Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / What's setting free the magic smoke? Help please.

« on: May 14, 2014, 03:57:23 PM »

Good to see you guys.
Briefly, after swapping some bearings, my x axis only made a quiet whine, and no movement. Checking I found about 4 wires had come loose from the choc block connector to the motor. Putting them back in, one touched the framework and I realised i had left it energised when there was a crack crack from the direction of the control box.
Checked the fuses,  They were ok. Swapped the Gecko's about to see if one of them was the problem. Crack. Magic smoke from the good Gecko moved to the X axis. So now I am 2 Geckos down, call it £250 on the night, and don't know what the problem is or how to track it down. Suggestions please?
And it's always when there's a big rush on, and also, I can't seem to think straight, or I would have tested the suspect drive Gecko on another axis...I think it's panic.
suggestions welcome.
james

2

General Mach Discussion / one pop then another, no Gecko light

« on: September 05, 2013, 05:47:54 PM »

Hi guys, snazzy website now...
Not exactly Mach 3 related, as I have had many years of trouble free use, but you guys have helped me before, so here goes:
Jogging along the x axis, unusually some stuttering, then a 'POP' from the region of the electronics, and no x axis movement.
So i have a look. No light on one Gecko 201. Ah, must be the Gecko? Put a spare Gecko on the connections, still no light. Check the spare Gecko on the same connections as the lit Gecko on Y axis. Lights up. Must be the connections therefore to the x axis Gecko. Put the X Axis connections on the Y axis Gecko  'POP' and no light on the Y axis Gecko either now, although I don't suspect the Gecko's, as they worked on different connections after the POP.
Is this enough info for you guys to tell me what I need at least two new ones of?
James E

3

General Mach Discussion / Random twitches after crash

« on: October 28, 2012, 10:24:09 AM »

Hi All.
After a dive into the bed, the z axis twiches randomly. (the stepper is out of the machine, so it isn't something slipping).
Is a short dive enough to ruin my stepper, or is there some other error or setting I should be looking for now.
I believe the crash was caused by my asking it to go faster than it normally does. (300%. It isn't recommended I know).
Look forward to any replies.
Jim

4

General Mach Discussion / Can't get started again.

« on: March 10, 2010, 07:42:35 AM »

Hello Guys.
I have moved premises, and it involved taking the machine to pieces.
I have missed something out in the reassembly, because I can't get the machine to 'energize'. Normally as Mach3 starts up there is a click from all the steppers, and we have power. I am not getting that, or any lights on the Geckos, although there are one or two on the circuit board. Mach3 and PC seem fine, just not the machine.
What should I look for?

Jim

5

General Mach Discussion / Random z axis movement

« on: July 24, 2009, 05:04:12 AM »

Hi all.
 After quite a while of trouble free motoring, today I have random z movement, from the keyboard, and from the Tab controls. (press down get down, press down get down, press down get up
Unfortunately it is halfway into an 8 hour job, but stopped overnight.
The only thing changed recently is a bigger heatsink and fan on the cpu, and more memory, because the long files were causing crashes due to overheat.
Any ideas guys?

Jim

6

General Mach Discussion / How to start spindle after upgrade from Mach2

« on: July 19, 2008, 01:53:17 PM »

Hi guys. I promised to move to Mach3 and all has gone smoothly, bit by bit. I can move xyz no problem, but I can't start the spindle. I have read and reread, and tried every combination of settings, but no. I guess the info I need is in the mach 2 settings, but I can't spot it.
Any ideas where to look, what to select?

Thanks,
 Jim

7

General Mach Discussion / Where did my Z axis control go?

« on: February 01, 2008, 08:24:29 AM »

Hi guys.
Sorry it's in Mach 2 and I promise to upgrade fast, but can I just get 2 running again?
 -Hard disc crash. Backup failed to install this time, but license ok and .xml ok, so all is up and running on new disc ,from a different copy of Mach 2, motors running sweet, x and y responding correctly.. but previously on my 'manual' screen I had an x and y 'trackball' and a z 'trackball' control. Now It's just the x and y.
I guess there's a file I need to copy over, but I can't see which one.

Who can remember that far back?

Thanks in advance

Jim

8

General Mach Discussion / Suddenly rough stepper.

« on: May 14, 2007, 11:55:08 AM »

an hour into a job I hear something isn't right. a problem has developed on the X axis, where it is losing 5mm at a time, going x+, and a few mm x-. I have dissassembled down to the motor itself, and the problem is still evident - hand held the motor will tug tug tug twich twitch twitch as it turns, rough, like a missing car engine, instead of a nice sweet whine, unless I ask for some rapid movement, when as it reaches higher speeds, it becomes smooth.

Classic symptoms of.....?

Thanks in advance.

Jim

9

General Mach Discussion / Those pesky circles

« on: August 31, 2006, 12:33:47 PM »

The new forum is much better, the advice is still the same.- excellent

More used to large non critical work, I have been able to live with the error/s shown in the photo, but now I need to sort them. As well as the obvious, I seem to be missing steps, in that after travelling left to right,and back again, for say 100mm, I am 2mm short....and you guys work in thou.. The other axes seem ok.

Where do I start in my search for a cure.. well after reading  previous posts, trying a bunch of stuff, and getting confused, that is...

thanks in advance

Jim