Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: studysession on December 21, 2010, 04:03:37 PM
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I am using smoothstepper with Mach3.
When things work it is working PERFECTLY!!!!
But when it messes up it messes up big. The people that make and support smoothstepper are convinced it is not smoothstepper.
As a job is cutting for no reason and with no warning - It just reverses the signal going to the motors somehow. All the sudden it will just complete cut out a mirror opposite of the path it is cutting.
Any ideas what I need to do to fix this?
Thanks
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Can you attach your xml and some code that goes wrong and I will see if I can simulate.
Also does the toolpath and the DRO follow the axis when it does its reversal?
Hood
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Attached are the gcode files that I open in Mach3. The outline file has done this more than once and it has happened at random on the others.
The display in Mach3 looks like the job is going normal. In Mach3 nothing looks wrong but when you look at the work it is going the wrong way.
Another question -
Why would the flashing reset button trigger in the middle of a job?
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Can you attach your xml as well, it is the file that holds your config and that way I can use it to simulate things here with the same setup you have.
Regarding the E-Stop, it sounds like you may be having noise issues, I will have a look at your settings of the SS at the same time when I load your xml to see if there is any problem there.
Hood
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Here is my XMLS file.
What do you mean by noise issue?
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By noise I am meaning electrical interference affecting your signal wiring. Had a look at your xml, you dont have any filtering set in the SS config page, it may be your problem of both problems. Try setting values of 10 for each of the filtering entries and see if it helps.
Hood
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Thanks Hood!
Another question - what is filtering and how do I change it?
Thanks!!!
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For when things work it works great. I have been posting some pictures here:
http://celticmachining.blogspot.com/
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I found the filtering option under the smooth stepper options. Not sure what value is supposed to be there when not "0"??
Thanks
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If you go to the Plugin tab in Mach then to SmoothStepper Config you can set the filtering there. Basically it just tries to filter out and noise you are getting so that the SS ignores it.
Looks like you have been doing some good work :)
Hood
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1.43 is the min you can set but I wouldnt go too high, try 10 and see.
Hood
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Thanks Hood!!! :)
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!
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I set it to 5 and the rset thing happened again. I set it to 3 and now trying again. :(
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Pray it keeps working - this is the furthest in this particular job I have ever gotten.
It is a Celtic design..... Not done cutting yet. But very hopeful...
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Hope you have good luck.
How old is your SS?
Hood
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I just bought it less than a month ago. It ended up resetting the red button again. aauugghh
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Sounds like you are getting bad noise on the E-Stop or limits, have you got them shielded?
Another thing to look at is I see you have a laptop and it wont have an earth to the mains, it could be worthwhile grounding the SS itself via jumper and the mounting screw. Have a search for Dan13 as I think he had to to that for his laptop.
Hood
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Found his posts. thanks!
I just grounded the board and will post if it works or not.
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Not sure if you can see very well in this picture or not. I took the ground port for the external power supply on smooth stepper and grounded it on a screw on the 2x3 CNC machine.
Let's see if this works. I am running a job now that it has always happened on. See what happens this time.
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It did it. Let's pray it keeps going like this. WOW!!!! It's amazing what a little piece of wire can do.
THANKS!!!! If it happens again I will post here letting you know. Mean time THANKS!!!!!