Machsupport Forum

Third party software and hardware support forums. => PoKeys => Topic started by: tantan on March 01, 2014, 05:08:04 AM

Title: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 01, 2014, 05:08:04 AM
i use the pokeys56 usb and smoothstepper ESS on a windows xp computer with latest mach and plugins. if i run gcode i get the following errors
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: NeoTO on March 04, 2014, 12:03:33 AM
How is PoKeys device configured? Is this with an empty configuration?
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 04, 2014, 02:26:28 AM
hi. no it is configured with 3 encoders, 1 for axis move, 2 for speed and feed override, and a few buttons.
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: NeoTO on March 05, 2014, 12:18:47 AM
Then, I would suspect that PoKeys and Smoothstepper are trying to get handle of the same registers/DROs and Smoothstepper fails with the error you see above.
When does this error happen? Did you try disabling the mappings of PoKeys to see which one is causing the error at the Smoothstepper's end? Where did you map the encoders to?
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 08, 2014, 10:58:24 AM
hi, i did the check with a pokeys connected to the system (and recognised in mach3) but with no configuration of I/O. then it runs fine with the smoothstepper. what is the best way arround to configure the io?

tnx tantan
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: NeoTO on March 09, 2014, 06:15:01 AM
Try adding the IOs one by one and check if smoothstepper still operates well. As we have no insight on which signals Smoothstepper uses, I can not advise you on specific signals to pay attention to.
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 14, 2014, 02:37:53 PM
hi,

i found out what the problem was: it is an old issue: the speed override function. as mentioned before this is not working as it should be. it produces glitches so the spindle speed is shortly set to max and back. and it produces the error with the ethernet smootstepper. i think if you find the problem for the glitches you solve the stability problem too.

tnx tantan (antoine)
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 15, 2014, 08:49:20 AM
i did a few more tests. it is definatly the SRO function wich causes all the trouble. i did also test it with an other pokeys56 wich i cleared and only configured the SRO: wrong again. so if you could solve this it would be great!.

tnx TanTan/Antoine
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: NeoTO on March 16, 2014, 12:03:52 PM
Unfortunately, if the Smooth stepper crashes when PoKeys adjusts the SRO, then there must be something wrong on the Smooth stepper side. We can't do much other than disabling the SRO feature (or you not configuring/using it).
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: Elektroniker on March 17, 2014, 07:56:09 AM
Hi tantan and NeoTo,

may it be possible that the input for SRO is to sensitive and filtering this certain input may help?

I'm experiencing absolutely the same effect with my USB Smoothstepper in conjunction with my Pokeys56U used as pendant.
This happens only if the spindle is running. If I run a job with spindle off I have no issues. Every attempt to supress susceptiblilty of radiation
by the usage of ferrites around the USB cable was of no avail.
If there is a chance of filtering only this input by a RC-filter I will give it a try this evening.

Wolfgang
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 17, 2014, 10:51:35 AM
Hi,

Neoto explained me that this cannot be asmoothstepper issue. Within a few weeks i will test my pendant with the sro funtion in combination with a cslabs controller. I will report my findings here,

Tnx tantan
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: NeoTO on March 17, 2014, 12:45:15 PM
Hi,

Neoto explained me that this cannot be asmoothstepper issue. Within a few weeks i will test my pendant with the sro funtion in combination with a cslabs controller. I will report my findings here,

Tnx tantan

I explained to you that this can not be PoKeys's issue if Smoothstepper is crashing, not the other way around.
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 17, 2014, 12:56:37 PM
hi yes, i am sure you are right. but i want to do the test to convince the smoothstepper guys!
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: Elektroniker on March 17, 2014, 02:59:41 PM
Hi,

this evening I had only time to verify that disabling the SRO by deactivating the encoder at pin 5 and 6 will lead to a smooth run of an example g-code.

Even with the spindle at maximum revolutions I had no longer any issues. I tried that several times.
That leads to the question whether filtering of the encoder inputs could improve ruggedness against radiated noise from the spindle driving circuit?

I will try it tomorrow evening and report the results here.
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: Elektroniker on March 18, 2014, 04:19:05 PM
In the meantime I've added 1k resistors and  10nF capacities to pin 5 and 6, the inputs of the encoder for SRO, but to no avail.

Wolfgang
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 18, 2014, 04:54:30 PM
Hi,

I do not think this is a hardware issue. According to neoto  the plugin of SS is causing the trouble
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: Elektroniker on March 18, 2014, 05:46:07 PM
Hi,

I think I've have to agree with you. I hope this issue could be cleared by an update of the plugin.
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: NeoTO on March 19, 2014, 01:06:19 AM
I overlooked your post, tantan, that SS plugin produces an error only after these glitches. So, please confirm - SS plugin does not crash immediately, but after there are glitches on the SRO value.
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on March 19, 2014, 03:15:00 AM
Hi,

Yes, that is exactly what i notice!
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: Elektroniker on March 19, 2014, 04:24:48 AM
Hi NeoTo,

I experience exactly the same effect, but with an Smoothstepper USB. If the encoder of the pendant, based on the PoKeys56U, for SRO at pins 5 and 6 is disabled, there are absolutely no problems with the smoothstepper. The fault with the smoothstepper, as mentioned by TanTan, occurs only with the encoder for SRO set active, even with RC- filters attached to the inputs. There is no difference whether you make a move of an axis with the MPG or by running a job.
With the spindle switched off, it doesn't matter whether the encoder for SRO is active or not.

Wolfgang
Title: Re: Pokeys56 and Smoothstepper (ethernet)
Post by: tantan on April 13, 2014, 12:12:29 PM
i did some tests today with pokeys and a CSlab module. i used the same gcode to do the test. all went wel. so this is the proof it is not a pokeys issue but a smoothstepper issue