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General Mach Discussion / What should I see in the "Diagnostics Alt-7" window if Mach3 configured properly
« on: February 09, 2012, 09:52:22 PM »
How do I configure my Mach3 software to drive a motor? I have had success with “inputs,” but can’t seem to get any “outputs.” The simulated “LEDs” on the Mach3 “Diagnostics Alt-7” window do not light up for any of my outputs. The installation guide is vague about what to expect on this screen. Additionally, the “Port 1 Pins current State” shows five green lights lit up. From left to right, these are the top 4th through 8th boxes of the 24x total boxes. My emergency stop button is the only function that has successfully lit up in the “Diagnostics Alt-7” window when I’ve activated the switch.
I have followed the examples in the “Mach3 user’s guide to installation, configuration, and operation” and cannot get my stepper motor to turn. My diagnostics will begin with verifying that the software is configured correctly.
I ran the “DriverTest.exe” application and the compatibility test resulted in a “System Excellent” message. The Mach3 software seems to have installed properly and I have not had any issues using the software without my hardware connected.
In the “Port Setup and Axis Selection,” I only enabled the Port 1 and have a port address of “0x379” with my Kernel speed set to 25000Hz.
At the “Motor Outputs” tab I’ve set the X Axis Step Pin# to pin “3” and the Dir Pin# to pin “2.” I’ve checked the “Enabled,” “Dir LowActive,” and “Step LowActive” and made the both the Step and Dir Ports “1.” This is the exact configuration in Figure 5.4 of the installation guide. The wiring schematic provided with my C10 breakout board and my KL-4030 stepper driver show my breakout boards pin 2 connected to a “pul-” terminal on driver and breakout boards pin 3 connected to a “dir-“ on the driver. I’m assuming this is because the signal from these pins is supposed to be “Active Low.”
Since I only want to drive the stepper motor to begin my design, I have not enabled my limit switches or home switches in the “Input Signals” tab. However, I did enable the “EStop” signal for pin 10 and set the port# to 1. I did not choose the “Active Low.” I measure 5Vs at pin 10 on my C10 Breakout Board.
I don’t understand how to use or if I need to use the enable signals in the “Output Signal” tab. The installation guide specifies that one output can be used for all the axis drives, but I’m not clear on how this is implemented in my wiring. I am not using a charge/pump monitor. The C10 breakout board does have an enable pin which I’ve jumped to a 5V, 400mA DC power supply that powers the breakout board.
The “Output Signals current State” does not respond to any G Code I’ve tried or when I’ve used the “Servo Freq. Generator,” although the coordinates in the X axis do change and the display shows the a path. Also, I’ve used a multi-meter on the parallel port and found some of the pins at 5Vs.
Based on my successful emergency stops at the input and the voltage at the outputs on the parallel port, I assume I have some communication and that either 1) my breakout board is messed up and not breaking the signals out properly or 2) I don’t have the Mach3 software configured correctly. However, I can’t rule out my Mach3 configuration until I know what I’m supposed to see functioning in the “Diagnostics Alt-7” window.
I’m currently running Mach3 on an old Toshiba laptop with a single parallel port using Windows XP, my breakout board is a C10-Parallel Port Interface Card, the stepper driver is a KL-4030, and my motors are 425oz stepper motors.
Anyone’s insight is greatly appreciated. Do I have my Mach3 configured correctly?
Blu
I have followed the examples in the “Mach3 user’s guide to installation, configuration, and operation” and cannot get my stepper motor to turn. My diagnostics will begin with verifying that the software is configured correctly.
I ran the “DriverTest.exe” application and the compatibility test resulted in a “System Excellent” message. The Mach3 software seems to have installed properly and I have not had any issues using the software without my hardware connected.
In the “Port Setup and Axis Selection,” I only enabled the Port 1 and have a port address of “0x379” with my Kernel speed set to 25000Hz.
At the “Motor Outputs” tab I’ve set the X Axis Step Pin# to pin “3” and the Dir Pin# to pin “2.” I’ve checked the “Enabled,” “Dir LowActive,” and “Step LowActive” and made the both the Step and Dir Ports “1.” This is the exact configuration in Figure 5.4 of the installation guide. The wiring schematic provided with my C10 breakout board and my KL-4030 stepper driver show my breakout boards pin 2 connected to a “pul-” terminal on driver and breakout boards pin 3 connected to a “dir-“ on the driver. I’m assuming this is because the signal from these pins is supposed to be “Active Low.”
Since I only want to drive the stepper motor to begin my design, I have not enabled my limit switches or home switches in the “Input Signals” tab. However, I did enable the “EStop” signal for pin 10 and set the port# to 1. I did not choose the “Active Low.” I measure 5Vs at pin 10 on my C10 Breakout Board.
I don’t understand how to use or if I need to use the enable signals in the “Output Signal” tab. The installation guide specifies that one output can be used for all the axis drives, but I’m not clear on how this is implemented in my wiring. I am not using a charge/pump monitor. The C10 breakout board does have an enable pin which I’ve jumped to a 5V, 400mA DC power supply that powers the breakout board.
The “Output Signals current State” does not respond to any G Code I’ve tried or when I’ve used the “Servo Freq. Generator,” although the coordinates in the X axis do change and the display shows the a path. Also, I’ve used a multi-meter on the parallel port and found some of the pins at 5Vs.
Based on my successful emergency stops at the input and the voltage at the outputs on the parallel port, I assume I have some communication and that either 1) my breakout board is messed up and not breaking the signals out properly or 2) I don’t have the Mach3 software configured correctly. However, I can’t rule out my Mach3 configuration until I know what I’m supposed to see functioning in the “Diagnostics Alt-7” window.
I’m currently running Mach3 on an old Toshiba laptop with a single parallel port using Windows XP, my breakout board is a C10-Parallel Port Interface Card, the stepper driver is a KL-4030, and my motors are 425oz stepper motors.
Anyone’s insight is greatly appreciated. Do I have my Mach3 configured correctly?
Blu