Machsupport Forum
Third party software and hardware support forums. => SmoothStepper USB => Topic started by: fwanek on March 22, 2018, 05:35:09 PM
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Hoping someone can help with a small but annoying problem. I recently added an edge finder to zero out all 3 of my axis. It works fine but I cannot save the set-up. I'm running this item via a smooth stepper and after saving the ports & pins data - the unit will run fine. After shutting down Mach 3 - I have to reset the ports & pins each time I open Mach 3. I've set up under Ports & Pins, enabled the Probe (port 3, pin 10) - hit the apply button & said OK. Checking the set-up at this time, my changes appear to be made. The unit will work until I shut down and bring Mach back up. None of my changes are then loaded. Instead I get port #2 Pin 13, which appears to be coming from my Profile.
Do I have to modify the profile somehow to keep my new set-up parameters??? If so - how do I best go about doing that???
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.
Kind Regards
Frank
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Hi Frank,
Try making your changes to Mach3, saving the data then close Mach without running anything.
Re-open Mach - have the changes been kept ?
Tweakie.
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Hi Tweakie:
Thanks for the response - Appreciate it.
Tried your suggestion - did not work. Tried it numerous times to no avail.
Frank
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Hi Frank,
Then I suspect that you have a corrupt .xml file.
You could try Operator / Restore Settings and select an earlier backup and see if that performs OK but my recommendation is that you create a new profile from scratch.
(Make a copy of all your settings then enter them into a new profile - laborious but may be the only way).
Tweakie.
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Hello Tweakie:
Many thanks for the response - Pretty much what I suspected............and I'm willing to do that.
To be honest - I'm not sure how to do that. I suspect that I can boot Mach3 and just select "create a new Profile.". Not having gone through that (and not even sure of what I'm going to see), is there anything that I should be aware of when doing so??? Would that process be easier than finding a program that would just let me EDIT the existing profile - knowing that I would lose the existing profile?? In retrospect - I'm guessing your way would be best. Any last words of advice???
Regards
Frank
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Hello Frank,
at least it not such a "big deal" to create a new Profile.
the old one is not "lost".
here:
http://www.kd-dietz.com/klausphp/pages/eng/machprofile/description/m_profile_description.html
is a realy (IMHO) good free software to few Profile data
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Hello Tweakie:
Many, many thanks for all your help. I'm going to download the above program and play with it a bit. Looks like it could be very beneficial, as well as fitting my needs. I'll let you know how this all turns out - but probably not tonight :-).
Regards
Frank
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Hi Frank,
The only important thing when creating your new profile is that you physically enter your settings thereby creating a new .xml file. You should not just copy over your existing .xml file because that may just be duplicating the error you are trying to remove.
Tweakie.
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Hello Tweakie:
As promised - I wanted to get back to you & let you know how things went over the week-end. I managed to build a new profile that lets me make and save changes to it. In that regard, my attempts were successful. Almost everything works well - except for my rotational motor. That has me pretty well stumped.
When trying to engage the rotary motor via the keyboard, The DRO reads the keyboard strike, but the motor will not engage. If I use the old profile, it works just fine, so I'm pretty sure it's in the profile and not some wire fault. (I'm using a Smooth Stepper in my system). What stumps me is that the DRO is reading the movement, but the motor doesn't engage. I have double and triple checked my set up screens from start to finish and they appear to be perfect duplicates of the original profile. Being my first attempt at building a new Profile, I'll be the first to admit I don't yet understand it. Can you think of anything I overlooked?? I tried reading over the Profile itself ..............but WOW!!!! Don't know where to go with that.
Any suggestions you can pass my way would greatly be appreciated.
Regards
Frank
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Hi Frank,
By 'rotary motor' do you mean the 'A axis' or a 'spindle' motor ?
Tweakie.
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Hi Tweakie:
We're talking the 5th axis (2 in Y) - referred to as the "A" axis. I was very careful inputting set-up data as you instructed. As I entered new set-up data, I was careful to delete all data and re-enter it - even if it was the same. I'm happy that the screens are all identical to the Profile that is working - can't seem to find anything out of the order. I use the rotary motor (Sherline) quite a bit, but it won't run, even though the DRO does see it as moving. Nothing shows up abnormally in the Diagnostic Tab. ?????????????
Frank
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Hi Frank,
Can you please attach your .xml file. (Bottom right of the main screen is your profile - look in your Mach3 folder for a file with this name and the .xml extension).
This thread describes making attachments http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,24585.0.html
Your .xml file will enable me to check your settings and hopefully spot the problem.
Tweakie.
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Tweakie:
How can I best attach or send this file to you - email address???? I'm new to the forum.
Frank
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Tweakie:
Let me know if this worked or not.
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Hello Frank,
on a first look to your XML everthing seams to be ok.
you have configurated b-axis as follows:
dir port 1 pin 9
step port 1 pin 8
step's per = 8000
velocity = 79,98
accel =20
Looks like it should move.
can you please post a link or file with the discription of the smoothsteper you are using.
pin9/8 are often used for dublicate funtionality (relays)
Thomas
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Hello Thomas
You're correct with regard to the Y axis. The angular motor is driven off of the A axis, and is quite different.
Steps Per = 400
Velocity = 799.8
Accel = 400
All of these values match the original profile which does seem to work.
I don't have much info on the Smooth Stepper as it was installed by the Machine Manufacturer (Velox CNC) I can tell you that it is the USS version (USB Port) and I believe the model is C25S. I found them at
Warp9td.com. I can rip open the controller box and see if I can find something in particular for you if that would help. Seems very strange that a newly created profile with all the same data doesn't work - but the old one does.
Regards
Frank
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Hello Tweakie:
1) Wanted to let you know I tried to look at the Mach Profile Viewer you sent me. It did download, but it could not open the program. I'm sure it is supposed to run on Win7, but I seem to be having a problem with it. Hopefully I will get back to it some time down the road.
2) While looking at the Profile I generated over the week-end, I noticed the very first line is different. Under <Profile> <Preferences> <Syskey1>1</Syskey1> ............ my file has <Syskey1>0</Syskey1>. I'm assuming this is some sort of switch where 1 is on and 0 is off. Being at the head (start) of the profile, would this be indicative of anything? There are probably other differences as well but I thought this one might be meaningful.
(Rotary motor works when 1 - does not when 0 )?????????
Regards
Frank
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Hi Frank,
Couple of things to try...
In Config. / General Config - uncheck B-Axis is angular.
In Config./ Ports & Pins / Output Signals - disable Output#3 and Output#4 (these may cause conflict with the A axis using Port2 Pins 8 & 9).
After these changes have been made and applied Mach3 needs to be closed then restarted.
Tweakie.
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Hi Tweakie:
Made the changes and re-started but it appears to have had no effect on operation. Is there a good .XML editor out there that might be employed??? My thinking is that the problem has to be in the .XML file if everything is working with the old one and not with the .XML file I generated. Maybe it's time I dumped both files to the printer and then made a line by line comparison. Your thoughts please.... would certainly be laborious .... but it appears that we don't have many more options. (or am I barking up the wrong tree)
Regards
Frank
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have a look for the link in Reply #5
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Hi Frank,
It may not be quite as simple as editing the .xml file but I may be wrong.
It was a couple of years back when I had a bad .xml - I created the new profile and everything then worked as it should. When comparing the bad .xml and the good .xml they both appeared to be identical. My conclusion was that there may be more in the .xml file that an editor reveals.
Tweakie.