Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Igloomason on November 14, 2010, 04:07:10 PM
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After some messing with Mach3 software, (updating, integrating with Lazy, finding license) I can no longer find my machine. My port LEDS are all black in my Diagnosis screen. I think all the ports are configured as before (Does anyone know the name of the file that remembers the users configs?). I have two usb cables that connect to my PC, once is for a MPG and the other is for the machine itself, that might be the problem but I don't know. The manual doesn't offer any trouble shooting suggestions. Any ideas of what might be wrong?
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What machine do you have as if its connected via USB cable then it can really only be one of a few types of interface.
Hood
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c:mach3/ "machineName".xml
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try and find this it will help a lot if you need to reinstall
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I have a Pilot Pro CNC with a controller board that uses a usb for additional power, I think. I've had some luck getting my pin LEDs lit with different versions of Mach but I still have no control. I also can't find any "machineName" or any other configuration profile file. What corrupted files could I be leaving behind that a totally new install of Mach wouldn't fix?
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I have just googled Pilot Pro and it says you get a DVD with it showing setup etc, do you have that DVD?
Hood
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I do have the DVD but the drivers etc. are all custom. I have this: http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=47 . The optoisolation is the reason for the additional usb power. I'm also confident this is working because all the indication LEDs on this board change when I hit my limit switches and also when I disconnect my printer port from my PC. But for whatever reason Mach has no such indication that anything is connected. I'm using a configuration that has worked in the past with the correct port address. Is this a driver issue? And isn't the driver installed a new with a reinstall of Mach3?
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What profile did you use before? If it was the standard profile the config will be a file called Mach3Mill.xml if you made a custom profile the xml will be the name of that custom profile.
Hood
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While using my original licensed version of M3 I use my oldest profile in my xmlbackups folder, no luck. The thing I can't figure out is why a downloaded demo version of M3 at least has some green LEDs on the diagnosis page. Although even with these green lights and a .xml from the breakout board manufacturer doesn't get my axi jogging. It seems green LEDs or not, I have no control. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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You need to check you have the correct port address.
I also presume you wired this machine up so you will need to go into ports and pins and set the mototrs to the correct pins and port and make sure they are enabled.
Hood
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Thanks for your help but I've done both of those things a thousand times.
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Please attach the xml that you are using now.
Hood
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Ok, attached is the oldest profile I have. I recovered it from the xmlbackups folder, it has been known to work. Thanks for looking!
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I am getting outputs via that xml so assuming the port address and pin assignments are correct for your setup it should be fine. The Jog Control was disabled so you would not have been able to Jog but MDI and code would have been fine.
Can you check with a voltmeter on the back of the computer, remove the cable and connect the meter between pin 3 and a Gnd pin then jog the X axis one way then the other, you should see the voltage go 5v to 0v as you you change from one direction to the other. Do the same for pins 5 and 7 jogging they Y and Z respectively.
Hood
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I don't know how to get the jog re-enabled, but while running a code I got nothing out of 3, 5, or 7. 10, 11, and 12 were the only pins active with a nonvarying voltage.
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The Jog Control button will re-enable the Jogging, its on most pages of the screen and it needs to be green.
If that is the case then I would say you either have the wrong port address or your port is dead.
Hood
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Ha ha ha! Right port addresses, right pin configurations, with working ports and working cables....connected to wrong ports on machine. Man I feel stupid. Jog is still stuck and axi moving in absolute integers in one direction only but I'm sure I can figure it out from here. Thanks for helping out a newbie, I ended up learning a lot in the process.
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Glad to hear you are getting there :)
Hood