Messages

1461

General Mach Discussion / Re: Advanced VFD Communication

« on: March 17, 2013, 09:41:04 AM »

Lots of drives can communicate with Mach over modbus.  You will have to do all of the set up though.  Have a look at automation directs G2 and G3 series drives.  You can download the manuals and see if they have all the features you want.

Brett

1462

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Needing help to get set up

« on: March 16, 2013, 08:35:20 PM »

There could be tons of things going on.  Trouble shooting is one step at the time.  If you test those outputs with a meter you will have an idea where to start,  Could very well be your parallel port isnt configured correctly, wrong drivers, who knows?  Only one way to find out.  I have sent you a PM.

Brett

1463

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Needing help to get set up

« on: March 16, 2013, 08:24:39 PM »

You should be able to see a change in voltage from the db 25 pins for the step and direction signals.  Choose a pin you have set up as a direction pin for any axis and hook one lead of the meter to it and the other lead on meter to ground or 5 volts (depending if your driveing logic low or high).  It should change when you try to jog in one direction or the other so with the meter connected jog in both directions and see if your reading changes.

Brett

1464

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Needing help to get set up

« on: March 16, 2013, 06:08:40 PM »

I would post you a screen shot but my machine is down right now.  Building a new control cabinet.  You can use your meter and check the output pins that you assigned to your axis step and direction signals.

Brett

1465

One on one phone support. / Re: New to Mach3 - can't jog machine

« on: March 16, 2013, 06:03:47 PM »

Thanks, I will pass it on.

Brett

1466

General Mach Discussion / Re: Looking for help with setting Z axis downward travel limit

« on: March 16, 2013, 03:55:03 PM »

My bad, jog the machine to where you want to call home.  Z up all the way on a router and click the Ref. all home button on the run screen right beside your zero dro buttons.  The leds around the zero buttons will turn green once your machine is refrenced.

Brett

1467

General Mach Discussion / Re: Looking for help with setting Z axis downward travel limit

« on: March 16, 2013, 03:31:17 PM »

In that screen shot your machine has not been referenced so no telling where the machine z is at.  Disable your softlimits, reference the machine and then enable your soft limits and see if that works.

Brett

1468

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Needing help to get set up

« on: March 16, 2013, 03:27:27 PM »

No problem, if you have everything set up correctly in Mach then you have to figure out where you are looseing the signals.  The db 25 connector should have numbers on it that show what number each pin is.  It's easier to check the direction pins than the step because the step are usually pulsing so fast (this will be seen similar to a PWM signal but the voltage will most likely vary only slightly from inactive to active), the direction will stay active until the direction is changed.  You can start at either end you want.  At the drive or at the parallel port, but you need to find out where the signal is being lost at and if your PC is in fact sending the signals in the first place.  Did you check the cable to see if it is a straight thru?

Brett 

1469

One on one phone support. / Re: New to Mach3 - can't jog machine

« on: March 16, 2013, 09:13:44 AM »

Darryl, I just sent an email to you that should help you get the Smoothstepper working on your Windows 8 machine.  Let me know how it goes.

Brett

1470

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Needing help to get set up

« on: March 16, 2013, 08:42:26 AM »

Where is this B+ and B- coming from?  I'm assuming you are meaning these are to the motor from the drive or to the drive from the stepper power supply?  If your getting those voltages out of your parallel port, you definatley need to trace some wires out.  I suggest you unplug your cable at the C10 and check your signals at the cable on the end you just unplugged.  The cable needs to be a straight thru.  pin for pin on each end....... pin1, pin 1 pin2, pin2 etc.  Some cables are not wired like this.

Brett