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1

Third party software and hardware support forums. / x axis don't go no more

« on: August 22, 2009, 07:35:58 PM »

I have a four axis setup on my router, running G320's with a Campbell board. Last week when I fired up a program, the gantry moved into position across both x and y axis,  then router promptly started cutting in only one dimension- Y.  For some reason after moving into position, the x axis quit. Did all the gyrations of trouble shooting by swapping cables, popped in a spare 320 controller, etc. Still no X movement.
Shows motion on Mach 3 display, DRO counts off, etc, but aside from the servo on the x axis just locking into position, there's nothing happening. Yes the Gecko shows fault, when I unhook the drive voltage to the motors and I move the gantry on it's rack and pinion. The controller sees the motor, but can't make it move.
What makes me mental, is that a few days later without doing anything, I fire up the cnc machine and everything works perfectly...until today that is. The x axis quit again, and that's after moving to its start position.
Ideas? Anyone? Anyone?
Lindsay

2

General Mach Discussion / x axis drift

« on: May 18, 2007, 07:56:09 PM »

There is likely a post about this, but I'm too tired to search for it.  My router is losing its position on the x axis only. It seems totally arbitrary, but the x axis will shift to negative, by as much as .25 inches. So far I've destroyed a couple of really nice pieces of wood.
Run the g code once, and things go fine. Next time - whamo, I get gouges where I really don't want them. Shucks, I want to cry.
I generated new g codes, checked tuning on my G320's (gain and damping) nothing to tweak that I can see. I clean the linear bearings, lubricate racks, talk nice and offer up animal sacrifices....
Sometimes, but not always, I have noticed a hesitation when the x axis is cutting to the positive direction. Rapid movement, it seems, is not affected and works smooth as silk.
This problem appears to have happened since upgrading to version 2 of Mach 3.
I don't think it's noise, because I'm running with shielded cables and bleeds. Upgraded grounds, yadah yadah, (I had another post about this boar's nest)



Any guidance out there, this situation has effectively shut me down.

3

General Mach Discussion / bobcad 2007 mach 3 milll available

« on: May 18, 2007, 07:25:49 PM »

Bobcad has released the Mach 3 post for v22.
http://www.bobcadsupport.com/posts/index.php?start=/www/htdocs/bobcadsupport/posts/BobCAD%202007%20Posts&parent=/www/htdocs/bobcadsupport/posts

(if this post shows up twice, it's because my computer had a spasm.)

4

General Mach Discussion / Bobcad 2007 posts and other novelties

« on: April 26, 2007, 01:20:32 PM »

I got the newest version of Bobcad, but as of yet there is no post available for Mach 3.  Bobcad will release post processors on a first come/priority basis...the more requests and sooner they get them, will move things up the priority list.  Getting or thinking of getting the latest Bobcad? Then print off a Post Processor Request form from Bobcad's website and fax it in ASAP.  As for the new Bobcad...can't tell much about it until I cut something.  It acts more intelligent so far.

Unrelated but maybe some worthwhile info. I posted a bit of a lament 'everything has gone haywire',  last fall, when I suffered a series of drive failures with my Gecko g320's. My router has been up and running for most the winter with no problems. The source of grief?  Poor grounding and dirty rural power. I replaced all my encoder cables with shielded cables and made sure they can bleed off properly.  Made sure things are grounded properly back to the source. I added surge protection right in the breaker box.
When time allows a new breaker panel goes in the shop, and some new isolated ground recepticles and wire, etc. Maybe bury another ground rod out by my shop...maybe not.


Dirty job figuriing this one out. Stumbled on the solution when I read about a plant in Ohio with CNC machinery failing constantly. Poor grounding in the plant.  A fried modem in my house and blown lightbulbs clued me into the dirty power aspect.

Hope this spares somebody grief down the road.

5

General Mach Discussion / Everything has gone haywire

« on: October 26, 2006, 10:51:43 PM »

It all started back at the end of summer...but I'm just getting around to fixing it now. I'm running G320's with a Campell board.
My router has 3 axis, with Y and A slaved. Y started to fault constantly at the end of August. I replaced the breakout board, but it wasn't the board. I replaced the driver, but it faulted again. Today I replaced the encoder on the Y motor, all power/encoder cables and put line drivers on all four encoders, figuring that the distance warranted them.

Now, the only motors working are the Z and the Y.
X and A lock up like they should, but do not respond to any jog commands.
Unhook the power to the motors, and move the axis...the Gecko fault lights go on like they should, indicating that the encoders work. Pull off the encoder cables, of course all the motors take off like blue striped apes. Reverse any motor's wiring and the motors jerk around like they normally would.
The breakout board's LED's show that it is getting signals from the PC, for all the axis when I try to jog in different directions. But the x and a motors just sit there...dumb. I'm wondering if something in the Mach 3 config has changed, but I can't see it for looking at it.

I'm going back outside to shuffle around the drivers and see what happens. (I really don't want to do this though.)

I'm perplexed by the perplexity of the situation. Anybody been here before???

Thanks

6

General Mach Discussion / lost config settings

« on: April 06, 2006, 09:38:41 AM »

So far things have been running hunky-dory with Mach 2 and my servos. Last night though, my configuration went wonky, i.e. pin/port settings, motor reversals and slave axis. Nearly tore the machine apart when the two y motors took off in opposite directions. Good thing I still have decent reflexes.
Little tinkering to reset controls and align mechanical components - nothing serious in the end.
I don't remember doing anything different to change things.
Has anyone heard of this happening? Do I need a priest to get the poltergeist out of my shop? Memory pills?

7

General Mach Discussion / murphy and his law

« on: March 23, 2006, 12:22:36 PM »

Just venting.
The saga continues...though every axis is finally doing what is supposed to on my cnc router.
The chain of events last night nearly had me out in the yard screaming and kicking, it goes like this....
Every thing goes together, looks fine.
No Power! Nada.
I had everything back out of the control box on the table trouble shooting. Couldn't find a thing wrong, except for no power.
The main supply toggle switch broke. It was new, but it just quit. I've never seen that before.
Fix that.
Power. Yeah!
Put the unit back together...no power.
Knocked a wire off a safety relay. Didn't see that until everything was back together.
Pull some guts out of the box. Fixed that....power.
No motion, or motion or pulses, or all of the above.
In the process I managed to knock labels of cables and mixed some stuff up.
Trace that, sort that, fixed that. I thought, but nothing working.
Shattered my small side cutters on a butt crimp. Literally exploded. Never seen that before. But it has a lifetime guarantee, oh well.
Deformed my crimping tool. Don't know how that happened.
Go to bed mad at 1 am.
Get up at 2 am, still mad. Go to the shop with an epiphany.
Move a couple of things around, see where I went wrong. Go to bed reasonably content that I haven't destroyed everything.

Got'er working this morning.

I things were too easy, I guess we wouldn't appreciate life.

Key lessons here.
Don't try to do stuff when you are tired and frustrated.
You should walk away from a project for a day or so if things aren't going well. Solutions tend to percolate up when you give it a rest.
Use a bigger box.

8

General Mach Discussion / cnc4pc

« on: March 17, 2006, 09:59:10 PM »

Bear with me as I am new to forums and servo controllers.
I've put together a cnc router, running with g320 and a cnc4pc bidirectional breakout board.
As per gecko instructions the motors are hooked up and sing nicely. But that's about it. No motion from Mach 2.
Breakoutboard is enabled.
I'm getting a little torqued, because I've inspected, reinspected wiring and seem to be covering the same ground over again but can't figure out what I've done wrong.
Output is 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 (slaved axis).
I've also contacted cnc4pc with the problem I'm having, but suspect it may be how I've configured Mach 2.

But has anybody been there done that?

Thanks