Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: iqchallengedd on June 22, 2008, 03:19:18 PM
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Changed to a newer computer and now I can't get my kboard working. Checked all my settings but they seem right. Any ideas would be appreciated.
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Are you meaning just in Mach or your keyboard doesnt work at all?
What kind of keyboard? Wireless? USB? PS2?
Hood
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I'm sorry. I should've said the keyboard does work for other computing. For example I can type in gcode. But my CNC doesn't respond to my up and down arrows or the page up, page down keys for jogging. And now I have a persistent ESTOP. I have yellow lights on the diagnostic screen but I can't figure out how to get them to go out. Can't believe I'm having all this trouble just to change to a different computer.
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Sounds like you need to change the active state of your limits, either that or the address of the parallel port is different.
Hood
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Since my last post I've learned this-- Ports & Pins>Input sigs>Active Low: if all checked (green) I get persistent estop when cnc power is on. If all x'd (red) I get persistent estop when cnc power is off. Maybe that will suggest something to you. The parallel port thing sounds interesting. What can I do about it?
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Look in device manager and Ports and then LPT and right click then properties then resources, first 4 digits are the address, that is assuming the computer has an onboard port. If its a PCI port then you will have to look at the address of that and it may be LPT1 or may be 2 or 3 or...
Hood
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It should also be noted that Mach 3 was working fine on this computer before I connected it to my CNC.
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yes but thats because the limits are being seen activated so Mach will not let you do anything.
Do you have limit switches on the machine?
Hood
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on Intel(R) 82801EB LPC Interface Controlle Are these the address? Yes I have limit switches and they are all untripped as I deal with this.
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This is what you are looking for, well something like that, could be different address or LPT port.
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It looks like Mach gives you a choice of two addresses. One begins with 378, the other with 278. The number of the one in this computer might be 828 if I follow what you're saying. I'm going to shut this thing down (along with my email) long enough to check the properties on my old computer.
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Roger. I'll check.
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Did you use the xml from your last computer?
Hood
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Is this it?
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Nope 03F8 is a com port, its a printer port you want to look at.
Hood
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Did you use the xml from your last computer?
Hood
I don't know what an xml is. I'm assuming you're asking if the info I'm putting up is from the computer that isn't working with Mach. The answer to that is yes.
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Nope 03F8 is a com port, its a printer port you want to look at.
Hood
Will do. Keep my name in mindd.
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This should be it.
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lol, your in good company then, talk about blind leading the blind ;)
Ok your old computer had Mach installed and working? If so and you can still access it look in the Mach3 folder on the C drive of it. You will see a file called Mach3Mill.xml (thats presuming its Mill you were using). If you copy that then paste it into your new computers Mach3 folder all your old settings will be as before. The only thing that could be different is the Port address.
Hood
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Yes thats oit, standard on board printer port address, 0378.
Hood
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Wow! Wish I'd known that hours ago. I certainly do have the old computer in tact. I'm wondering though-- now that I've tweaked all the settings in Mach on the new computer-- must I download a fresh copy and then put in the xml?
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nope, just shut down Mach, paste it in and open Mach again. It will say are you sure your want to replace the xml, just say YES OF COURSE I AM!!!!! ;)
Hood
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Okay. Just one more thing though to make sure I understand-- You're saying that my port address is cool. Right?
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yes, should be fine, as long as your last computer had a standard address
but even if it didnt its easy to change once you have loaded your old xml.
Hood
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Hmm. Oh well. Here's trying. It may be a while before I get back but I will be sure to post the outcome. It may help others. Thank you so much.
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:)
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This is what I found. Don't know which one(s) to paste in. Help!
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If you are using the standard Mach3Mill profile, ie you clcik on the Mach3Mill Icon on the desktop to open Mach then you want the one in the middle, Mach3Mill.xml.
If you have a custom profile set up then you want that one, eg I have one called HoodTurn for my lathe so its the HoodTurn.xml I need.
Hood
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Okay. I guess that would be the Sound Logic M3 file. I only just now noticed you're in Scotland. I was in Edinburgh (while in the Navy) in 1964. Went to the castle. Want to return before I die.
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I was minus 2 in 1964 :D
I am about 100 miles North of Edinburgh
Hood
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You could be my son. Guess we better not go there.
Looks like I'm screwed. Pasting in the SoundLogic file did nothing. It didn't even overwrite another file. My second shot was Mach3Mill.xml. It asked to overwrite so I said yes. When I tried to open Mach I got an error box that said "corru;pt install- no license found- aborting. Then a bigger box appeard that siad "legal notice" I could agree or disagree so I agreed. Then Mach opened okay and I was able to kill the estop. Previously I couldn't turn it off. But when I put in a gcode the toolpath wouldn't appear or it appeared like a bunch of circles (not the job). In additon to that my keyboard still wouldn't work.
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OK but you are opening the standard Mach3 profile, first way to check is use the Mach3 loader then in the list choose the SoundLogicM3
That shuld open your old profile and all should be working. If it is then I will tell you how to change your desktop icon to point to that profile.
Hood
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I see what you're saying. I may have shot myself in the foot on that one. Months ago when this computer was in another room and running Mach without an actual CNC machine connected to it- I put my icon down on the quick launch toolbar so I could open it with one click. Then I deleted the desktop icons. Can I get them back so I can do what you say?
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PS: I don't know if this matters or not but I am a licensed user.
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OK we will come to that later, first go to Mach3 folder and double clcik on the Mach3.exe. that will open the loader and will let you choose the sound logic, if it works we will go from there.
Hood
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Will do.
http://projectcnc.wordpress.com/
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Okay. Now we're getting somewhere. That opened Mach without any legal warnings. I killed off the estop as usual with one click and I heard the familiar thump of my stepper motor. Then I loaded a g-code which produced a nice toolpath. But-- Still no keyboard. Typically what I do after opening Mach is to press the page up key to lift the router off the table.
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Have a look in the HotKeys under the config menu, clcik on the z++ and then press the pgUp key, then z-- and press pg down key. See if that helps.
Hood
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It didn't work but I did notice that the DROs show movement even though the steppers don't. This is true with all 3 axes.
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I remember Art discussing this phenomenon in one of his tutorials but since it didn't apply to me at the time I didn't give it much thought.
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OK if its moving the DROs then you need to make sure the port address for Port 1 is set to 0738.
Now to get the icon on your desktop do as follows.
Go to the Mach3 folder again and right clcik on Mach3.exe Icon and choose "Send To" then "Desktop(create shortcut)" Now go to the Desktop and right click on that Icon and choose properties, in the target box paste this instead of whats there C:\Mach3\Mach3.exe /p SoundLogicM3 Its best to paste as the spacing needs to be correct for it to work.
Hood
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Not wanting to further confuse the situation but can you type in a line of g-code and get the motors to move? Been following this for hours.
Kristin
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oops 0378 is what I meant, 0738 is a dialing code for one of my customers LOL
Hood
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Port one is set to 0378. Still no go.
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"Not wanting to further confuse the situation but can you type in a line of g-code and get the motors to move? Been following this for hours."
It would the last time I tried. The only thing it wouldn't do is to respond to the jogging keys.
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can you post a screenshot of device manager with the list open like this.
Hood
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Yes, of course. Please don't keep after this if you're sick of it and want to take a break. I'll get busy on the post.
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never sick of trying to help out, it is getting late but hopefully we will be sorted before the clcok strike 2am here ;)
Hood
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Here it is:
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Ok just making sure you just had one port in there and you do so thats not the answer. It has me stumped now LOL.
Do a move like Kristin said by typing a G1 or G0 into the MDI line or even just pressing the Ref All button. This will at least confirm that the axis are working and its only a keyboard issue.
Hood
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No. I doesn't respond to MDI. It did when this sad tale began a few hours ago. The keyboard wouldn't work but it would respond to commands typed in. However, the DRO does reflect a lift of one inch of the Z even though it never happened. I did hear a stepper thud.
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PS: I did set up the icon on the desktop. And I pasted in the edit.
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Ok, can you check at the breakout board end of the cable, disconnect it and put a voltmeter between the Dir pin of the X axis and one of the ground pins. When you jog one way the meter should be 0v, jog the other and it should change to 5v.
Hood
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Gonna look for an image of a cable on Google. If you need to go we can pick it up tomorrow or whnever.
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Here you go
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Does this look right?
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Your just too fast for me. While I get my voltmeter can you tell me which 2 pins?
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Yes but the one in the Mach manual is better ;)
Hood
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depends what you have set in your xml, look at your ports and pins, motor setup and you wil see what the Dir pin for X is. any pin from 18 to 25 is the zero volt or ground as I called it (wrongly of course)
Hood
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TAking the cable lose won't blow a Gecko will it?
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nope
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Just switch the power off if you can as an extra precaution but shouldnt really matter.
Hood
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direction pin for x is 6. about to test. can you hold one of these. :D
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Okay brothers. That was hard to do alone. If I did it right there was 0.241 volts DC with or without keyboarding. When I would keyboard left or right the DRO would show movement but the voltmeter was completely unaffected.
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OK check at the computer now, if the same and you are certain that the port address is correct and that you are connecting to thr right pins then its either a dead port or its not installed in windows properly.
Hood
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Thats prob not right. There is a setting for MOTOR OUTPUTS (what I used) and there is a SIGNAL INPUTS. Which one? In signal inputs the pin is 10 rather than 6. I'll measure that one.
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Motor Outputs Dir pin for X. and Jog X, you could also try Dir for Y and Z as well
Hood
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"OK check at the computer now...."
I thought that's what I was doing. I was checking the breakout board end of the cable (disconnected from the bb) while it was still connected to the computer. Is that not right?
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Hood,
I am directionally challenged here but it looks like the pinout you posted is what we want and the google one is looking at inside out wiring side of the connector, so he may be testing the wrong pins.
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Yes the pic he posted is the male mines the female, much prefer the females ;).
Hood
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Yes thats correct, what you need to do now is check at the port itself just in case the cable is bad.
Hood
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I am very, very glad to hear you say that because I just happened to notice that the cable in my hand has tiny numbers on it and they are reversed from the first image posted. Whew!
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Okay guys. Retested as follows: I have the printer cable connected to the computer (not the bb). I have the meter black on #25 and red on #6. While moving the X with the keypad the DRO moves but the voltage is at zero. I may have done some damage to my comuter by accidentally shorting accross some pins but it seems to be alright. So where does this put me? Is the computer at fault?
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I was holding the disconnected end of the cable for testing. I believe that's what you said to do. Right?
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You wont do damage shorting I dont think as really thats all you are doing when you are tripping a limit switch or whatever. Try up at the computer port itself and see what you get there. I am off to sleep now, up in 4 hrs for work.
Hopefully you will get sorted by the morning.
Hood
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Can you retest right at the PC port? Also it may be a good time to go back to the Mach config ports and pins settings and see if everything is entered correctly there, step, direction pins and step and direction port.
Kristin
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Well thank you for all your time. I really wish you hadn't used your sleep time. I'll talk to you later.
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IQ, that will work, checking the end of the cable. But, check at the port on the PC itself to see if the port its self is good.
Brett
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Yes thats correct, one end in computer other end testing. Now take the cable off and directly test at the port.
Hood
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I'm gonna pack it in too Kristin. I hear my wife upstairs loading her gun. Thanks for you interest and your help.
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I will hang in for a while if you want to keep going. Too hot for dinner yet, and there is a sink full of dirty dishes I don't want to attack till it cools off.
Kristin
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I'll be here for a while too. Can you post your XML? I have sent you a personal message as well.
Brett
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I'm gonna pack it in too Kristin. I hear my wife upstairs loading her gun. Thanks for you interest and your help.
Mine is allways loaded, it's when you hear the slide pulled back it's time to worry. Sure you will sort this out soon. Worst case is remove Mach completley and reload with your setup file again from the other PC, I had a wierd problem a few weeks back where if I opened Mach, moved the mouse everything locked up and I had to remove the program fully, just reloading it over the old did not fix it.
Kristin
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Hi, Iqchallengedd
Things can get out of Whack with Mach3's driver sometimes, Probably best to remove it and reinstall at this point.
Open Device Manager, Rt click on Mach3 Driver, Select "Uninstall" Mach3 Driver, Yes.
Return to Mach3 Folder, C:\Mach3 and "Run" the "Driver Test", It will return with the "Driver Installed", Reboot/Re-start Computer Required.
Restart and run Mach3, From time to time this has been the only solution for Me.
You now after Using, Your Fore-Head to Drive 16 Penny Nail's in the Wall a few times.
Hope this Helps, Chip
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Hey guys. I was signed off after the last tip from Kristen and Chip. I will try that later today and see what happens. Doesn't bother me a bit to find a simple cure after hours of trying. I just appreciate the support. I paid a mere $150 or so for Mach and get all the support in the world. I just bought a new Mac computer and haven't yet been able to find any help in installing the printer.
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Can you post your xml and we can have a look and see if anything is wrong in it. Dont think there can be as it worked before but you never know.
Hood
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Good morning Hood. You couldn't have gotten much sleep. I'll have to come and go this morning. Here is the XML (I hope).
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Cant see anything glaringly obvious in your XML so suppose its down to the checks that that have been suggested laterly. You mentioned a printer, dont suppose its an old parallel port type is it? If so see if that works on the port.
Hood