Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: cyberdave on March 01, 2016, 07:05:53 AM
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Hi and thanks for having me!
I'm completely new to this lark so forgive me if my questions seem dumb
Trying to get a 3020 machine to work to carry out simple engraving but having NO joy at all. (machine control as pictured)
I've installed Mach3 on a Dell Dimension running XP and installed a parallel port add on card (drivers all installed correctlly). I've looked in the bios and there is NO OPTION to change the setting of the port to EPP, it's recognized by the machine as "ECP"
I've looked at all of the Chinglish manuals and tutorials i can find for the pin settings and entered and saved each axis and also configured the Estop button as shown, stopped the Estop button flashing and ensured the jog button is green but despite the fact the digits on the display move using the arrow keys the machine head will not move.
I've been into device manager and enabled legacy support and this produces a "clunk" from the machine but nothing else.
Firstly - please tell me i am right in assuming this setup needs to be done after selecting the "Mach3mill" icon and not the other Mach3 icon?
I'm pulling my hair out here just trying to get the machine to do ANYTHING!
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Firstly - please tell me i am right in assuming this setup needs to be done after selecting the "Mach3mill" icon and not the other Mach3 icon?
Quite right.
Check that you have the correct Port Address ( in your case DCB0 ) for Port#1 and that it is enabled.
Do your stepper motors 'lock-up' when everything is up and running or are they free to rotate by hand ??
Tweakie.
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Hi Tweakie,
I reset my port address in Pins and ports to read 0xDCB0 (that's whats shown when I look at the resources tab in Device manager) Now it recognizes whe I hit the manual Estop button which it never did before but there's still no movement of the milling head. When powered up the motors cannot be rotated by hand.
Thanks
Dave
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I have no values entered in the "Input settings" tab is that correct?
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Hi Dave,
You are making progress. ;)
At this stage the only entry you need in Inputs is the E-Stop config. (otherwise E-Stop cannot be reset).
Can you attach your Mach3Mill.xml file (located in the Mach3 folder). Copy it and rename it to cyberdave.xml then use the Additional Options... to attach to your post.
This will allow me to test your Mach3 settings and hopefully suggest a solution to the problem.
Tweakie.
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Hope this is what you wanted!
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That's the right one. :)
Whilst I am checking the settings could you check your LPT parallel port cable with a meter (or similar) to ensure that Pin 1 is connected to Pin 1 and Pin 2 to Pin 2 etc. (not every cable has turned out to be good).
Tweakie.
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Checked and all correct!
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OK, now try this…
Config / Ports & Pins / Output Signals...
Enable1 – Enabled – Port#1 – Pin14
And report back on if it makes any difference.
Tweakie.
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Done - no change
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Try changing the Active State to Low and see if that makes a difference.
Something else to try is changing your pin allocations in Motor Outputs to …
X Axis – Enabled – Step Pin#2 – Dir Pin# 3
Y “ 4 5
Z “ 6 7
I have to do some work now so I may be away from the forum untill tomorrow - perhaps someone else can chime in on this problem.
Tweakie.
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Tried that - still no change.
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Could you run DriverTest.exe (Mach3 folder) and post the results ?
Tweakie.
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Just got a message after a few minutes that said test completed and on OK button to close the dialogue.
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The results look just fine but that version does not give all the information. You need to upgrade to a later version of Mach3 - I suggest version 3.043.062 which can be downloaded from the Mach3/ folder in the FTP downloads section here:- http://www.machsupport.com/software/downloads-updates/
I believe the new version can be installed over the top of your existing version but keep a copy of your existing .xml file or a note of your settings in case they are not preserved and need to be re-entered.
Tweakie.
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Hi tweakie,
I have acquirea "new" old PC with built in parallel port. I will download the newer version and install it on there then report back!
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I will keep my fingers crossed. ;)
Tweakie.
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I will chime in here..... the step ports and direction ports need to be assigned to port 1 for all of them. So all those zeros I circled, change them to 1
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Another thing is that unless you have documentation telling you otherwise, I have always seen motor pinouts like this
X step 2 dir 3
Y step 4 dir 5
Z step 6 dir 7
I have seen a few chineese ones a bit different though.
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Excellent catch Fixittt I think the missing port 1 entries have been the problem.
Tweakie.
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one other thing I have noticed that with add in LPT cards. Sometimes you have to chase the address down. You have 4 I/O ranges for that card. I have had to try each IO range address one at a time until I found the one that activated the card.
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Many,many thanks guys, all working OK now EXCEPT the X axis is reversed? Is there a setting that needs changing here?
Dave
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Config. / Ports & Pins / Motor Outputs - change Direction Low Active state for your X axis.
Tweakie.
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Thanks Tweakie, I've got the machine running and using one of the supplied G Codes it's cutting but when I start the program (with all axis set to zero and the tip of the bit grazing the workpiece) instead of plunging it lifts the tool away from the workpiece! I've had to reverse the Z axis to make the code work correctly but now the buttons on the Jog cntrol and page up/down are back to front!
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on the jog control screen. The left button should make the spindle go left, right button it goes right. for X
up button the spindle goes to the back of the machine or away from you in y. down button it comes to the front of the machine.
Z up it should go up...... Z down it should go down. If any of these are backwards while jogging, you can change the DIR low active, or go to CONFIG Homing/Limits and change the setting in the reversed column for that axis.
You have to have these right first before a G code can run as expected.
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That's the point, I've reversed the Z axis to make the bit plunge and start cutting when using the G code supplied and it works OK but in order to do that it's made the buttons on the jog interface and the PC keyboard back to front. If I reset the axis to make the buttons work correctly then the cutting bit lifts away from the workpiece instead of plunging to make the cut required.
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Ahh, the joys of the Chinese machine controller. Sounds like they have one of the motor windings reversed.
Now I don’t know how best to describe this to you but your Z axis stepper motor has two windings A-A1 and B-B1 it doesn’t matter which (A or B) but you need to swap the connection of say A-A1 to make them A1-A. This will make the motor rotate in the opposite direction for the original command (do not swap an A with a B).
Does that make sense ??
Tweakie.
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Mmmm, not sure which wire is which though! The pins are marked 1v 2 3 4 and they are Yellow Blue Green Red in order
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If you have a continuity checker (multimeter) you should be able to identify the two different windings. Choose just one winding and swap the pins it is connected to.
Perhaps find a competent electrician and get him to do it for you ??
Tweakie.
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I have one right here! So basically we have 2 pairs of wires coming from the motor to the connector, and all we need to do is identify a pair then switch the wires over in the connector so when connected to the other half of the loom the wires will be mismatched on one pair only?
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wait....... putting the horse before the cart here. If the jogging is all correct, then the issue may be in the code or how the machine is zeroed out. Post the code and a picture of the machine in the x y z zero state.
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Thanks guys I'll post tomorrow.
Once again many thanks
Dave