on and off as a result.
Craig
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Tried that and nothing happened. Screen showed it moved, but no actual movement. No LED on BOB.
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Hi,
OK it sounds like Machs OK but either communication to the ESS from the PC is faulty or alternately the BoB is not responding to the ESS.
Do you have any indication that the ESS is communicating with the PC?
I'll track down the reference but seem to recall the LEDs of the ESS have a distinct pattern when communication is established.
Craig
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Hi,
this is on the Warp9 site and refers to the LEDs in the top of the Ethernet socket:
The Ethernet Jack has two LEDs on it. The upper left one is yellow. This is an important status LED. It represents the status of the Link Layer. If a link has not been established, the yellow LED will not be on. The link layer is a low-level Ethernet layer that needs to be present between your ESS and your PC in order for the higher-level communications to run.
Confirm the Yellow LED.
Craig
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i would start with a simple ping
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If you see the dro`s moving then the ESS is communicating, I would check the bob has voltage going to it and disable the chargepump.
DazTheGas
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I did ping it when I first installed it and it worked. Ethernet cable port LED is yellow. Charge pump disabled in Mach and BOB. Board is getting 4.9 volts. Two red lights on BOB at the power port and where the EStop is connected.
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Update: I thought all was saved when I found the ribbon cable was loose, but again to no avail. The upside is that all the LEDs light up and when I use the keyboard, buttons or MDI, they light correspondingly.
Still no movement.
I am getting about 4.5v at dir and .11v at pul at my stepper drivers.
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Hi,
you really need an oscilloscope to diagnose this. In absence of an oscilloscope ther are a few tests you can do to get some meaningful info.
Your BoB has LEDs on the ouputs, they will double as a 'poor mans voltmeter'
First you need to check whether direction pulse are getting through to your drivers.
MDI:
G0 X5
and note the status of the X direction output LED.
Now MDI
G0 X-5
and note the staus of the same LED.
Did it change?. If it didn't you have a problem. It would mean that either there is no signal coming out of the ESS or the BoB is not transmitting the signal
its getting.
Quite frankly trying to probe the pin headers on the ESS is a recipe for disaster. If the ESS is not broken now what's the bet that one slip.... and it will be broken.....no
matter how it started!
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hello the ESS has its own diagnostic screen its in the bottom of the 3rd pull down menu cant think of its name. it will tell you if the ess is putting signals out. the fact that numbers are moving is the MACH thinks it is. i would look over my motor and enable settings close. in case i miised it what BOB are you using and do the output pins have leds on them. the one i use has leds and they are invaluable
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also just because i am thinking you can use a logic probe on the output for the drive or just connect a let to it in the proper polarity and if you want to not kill the led use a resistor.
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Ran G0 X5 and the LED for PUL- lit on both X and A axis (A is slaved to X in reverse). Ran G0 X-5 and Pul- and Dir - lit. The Pul- wasn't near as bright as the Dir-.
Should the jumper on the BOB be set to com=gnd or com=5v? My documentation from my supplier says set to gnd. Would it damage anything to try setting to 5v?
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Hi,
I think the pulses are coming out of the BoB but th drivers/motors are not responding.
Can you post the driver manual and a pic or diagram of how you wired the driver and the steppers.
Whether the com is set to 0V or 5V is more to do with the input circuit of the drivers,
Craig
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I will, but if it's safe I'll try switching the com jumper to 5v first.
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Hi,
it will at best make a difference to the direction signal. If you chose to waste your time...
Craig
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Success! But my motors X and A are working opposite. Should I no have the A reversed when it is a slave? They need to run in opposite directions.
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Hi,
make one of the dir signals (X or A) active low on port/pins page.
Craig
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We are good to go. I set the com jumper exactly how my documentation showed and it was wrong. Life is now complete. Thanks a million.