Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: DeanoM on November 28, 2012, 02:56:46 AM
-
hi guys
have been lurking around here for a bit. there are some great conversions and very knowledgeable people kicking around here.
i have a BP clone mill that i have converted using 400w yaskawa servos. so far all going well, only a couple of issues that were more related to hardware than anything else.
due to how user friendly mach 3 is i have got through the conversion reasonably pain free but this latest issue has me stumped.
i have been running the mill for a couple of months and now want to get the spindle speed up and running. i was only using the dc03 from peter homann for on/off duty but now want to use it to vary speed.
i have had email conversation with Peter about my issue but it looks like his board is set up, wired and should operate correctly. i have also email him some screen shots of my mach setup and it all looks right.
i have taken pics of my dc03 setup and he confirmed it seems correct but it doesn't matter what i do all i get is 100% speed output from the unit. when i power up the board i get the correct flashes and when i activate the pins i get the fast flash saying the board has signal. if i deactivate the pin in mach 3 the flash on the dc03 changes to say it is getting no signal.
so my question is how do i tell if machi3 is outputting the PWM to the board?
i am sure it will be something basic but i have spent literally hours trying to get this thing working but no joy. i have used a pot on the inverter to confirm i have the inverter set correctly and when i put the dc03 in trimpot mode and turn the on board pot the speed changes accordingly. got me stuffed
any ideas?
-
just tried a new pc and still nothing. all i get is the max voltage output from the dc03 giving me only max rpm with no adjustment
a real pain in the arse cause i know it will be a dead simple fix but at this stage i can't see it and have no idea how to test for a pwm signal from the pc.
like i mentioned the led on the dc03 flashes fast like it is recieving a signal but what signal it is getting i have no idea.
also maybe this board cant run via a eternet s/stepper. is anyone using this combination already?
-
Peter would be the best guy to help you but but if you want to attach your xml I will see if I can find anything wrong in it.
Hood
-
i agree, have sent Peter another email last night.
i will attach xml file.
thanks
-
DID you set up the spindle in MACH# to run as a PWM spindle and calibrate it correctly ??
(;-) TP
-
Terry, I think that is done in the SS plugin rather than Mach itself, could be wrong though as I have only ever used Step/Dir spindle control.
Hood
-
I must have missed something I did not see mention of a SS.
(;-) TP
-
Last line of second post.
Hood
-
YEP BLind as a bat on a foggy night.
(;-)TP
-
here is the file guys
-
didn't think to check s/stepper config.
i notice there is a spindle check box for pwm within the s-s config.
i have checked that as it was unchecked and made base pwm 50 as that figure is mentioned in the DC03 setup for mach 3. not sure i have this right.
didn't make a difference. i assume i am checking this all correctly.
what i have doing is turning the spindle on via F5 or m3s1000 and by this stage i have a selected a pulley from the pulley list. lets say a pulley with a min 500 max1000. once the spindle is running (i only ever get max volt output from the dc03) i use the spindle +/- buttons to see if hte rpm changes. the numbers on the screen go up or down but the spindle doesn't change.
i have no spindle feedback yet. one crisis at a time.
attached is the newest xml
-
Ok I am not sure if the plugin config is showing correctly as I dont have an ESS here but seems you have the spindle set to Relay or None rather than PWM.
See screenshot below
Hood
Edit
I have just noticed you have another reply which was on the next page so I didnt see it ;D
Will have another look at your xml.
-
In that latest plugin you still have it as the screenshot above. you have changed the Hz but still not chosen the PWM.
Hood
-
thats odd cause when i open up mach3 this is what the plug in screen looks like
tried with the settings in the pic but no joy
-
Ok if that is correct in your xml then possibly you sent a previous xml before it had been saved.
Ok go to Config menu then Motor Tuning, click Spindle and.
Set the Steps per to 1000
Velocity to 60
Accel to 1
Then Save Axis button.
See if you get any results with these settings.
Hood
-
Have changed as per your instruction but still no good. Just goes straight to max rpm on start up
Double checked the above screen and it does open with the Pwm box checked in the plug in
Thanks for the help btw
-
Cant think what else could be the problem if you definitely have the DC03 connected to pin 1 port 1 of the SS and the rest of the DC03 wiring is correct it should at least give you some sort of control with these settings.
Hood
-
The dc 03 is connected via the same bob as the axis motor outputs. When I disconnect the step wire to the dc03 the led changes from a fast flash to a slow flash and according to the manual a slow flash indicates no activity to the dc03 input. I get the sakes result when I change the active low step to an active high step on the spindle motor out put
This tells me there is some sort of signal going to the dc03 but what type of signal I have no idea
-
Ok, seems like its right as far as wiring is concerned. Do you have a scope? If so you could check the output from the ESS. If no scope then possibly a multimeter set to DC V would work, the faster you command the spindle the higher the voltage should be.
Hood
-
ok i will give it a go.
should have added to my previous reply that when the led is slow flashing (no signal on input) the spindle turns at the min hts value that i have programed into the inverter (20htz)
i assume that when i turn the spindle on (f5) the spindle will start and run at min speed (20htz) until i either asjust the override +/- or type S*** to increase the speed
-
The spindle should rotate at whatever the Spindle Speed DRO is at, in other words if you had previously called a spindle speed then it will likely be persistent.
Hood
-
Did the check on the voltage input to the dc03 and It asways reads 5volt
I even tried a known bob output (z axis output) to rule out a dodgey bob terminal
Even when adjusting to +\- button on the screen I only get 5v.
So it has to be some sort of setup issue in Mach 3 doesn't it?
-
Sounds like it is, maybe try deleting the plugin and reinstalling it again. Also might be worth a mail to Greg to see if he can help.
Hood
-
Not sure how to delete the plugin but I did load Mach and ss plug in on Thursday last week to another pc to just run the mill and still didn't work.
Who is Greg?
-
Greg is the guy that makes the SmoothStepper, email is here http://warp9td.com/
Hood
-
email sent. hope i get this sorted. it is bloody annoying.
-
all sorted. horay
ended up getting onto peter.
after discussing what we had found during the coarse of this thread the fix was quite easy. basically the issue was caused by the logic of the bob. i am no electronics guy but as i had positive logic (i think that is what peter called it) to was sending a 'flat out' signal to the bob all the time.
the dc03 status led should flash slowly when the spindle is running from a f5 start (start and run at min htz) and when it is commanded to increase the rpm the signal is sent to the dc03 and then the led will flash fast as it is recieving the pwm signal. i was getting the fast flash from first power up of the dc03.
the unit works great and i am now so much happier about the whole set up. i have put in to much time and money to have something this simple rain on my parade
thanks to all that helped me with this issue, i knew it would be such a simple fix.
maybe this simple fix will help someone else in the future.
-
Good you got it :)
Hood