Messages

1

FAQs / Re: Migrating Machine - Parallel Port Will Not Run

« on: September 12, 2010, 03:55:12 PM »

Another weekend and some more clues. In fact, I think I know what is causing my
problem but I am uncertain how to fix it.

I brought my production system to the custmers location and plugged it in. After
moving over the customers profile, I found that two of the axis step (marginally) and
one axis does not.

I opened up the controller and started looking at some voltages off the parallel cable.
The installation has a 30 foot cable. The system that was working produces signals
that are +5 Volts and .6 Volts respectively. This is not the best but it works. The system(s)
that do not work only produce 3.5 Volts and .72 Volts.

Clearly this is an interface problem and I suspect that the newer systems don't drive the
parallel port as well as the customers old system did.

Does anybody have suggestions on how to accommodate a 30 foot run of cable? Before you
ask, yes the cable is 1284 IEEE certified. It is not the high end quality but it is supposed to
meet spec.

The current controller is made from Geckos and the interface is not optical breakout. I have
to wonder if that woul help.

2

FAQs / Re: Migrating Machine - Parallel Port Will Not Run

« on: September 05, 2010, 09:04:58 AM »

I appreciate the input and I will check out the parallel port EPP settings again. If I did not
make it clear, let me restate one item. The system I brought down to the customer site
is my home system which already runs MACH3 on my own mill. Importing the settings
from the customers MACH3 (verified) should make this run. This is why I am so perplexed.
It is almost as if I had missed some setting that makes the parallel ports different in some way.

The customers existing system, including the cable, already runs Mach3. The only reason I am
changing anything is that he is starting to get disk errors and this is an old PC. He wants to
head off problems and upgrade to a new system.

3

FAQs / Migrating Machine - Parallel Port Will Not Run

« on: September 04, 2010, 12:40:41 PM »

This has got me stumped!!!

Step 1)  I have a customer who runs Mach3 and his computer is starting to have problems.
He bought a new system and I installed Mach3 and moved the profile and the liscense. This
results in a setup that moves the Axis counters on-screen but will not work through the parallel
port. I checked the BIOS and the Device Manager.Everything is enabled and the port base I/O
address is 378 with no conflicts. This is the latest version of Mach3 running on an XP Desktop
system.

Step 2) I was puzzled by this so I brought my home system down to the customers site. I
brought over the profile (runs on the customers system) to my system. The results were the
same as in Step 1. All the indications and settings say that all is well. The steppers do not
lock up and there is no apparent communication with the parallel port. THIS IS A RUNNING
SYSTEM !

What am I missing

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 21, 2007, 09:43:00 AM »

At this point, I have several things I want to try and I have some strong suspicions based on what you all
have told me. I will try a higher debounce but my best suspect lies in the noise area. After evaluating my
wiring, I suspect that noise from the motor lines may be creeping in. I can't look at this until the weekend but
I will let you all know how it comes out. Thanks for the suggestions.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 20, 2007, 08:55:24 AM »

Reply To HOOD

The voltage swing is from .6 millivolts closed to 4.6 volts open. I do not use a breakout board since
the controller is from CNC Hobbies and comes with the appropriate connector structure. I do realize
that this is not a signal isolated interface. If I were designing a controller (I'm trying hard not to) I would
have made these levels with different drivers and receivers and now seeing what is happening, a bit
of hysteresis wouldn't hurt.

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 20, 2007, 08:47:00 AM »

Reply to HOOD

Yes, I have changed the debounce settings but upon reflection, perhaps not enough. Is this
setting in milliseconds ? It doesn't show units. I have it set to ten but if that is milliseconds,
it probably should be more like 100.











i

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 19, 2007, 08:49:51 AM »

Reply to afn09556

Chip,

I clearly see the settings you are showing and understand why they are like that. Just for reference, I have
been a Digital/Analog Engineer for thirty years and I do understand the signaling process that is being done here.
If you re-read my previous post, you will see that I set the controls for "Active High". This is exactly what you
have shown. Active High is the same as placing an "X" in the active low field. In essence it says NOT active low.

The problem that no one seems perplexed by is that Mach 3 Sees the signal correctly and then responds by telling
me the signal is wrong !. If the diagnostic panel says "There is no limit switch active", why does the main page insist
that there is ?

I can make this all go away by setting the switches for active low and making the switches normally open but I would
really rather have an answer to the problem. I sent along an Email directly to the people who make Mach 3 but so
far I don't have a response.

Thanks for your response and patience

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 18, 2007, 04:24:15 PM »

This has still got me stumped. I tried to set up a simpler scenario so I could troubleshoot this problem.
I took everything down to just one switch which is normally close. All switches are disabled with the
exception of this one switch on pin 10 of the parallel port and set to active high. The meter agrees
at .6 ohms across the contacts with the closure being to ground. Mach 3 is set to be active high.

1- Nothing is moving and the switch is STATIC at ground.
2- Switches that are not being switched, don't bounce in my humble opinion.
3- Mach 3 diagnostic panel shows NO LIGHTS ON. In effect this means
   that Mach 3 agrees that it also sees a ground from the port.
4- The main page in Mach 3 will not do a reset and reports that a limit switch is tripped.

Steps one thru four are in CONFLICT. Mach 3 sees a ground (no limit switch active) and yet
reports a limit switch is tripped. This is the part that I don't get !!!!!

What I am beginning to suspect is that the Diagnostic Panel and the operational structure of
Mach 3 are looking at two different places - This is the only way I can explain why it might act
this way.

I'm not looking to criticize Mach 3, I love the software. I just want to figure out whats going on
so my router will run correctly.


Even more bizarre is that if you set the switch (resolder) to be normally open and the
corresponding signal on pin 10 to be active low, this all works ! Unfortunately this is not
the best way to wire this (active low) since a broken connection will give no indication.

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 13, 2007, 10:07:52 AM »

I know the set up and switches are working because the Diagnostic Panel Lights go on and off
correctly when the switches are tripped. No lights on and I can't reset.

10

General Mach Discussion / Limit Switch Problems - BAFFLING!

« on: February 11, 2007, 04:16:05 PM »

I have my limit switches (3 sets 2-x,2-y,and 1-z) wired in series. All are set to be
normally closed and therefore return a ground to their respective parallel port pins.
The measured voltage at the controller is 2.5 millivolts closed and
4.5 volts when active (open) for each of the three signals. The diagnostics panel
sees these activations and responds with the appropriate LEDs lit when switches
are activated. The switches are lever activated microswitches so there is no external
voltage or active circuitry present, just pull up resistors to +5 and ground.

My problem is that when the pins are set up in MACH3, it tells me that there
is a limit switch active and refuses to reset. The odd thing about all this is that
if I make all the switches normally open, this works. Obviously I had to change
the sense of the switches in Mach 3 to make this happen. I really don't
want to run this in a normally open switch configuration. Can anyone offer
a little light on this problem?

I wouldn't be so perplexed if the darn diagnostic panel didn't say one thing while
the main page said something else ( i.e. limit switch activated.