Topics

1

SmoothStepper USB / Strange Warning Message

« on: November 17, 2010, 04:45:29 AM »

Hi, I just installed a Smooth Stepper in My mill, and when I start the Mach3 up, I get a warning message that reads:  Port 1 Pin 2 is assigned 2 times,
Port 1 Pin 3 is assigned 2 times, etc.  One line for each of the outputs I am using, pins 2 through9.  I de-selected the parallel ports in the ports and pins section but the message persists.  What does it mean?  Otherwise than that, the unit looks to work perfectly.  Don

2

FAQs / Losing steps or something?

« on: September 20, 2010, 03:33:32 PM »

I've been having a recurring problem that seems to involve repeatability when runnung more than one axis at a time on my machine.  It seems that if i program it to do a diagonal move and return, after it completes a number of iterations it has offset in one or the other axis by the same number of "steps" as the number of iterations of the program.  The program is similar to the one in "Using Mach 3" manual.  Except that I'm moving to both X, and Y coordinates.  Hence diagonally.  If I use the program as shown in the manual, each axis works perfectly.  Help!  I'm losing my hair.

3

General Mach Discussion / My X-Axis is losing steps!

« on: December 21, 2008, 02:10:49 AM »

I'm having a problem with my X-Axis losing steps Or is it microsteps and not returning to zero.  The mach3 says it is back to zero but I lose about .0005 or so each time I run this program:
F20
G20G90
M98P1234L3
M30
O1234
G1X4
G1X0
M99
  System consists of the following...  Computer 1.83Ghz Athlon, 1Gig memory, PMDX 120 Breakout board, Geckodrive G212, Homeshopcnc 1200 oz.in. Stepper motor, 1:2 timing belt, 5 TPI ballscrew on 9x42" table.  
  When I run the above program with a dial test indicator zeroed on a block fixed to the table, it reads a lower number at the end of the program run, ie. the machine is slipping toward the positive direction.  I don't know what is causing this as changing the feedrate, acceleration, step pulse timing, etc. has not helped.  I have gone through the Windows Optimization procedure, and that didn't help.  What should I try?  I'm not even sure it is software or hardware related...  Thanks for any help or suggestions you might have, Don