Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Tony Woollacott on January 22, 2011, 05:24:58 AM
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Good day,
I need some help with my new setup. I have connected up 3 steppers and run a test program for about 10 hours without incedent. I shut the system down for the night then started up again 2 days later, but now the Y axis will run in 1 dirrection only. It is getting the move input but just keeps going clockwise.
I have checked the ports and pins configuration and it is unchanged. I even checked the video clip of the test to make sure I wasnt going crazy.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks
Tony
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Aounds like your dir wire has come loose.
Hood
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It is wired dirrectly into the board, and I have swapped motors as well.
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Try swapping drives and see if the problem follows the drive. Failing that get a volt meter and check directly at the port on that axis Dir output and jog one way then the other and see if the voltage goes between 0 and 5v
Hood
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Thanks Hood, I have managed to check pins 3,4 and 7 which are the direction pins for X,Y and Z axes and all 3 behave the same way, ie. 0V for one direction and 5V for the other.
The board I am using is one I got off of ebay from China I think, which looks great as it will do all 3 axes, limit switches, E stop etc. all on the one board. I think, however that the problem must lie on the board, but wouldnt know where to start looking for that one!!
I have sent them a message asking for help, so hopefully I will get a solution from them, unless you can think of anything else I may have missed?
Tony
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You know the step and direction signals are correct coming out of the PP. Perform the same check at the drive (coming out of the BOB). If the signals are still good coming out of the BOB, then it's either the drive or the motor wiring. Next, swap drives. Put Y drive on X terminals on the BOB and X on Y. If that fixes it, it is the drive. If it doesn't, it is something down steam of the drive, which leaves motor wiring or a bad motor.
Seeing as how it failed overnight with no system modifications, I'd be looking at the Chinese BOB.
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That is the big problem with these all in one boards, one thing goes wrong and the whole lot is scrap :(
If its a 4 axis board then you can maybe use the other axis connections but if its just a 3 axis then hopefully you will get a result from the vendor.
Hood
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Are the drives integrated into the board as well?
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Are the drives integrated into the board as well?
I am presuming it is something like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-Axis-Drive-NEMA-23-Stepper-Motor-263-Oz-in-CNC-Kit-/250759078521?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&hash=item3a6267e279
but maybe not.
However when I mentioned swapping drives a few posts back Tony hinted that they were all on the one board (BOB/drives combined)
Hood
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That would be the culprit then. I've tried a few of those eBay boards over the years and haven't got anywhere with them.
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Hood it is that exact board.
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Did you try swapping the inputs to see if the problem followed?
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Just tried swapping inputs and the problem followed. So do you confirm that its the board?
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If the ICs are in sockets try pressing them down in case they are not seated properly, failing that hopefully the seller will sort you out.
Hood
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Ok, I will try that. Thanks to both of you, you have been a big help.