Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Monty on April 09, 2007, 08:17:45 PM
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Trying to help my dad set up his mini mill. Went through a terrible motherboard compatibility problem. Stripped everything out of the computer, shut down most of windows. tried a new video card. No Dice. Finally decided the MB was just not compatible with mach. (it had onboard video and no real way to disable the memory sharing)
new MB and the driver works and mach3 is stable.
The setup has a PMDX 131 with Gecko G201's. Right now I'm just trying to get the X axis to talk to a motor. I have a 4 wire stepper hooked up to the gecko on axis 1. The gecko is powered up.
The external E-stop works so there is some communication. But the $%)#@#$# thing will not talk to the motor despite my best efforts, so I am apealing to higher powers here. Anybody see anything wrong??
I have tried changing the axis between active low/high so that isn't it.
The axis has power at the correct voltage.
The wires to the stepper are:
Phase A-red
Phase B-blue
Phase C-black
Phase D-green
My bios choices of parallel port mode are:
SPP
EPP
ECP
EPP+ECP (currently set to this one)
Whatever is wrong is probably plain as daylight, but I am currently blind.
anybody out there with eyes that work?
Monty
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Checked the parallel cable has continuity from pin to pin? some have crossover pins.
Hood
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Could you please look on the diagnostics page and tell me what you have in the "time in int" DRO?
Thanks
Brian
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I know I checked the serial cable before, but did it again anyway with the pin out as a guide. Everything checks out OK there.
Attached the diagnostic screen shot. Time in Int jumps around between 4-5.
Thanks guys
Monty
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Monty,
in your reply you said you checked the SERIAL CABLE are you using the serial port or the parallel?
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sorry to confuse the situation. I am using the printer cable that comes out of the printer port and plugs into bob's board.
Monty
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Can you see the LED's change on the breakout board? Do you have the charge pump setup? And could you please post your XML?
Thanks
Brian
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I convinced myself there was no problem with the way Mach was set up and the computer was running fine, so I started checking and triple checking everything. Turns out the Estop switch was wired through the normally open contact instead of the normally closed ::).
The wonderful thing about Mach is that it is infinitely configurable, the terrible thing about Mach is that it is infinitely configurable. I had Mach set up to recognize the NO Estop, but the PMDX only works with a NC Estop. So the board was off when Mach was working and vice versa. I had a mental block because the Estop was "working" so it must not be the problem.
Thanks for the input guys. You got me looking in the right direction.
Monty
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Monty,
I have no info as to fixes for your problems....I'm too new (as you might see in my post right after yours!),,,but I gotta ask...HOW are you getting those beautiful screen shots (and saving them as jpegs, it looks like), and then attaching them to your posts?.....how the heck is that done?.....Thanks, gpdc
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gpdc
have a look at the welcome tutor that Brett has done, it explains how to do just what you are asking.
Hood
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GPDC,
To get a screen shot just press the <Shift> and <PrtSc> keys on your keyboard at the same time. This will save a .bmp file to the clip board of the current screen. Then Paste from the clip board into a program like ms paint. You can then crop the picture and resize it to about 600 wide to make it fit on most peoples screens. Then "save as" a .jpeg or whatever file format you want.
To attach it to your post click on "Additional Options" at the bottom of the post window. I use the "browse" button to find the picture file on my computer and attach it.
Thats how I do it. There are probably other ways. You might check the FAQ section on this forum for additional pointers.
Monty
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Also forgot to say there are a few ways to actually get the screenshots. Windows has its default way, you press the Prt Scr button and a copy of your complete screen will be saved to the clipboard. You can then open a graphics package or word or whatever and paste it in there. You can also refine this slightly by pressing Alt at the same time as Prt Scr and it will only capture the active window that you have open.
Best way of all is to grab yourself a copy of one of the many screen capture programs. The one I use is ScreenHunter and the free version works just fine. This way is much better than the default windows way as it will save the image directly as a JPG, or BMP or whatever you have chosen and you dont have to paste anything. You can also configure screenhunter to work in different ways, I have it set up with a hotkey and also prefer to use the option that lets you choose what area to capyure.
Hood
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I noticed Monty had posted as I was posting but decided not to edit my reply as there is the info about screenhunter and also I am too much of a lazy ba&^%$d :D
Hood
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Screen hunter sounds like a better way. I'll have to download a copy and give it a try. The Windows method makes you jump through a bunch of hoops. I am too much of a lazy #$%#@@ to change my other post too :D.
Monty
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I knew I wasnt the only one ;)
Hood