Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Beanprofit on November 13, 2008, 10:49:41 PM
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Hello all,
I just loaded up Mach 3 to give it a try with my mill and have had no luck with getting my motors to move. I watched the getting started and troubleshooting video to check for the common errors. I have been using kCam so I have the port address, port number, and pins correct. I have the E Stop set so it stops flashing at me when I hit reset. I made sure all the check boxes on the first tab in port setup were correct. I tried toggling the active low + high for the step pins. I ran the driver test .exe and it everything looked good. There are no leds lit on the diagnostics tab. What could I be missing? Thanks for any help
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Hi, Beanprofit
Do you have a Pulse Freq. on the Diag. Page ?
Chip
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Also check that the Jog control is green like in the above pic.
If you still cant get it going attach your xml and someone will have a look and see if there are any obvious problems.
Hood
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My pulse frequency is 25377 all the time and the jog button is lit up. Where do i upload/email the xml file?
Thanks
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You will have to copy your xml to some place on your hard drive other than the Mach3 folder and then rename it, suggest you call it Beanprofit.xml Once you have done that then you can attach it to a post by clicking on the additional options button on the reply page and that will allow you to browse top the renamed xml on your drive.
Hood
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Ok, It should be attached
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Well dont see anything glaringly wrong in your xml :)
When you press the keyboard arrows to jog do the DROs move? If they do then put a voltmeter between pin 3 and ground on the computers parallel port, jog the X one way then the other and see if the voltage changes between 5 and 0, do the same for pins 5 and 7. If that all checks out then do the same for pins 2, 4 and 6 and see if you get a voltage reading when you are jogging, it will be low, maybe even mV (depends on your jogging speed)
Hood
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The DRO does not move when i use the arrows but, i think that is because i am using a laptop that douse not have the number keypad. The DRO does move when I hit tab and click on the jog arrows with the mouse. I will check out the outputs with my scope later today and see what is going on at the port. Thanks
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OK, let us know how it goes, also just double check the Step and Dir pins are not asigned the wrong way round as its an easy thing to do.
Hood
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Strange, I am having the same exact problem and have done the same things Beanprofit has done! hmmm...
I am not sure what an .xml file is, where to get it and save it... Im new at this. Can somone help me with that?
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You will find the xml's in your Mach3 folder, C:\Mach3 if you installed to the default location. You will see several xml's one will be Mach3Mill.xml, one Mach3Turn.xml etc etc. If you are using a custom profile then there will be a xml with the name of the custom profile. The xml you need to attach is the one for the profile you are using so for instance if you start Mach from the Mach3Mill shortcut then its Mach3Mill.xml.
Hood
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My .sml file should be posted...
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I see you have output 1 enabled but there is no pin asigned to it, you seem to be using that for the spindle so until a pin is asigned then the spindle wont work (if you are using it for that )
Do you get any DRO movement when you jog via the keyoard or do a move via the MDI line? If so then check you have your pins asigned correctly and also check the port address is correct.
Hood
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No, I wont be using any pins for a spindle. I wouldnt think that would matter really to make the motors jog.
I am getting movement in the x and y when I jog with the key board, but no motor movement. My pulse frequency is 24060, if that means anything...
Also, I used aluminum wire to connect all the elcetronics, and the wire that is connecting the motors is copper... I wouldnt think that would make a difference, just FYI, I guess!
I will check again to make sure the direection and step are correct... and I will check the printer port again...
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Printer port is correct, at 378... Ports and pins are all correct.
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Well your xml looks fine other than the Output and yes you are correct in assumng that would not stop the motors from turning. Best thing to do is get a voltmeter or scope and check from the port out that the dir signals are there and find out where the problem lies but it certainly seems to be hardware if all the correct pins are asigned.
One thing I am wondering is are you using a breakout board? reason I am asking is possibly your parallel port is low on voltage and if not using a decent breakout, to boost the voltage, your drives may not be seeing the signals.
Hood
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I am using a cnc4pc breakout board... the c10. I did notice that plugging in the parallel port, the break out board led lit up. It is also powered by a 5 volt dc power source... does this make sence?
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I am not sure about these bobs as I have never had one, seem to remember you need two different supplies to them but may be wrong, I will go and have a look at the specs in a minute. Check with a voltmeter at the parallel port to see if the Dir pins are getting 5v then 0v when you jog one way then the other, if thats ok then put the cable back in and check again at the other end, if thats ok then put the cable back on the bob and check on the output side of it.
Hood
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OK just had a look at the specs, you need an enable input to that bob, do you have one?
Hood
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Im not sure I understand... Im sort of new to setting these up!
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Next to where your 5v power supply goes in it says you need an enable, you can either connect that to a switch with 5v or if you want it enabled at all times you could just jumper a wire from the 5v terminal into the Enable terminal.
Hood
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I do not have an e stop wired or home or limit switch in on the c10 cnc4pc breakout board. It seems like the motors are in perminant e-stop. For the two inputs, should I be putting a jumper wire somewhere between them?
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Heres where the enable goes
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Yes you also need a jumper on the E-Stop as shown here.
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I am using a cnc4pc breakout board... the c10. I did notice that plugging in the parallel port, the break out board led lit up. It is also powered by a 5 volt dc power source... does this make sence?
The C10 requires a connection to the PCs USB port to power the PC side of the opto-isolators. The USB cable connects to the 2-pin connector block on one corner of the board near the incoming PP connector, on the side where all the input signal connections are. It also requires a completely separate +5V power supply to power all the other logic on the board. This one connects to the +5V/GND pins on the side of the board opposite the incoming PP connector. Several LEDs will light up as soon as either power supply is turned on.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Heres where the enable goes
Hmmmmm.... That is completely unlike the enable inputs on my C10. Mine is right next to the Pin 1 output terminals. Also, no connection is required on Pin 10 unless you've configured Mach to use this as an E-Stop. The C10 does not require it.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Ray I think that is a problem, so many revisions of the same BOB and major differences between them that you have to make sure you have the docs for the correct one, certainly makes things difficult from an advice of connecting things up.
Hood
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Ray I think that is a problem, so many revisions of the same BOB and major differences between them that you have to make sure you have the docs for the correct one, certainly makes things difficult from an advice of connecting things up.
Hood
Hood,
But as far as functionality, and basic layout I don't think they've changed much. I've had boards from v1 all the way to 7.2, and the connections have been identical on all.
Regards,
Ray L.
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I will try jumping pin 10 and 5v... I will let you know! The enable is jumped to the 5v power.
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Ray that is the schematic from the CNC4PC site so if the connections are in a different place from yours its either been changed or its the wrong diagram on his site. As for the E-Stop yes thats true, was thinking of my BOB, it requires a jumper or a NC switch on pin 10 to gnd.
Hood
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Ok, I got the scope out and looked at the wave form on one of my axis (at the printer port) when it was moving. I first tried it with Kcam running to see what the signal should look like. I saw a nice 50% duty cycle waveform with about a 10mS period. I than switched over to Mach 3. With the axis moving in Mach 3 I see a very low duty cycle waveform. The on time is around 5uS and seemed a bit erratic my scope was having a hard time triggering on it. So it looks like my Mach 3 setup is putting out a waveform that is way too fast for my controller or motors to respond to , or the duty cycle (on time) is to short. Any clues to what is wrong?
Thanks
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Try increasing the pulsewidth to 5 or even using Sherline mode.
Hood
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Ray that is the schematic from the CNC4PC site so if the connections are in a different place from yours its either been changed or its the wrong diagram on his site. As for the E-Stop yes thats true, was thinking of my BOB, it requires a jumper or a NC switch on pin 10 to gnd.
Hood
Hood,
Once again, I'm an idiot. Mine is a C11. Sorry for the confusion.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Ray get it wrong another couple of million times and you will be getting close to my standing :)
Hood
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Does this look right?
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I did jump pins 10 and 5v on the inputs. Also jumped 5v and pin 13, and motors will still not jog...
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Rob, do you have a voltmeter? If so disconnect the parallel port cable and connect the meter between pin 3 and pin 25 on the computers port and then jog the X axis one way then the other and see if the meter changes from 0v to 5v. That way we can start to get an idea where the problem lies.
Hood
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Sherline mode worked!! I looked at the waveform and it it is still a low duty cycle, about 10% but seems to work fine with my controller. It is a very stable frequency now the scope triggers well on it. Were is the pulse width setting? I did not find that. Thanks for all the help. I'll be making chips in no time.
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The pulsewidth is on the motor tuning page.
Good you are going, some drives just require a wider pulse :)
Hood
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How do I know which is the 3 and which is the 25 pin?
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This is the layout of the pins on the back of your computer.
Hood
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I am getting 5V dc, between the pins when jogging on the x axis.
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Does it go to zero when you jog the other way?
Hood
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No it does not go back to zero, it stays at 5v in either direction.
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Ok well if thats the case and you have not changed any pins since you attached your xml then it seems like your parallel port is not working correctly. Just double check in device manager that the port address is correct, if it is then looks like your port is bad :(
You could get yourself a PCI port if that is the case, they are usually not too expensive.
Hood
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Well, when I checked the pins, most said 5v dc. When I went the other way with the jog, the voltage did not change from 5 volts...
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Only the pins you have set up for Direction pins will change when you jog and only then when you jog the correct axis. For example in the xml you attached you have pin 3 set for X so if you jog the X it should change between 5V and 0V when you change directions. Same for pin 5 if you jog the Y and pin 7 if you jog the Z. Pins 2 4 and 6 should show 0v when still and maybe around 1V when jogging their respective axis.
Hood
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Alright, so I got that to work.. It will read 0, and around 3.25 volts dc between pin 3 and 25, and 5 and 25... Alright, its not the PCI card, I feel pretty confident about that...
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Ok so next thing to do is put the cable on the computer and disconnect from the C10 and do the same checks, some parallel port cables are cross overs so the pins do not correspond and also some do not have all the pins connected.
If that checks out OK then put the cable back on the C10 then do the same procedure and this time check on the C10s connections to your drives Dir inputs.
Hood
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Actually, I did the checks with the cable attached to the computer, and read the voltages from the the end of the cable.
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OK so we know Mach is OK, your port is OK, your cable is OK so now check on the output side of the C10 and that will show whether the signals are passing through it. If they are not then double and tripple check it is wired correctly and if still not getting them then the C10 looks suspect.
Hood
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When I checked on the cable pins, I can get to the 3 and 25, but with the cable hooked up, I can get to the 3, but where do I get to the 25 pin?
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From the common connector beside the pins connector.
Hood
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From here I read between 0 and .5v dc, with only the power from the printer cord... With everything on, I get 4.75v dc, going in either direction...
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Well either your BOB is bad or your wiring is bad. If you still cant get it after checking the wiring your best bet is to contact Arturo and see what he suggests as a test.
Hood
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Success!!! All motors are running, and dialed in! A couple of pins on the BOB was the culprit!
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Great news :)
Hood