Messages

31

General Mach Discussion / Re: set steps per unit works but not tuning motors. they are Jerky and slip

« on: December 08, 2009, 12:16:24 AM »

Are your motors mounted to a machine or just sitting on your workbench? Stepper motors operate as you describe when not mounted solid.

32

General Mach Discussion / Re: Getting My Machine to Move

« on: November 21, 2009, 02:05:12 PM »

I don't see any ground wires on your axis connections. Also, I have had some drives that wouldn't operate with an active low setting.

33

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 weird behaviour- URGENT HELP!

« on: September 21, 2009, 11:39:38 AM »

Check the "direction" wire to the z axis stepper. Connections or the wire itself. Your THC "z axis "is getting steps but no direction signal.

34

General Mach Discussion / Re: Run away jogging

« on: September 16, 2009, 02:36:19 PM »

I went in and did this and basically lost control of my keyboard. I clicked the tab key to bring up the jog screen and nothing. So I had to go back and turn that back off.

35

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reversing axis coordinates

« on: September 09, 2009, 12:59:36 PM »

I was assuming that your MPG was wired to a parallel port which would require port and pin assignments. I assumed wrong. It will probably require swappng connections to your controller. But don't go by this assumption. Perhaps someone else will have a definitive answer.

36

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reversing axis coordinates

« on: September 09, 2009, 12:18:08 PM »

I think that you can go to your configuration (ports and pins) and reverse the pin assignments for a and b.

37

General Mach Discussion / Re: Can Mach support clockwise/counterclockwise drivers?

« on: September 03, 2009, 11:29:18 PM »

This is not much of a help other than that I know that those drives can be operated step/direction without any extra hardware. I had a spare Vexta drive that was cw/ccw and I was able to use it to replace one of my step/direction drives. So don't give up on it. I did it years ago but can't remember how. There may be a dip switch setting that will do it. If I can remember how,I will let you know. I do have a Vexta manual that came with one of my new drives. You can probably find that with a google search. I think that it was just a dip switch setting.

38

General Mach Discussion / Re: 5 phase stepper and Mach 3

« on: July 11, 2009, 11:05:39 AM »

They are in fact 0.200"/turn ballscrews. This is a conversion that I did a number of years ago. And yes I have verified that that is the right pitch.

39

General Mach Discussion / Re: Vexta 5 Phase Motor & Driver

« on: July 08, 2009, 12:18:38 AM »

I am not sure what you are trying to do. Are you trying to drive the vexta drive from a Gecko drive? All you need is step/direction inputs to the Vexta drive. No need for the Gecko drive. There may also be an enable connection on the Vexta drive. I will try to remember to check that when I go out to the shop.
I have been running my Hardinge conversion on five phase motors for years.

40

General Mach Discussion / Re: 5 phase stepper and Mach 3

« on: July 07, 2009, 05:47:39 PM »

I have been using Vexta 5 phase motors on my Hardinge HLVH conversion. I am at 1/2 step which requires 1000 step pulses per revolution of the motor. Movement depends on the pitch of your ballscrew.
I am direct connected to 5 turn per inch ballscrews so 5000 pulses equal an inch.
Or .36 degree rotation per pulse.