Messages

5351

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: March 27, 2013, 05:02:02 AM »

I have been asked to do a few laser’d tiles for a friend (non-commercial work).

Following a bit of experimentation, it was evident that pen and ink line drawings (which use hatching to create the illusion of shade) produce better results than the pencil sketch drawings and this is the result of one of the tests which I thought I would share.

(I should point out that I have no rights to use this image. It was solely used as a test and this tile was destroyed after the photo was taken).

Tweakie.

5352

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 12:47:03 PM »

 

Tweakie.

5353

FAQs / Re: 3040 CNC

« on: March 26, 2013, 12:38:27 PM »

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the forum.

You should be able to move the Z axis with the keyboard Page Up / Page Down keys.

Page Up increases the Z axis DRO reading and moves the tool away from the work.
Page Down reduces the Z axis DRO reading and moves the tool towards the work.

If this is not the case then Config / Ports & Pins / Motor Outputs - change the state of the 'Dir Low Active' box for the Z axis.

Tweakie.

5354

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 11:43:04 AM »

Gary,

Could you not just connect red to red, black to black etc on the eaten cable then check it pin for pin ??

Tweakie.

5355

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 11:15:57 AM »

Hi Gary,

Sorry to say this but unless someone else can come up with any ideas of how to get the stepper motors to lock (enabled) with that board then I think it may be time to consider a better quality product (such as the Gecko G540) as your controller.

As said in my first post – many before you have tried to get these boards to work, without success.

It may be worth giving the board a thorough visual inspection, checking for poor solder joints or solder bridges even obviously missing components. Also check for damage such as a crack in the board causing possible broken tracks etc.

Tweakie.

5356

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with KL-4030 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 10:57:04 AM »

This diagram is probably the best explanation http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/08/KL-4030WithC10.pdf

Tweakie.

5357

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 09:06:52 AM »

Hi Kris,

I moved your earlier post and replied here http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,24098.0.html

Tweakie.

5358

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 08:27:29 AM »

Hi Gary,

I may have misunderstood one of your earlier posts when you said that M3 brings the board alive so as a last resort...

There is the possibility that Mach3 is not communicating with your parallel port.

1) Run the Mach3 “Driver Test.exe” which can be found in the Mach3 folder. How does that look ??

2) If you are using WinXP as your OS then Parmon  http://www.geekhideout.com/parmon.shtml can be used to test the outputs from your parallel port.

2a) Another alternative is connecting your multimeter between pin 25 and pin 4 of the parallel port and within Mach3 – Config / Ports & Pins / Output Signals set Enable 1 to Enabled, Port#1 Pin Number 4 then toggling Active Low / Active High should give the readings (approx.) 0Volts / 5Volts.

Tweakie.

5359

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 06:34:31 AM »

As an update to my earlier post…

It is the actual pin numbers you are trying to find – If the pin number entered in Enable 1 does not lock the X axis motor (or any other motor) there is little point in trying that same pin number in any other Enable. Just move on to the next pin number.

Tweakie.

5360

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with TB6560 1st time testing problems

« on: March 26, 2013, 05:57:10 AM »

Hi Gary,

Good news that you have found 4.29 Volts on the LPT port.

Now the tedious bit starts (remember that successful fault finding requires you to be very methodical – take it one step at a time and only change one thing at a time).

I am making the assumption that your controller board does if fact work and that you have the 24 Volts ? applied to the board and everything else connected correctly.

The first thing is to get the stepper motors to ‘lock’ when the system is powered up. This appears to be related to Config / Ports & Pins / Output Signals / Enable 1 to Enable 4 settings. So try all output pin numbers (1 to 9, 14, 16 & 17)  both Active High and Active Low until you find the right combination to ‘lock’ the motors.

Once you have achieved this than I will suggest a possible next step in the procedure.

Tweakie.

This is what my little helper gets up to in his spare time.