Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: ryckmans_t on March 03, 2012, 12:47:17 PM
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Hello,
My name is Thomas and I just started playing with steppers and Mach3. It seems that I can't get anything to work right now... help would be very much appreciated
... I have no experience at all using Mach3. Datasheet for the stepper and the references for the board/drivers is attached.
In Mach3 (R3.042.040, running with XP on an up to date computer ... I installed it, rebooted, ran the driver test: freq. is 25kHz, it says "System Excellent")
-I have setup the correct address (0xccc8) for the port after checking it in my device manager
-I have modified the Estop to "active low" in Ports and Pins/Input signals
-I have modified the Step pin# and Dir Pin# in Ports and Pins/Motor Output using the breakout board specifications
- I have wired my FL86STH80-4208A (8 wires, 4.2A) in bipolar (parallel) connection... I also tried bipolar series and half coil connections - same result
-when I try to run the simplest G-code possible (X100) I get irregular, small steps. I can get the motor to step the other way by running X-100, but the steps are also small, and irregular...
As far as I know the connections between the breakout board and the driver are fine (checked 3 times).
If I look at Mach3/Diagnostics "Port 1 Pin current State" Pins 4,5,6,7,8 are green
I tried to install Mach3Version3.043.022 instead, doing everything the same way as before, and in this case I don't get any steps at all... and all pins are black in If I look at Mach3/Diagnostics
Is there anything obvious I am missing?
many thanks for your help
Thomas
the power supply should supply enough power (36V 10A), the driver is set up at 4.2 A (I guess it should be higher given the bipolar parallel connection) - I will change that later
data:
I use Version R3.042.040
my stepper is a FL86STH80-4208A (8 wires, 4.2A)
I have setup my 8-wire stepper in bipolar (parallel) connection
the breakout board and drivers are here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&isIU=1&item=180826693743
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Can you attach your xml please.
Hood
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Hood -
thanks for reading. Here is the xml, renamed OTB.xml
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Do you have any documentation on which pin should be assigned for each axis step.direction? I dont see it in the attached pdf's but may be overlooking things.
Hood
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yes -
X StepPin 2 DirPin 14
Y StepPin 3 DirPin 16
Z StepPin 7 DirPin 8
A StepPin 6 DirPin 5
B StepPin 4 DirPin 17
Or please have a look at the attached pdf - Figure 5 and Figure 6
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Looks ok with the exception of Y axis ins being the opposite way round, well depends which part of the document you look at ;D
It sounds as if the pin assignments may be wrong when you are saying you are getting irregular steps. What I would do is disable all axis and try one at a time with different combinations of pins.
Hood
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Hi Hood,
Sorry I don't understand this:
>Looks ok with the exception of Y axis ins being the opposite way round, well depends which part of the document you look at
Anyway at the moment I am only using the X axis. Shall I disable all of them except X, then for X try again 2 and 14, then 3 and 16, then 7 and 8?
Is this correct?
many thanks
Thomas
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Just tried this:
I disabled all axis except X, then for X tried again changing pins from 2 and 14 to 3 and 16, then 7 and 8 - in this case nothing worked at all
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Sorry bit of a typo there ::D What I am meaning is the start of the manual says Y Step is 16 and Y Dir is 3 and the screen print on the board seems to suggest that is right however further on in the manual it shows 3 as Step and 16 as Dir.
What I would do is disable all axis in Mach except X then try pin 2 and 3, 2 and 3, 2 and 5 etc etc. Unfortunately there are a lot of different combinations for you to try.
You should be able to test by jogging with the keyboard keys rather than trying to command moves.
A few other things you can try, you need to set the steps per unit correctly, for that you will need to know what microstepping you have the drives set to and if there is any gearing between motor and screw and also what pitch the screws are. Also try with 10 set for step and dir pulse boxes in Motor tuning.
Another thing, do you have the Breakout board powered?
Hood
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Will try that!
The breakout board is powered via USB (signal through DB25), so yes, it should be powered.
I have my stepper set at 400 pulse per rev (angle 0.9). There are no screws or anything on the stepper yet
many thanks
Thomas
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The wiring diag seems to show that a power supply should be connected to the BOB at the connectors next to the E-Stop.
Hood
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Hi there,
I tried 2-3, 2-4,2-5...2-17 and they all gave the same result as the "correct" 2-14: slow, irregular steps (about 2 Hz)
any suggestions?
many thanks
Thomas
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What do you have the drive microstepping set to?
Do you have the motors connected to a machine or are you just bench testing?
Hood
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I am test benching: microsteps at 400/rev (0.9 degrees),nothing connected to the motor.
power supply can either be 5V near the Estop, or USB.
Just tried with 5V... now I am getting confused. With the 5V-non-USB, the stepper does not work, but the very small led next to the X connector block still blinks a bit.
Now I went back to USB powering, I get the same -no stepper, small led blinking.... restarted Mach3... same, now the stepper does not even stutters...
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That is the problem with these Chines boards I am afraid, documentation is pathetic and there seems to be lots of similar boards but all with different setup, its just all trial and error.
If you have 400 steps per rev set on the drive I would set that in motor tuning.
Hood
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I did change "step per" to 400 for the X-axis in the Motor Tuning... I get small irregular steps, like before...
very frustrating! Don't know what do do nest...
many thanks
Thomas
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Have you tried it in Sherline mode?
Hood
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Good morning Hood - I's sorry but I don't know what Sherline mode is... newbie!
Also, noticed that in Motor Tuning, Step Pulse and Dir Pulse were both at 0 uS...
changed Step Pulse to 4 or 5 - now the stepping is much better and regular, but still slow, and there are lot of vibrations...
getting there... maybe...?
thanks
Thomas
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Yes I saw that in your xml and suggested you try 10. If it is working better with 4 or 5 then it may be you need even wider pulse. I would try Sherline mode rather than just increase on Motor Tuning page as that will give a half width pulse which is the most you can get. Sherline mode is enabled from the main page of Ports and Pins, you will likely need to restart Mach after you have enabled it.
Hood
Hood
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Oh also 400 setting you have your drives set to is not really ideal as that is only half stepping, much better to set to 2000 (1/10 microsteps) if your drives allow.
Hood
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YES! Just did 3200 steps per rev - dont have the 2000 setting - much much smoother!
How can I increase the speed of rotation independently of the number of steps? I changed "velocity" but it does not look like it is going faster...
Thank you so much for your help, I was really getting annoyed with this!
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Velocity in motor tuning will increase the RPM of GO moves and Fast Jogs.
If you command a G1 move it will only go at the commanded feed, for example F100 would be 100 units per min if in feed per min mode (G94)
If jogging then you could be in slow jog, press the tab and see what % slow jog is set to, 100% is full rapid. You can have a slow jog% set and still jog at rapid speed by pressing shift key and holding then using the arrow keys.
Hood
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okay...
now I connected my second stepper to the Y axis... set up everything as for X (which is working)...
but Y does not move at all.
I swapped the drivers - X still works... so both drivers are okay
swapped the connections (Y stepper plugged on X driver, X stepper on Y driver) --> Y works but not X... so the stepper works...
so it looks the issue is upstream from the stepper or the driver...
anything I could do here?
many thanks
Thomas
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"Y not working" solved - the datasheet said step pin for Y was 3 and Dirpin was 16 - it is just the reverse
%%^##' datasheet
thanks for putting up with me so far...
T
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Yes also said that earlier on ;) The pdf has them one way at the start and the other way later on.
Hood
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yes you did - but since both 3-16 and 16-3 were quoted you are only 50% right!
thanks for your help... I am sure I will have more questions soon. I struck gold Friday, my company threw away an auto sampler - which basically is a XY table 60cm by 40 cm.
The steppers work fine - I hope to be able to add a Z axis soon
Thomas
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Ha ha nope not really, bit more than 50% as I said the screen printing on the board would suggest that you had it the wrong way round ;)
Hood