Messages

41

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wiring Wild Horse Econo Probe

« on: December 01, 2014, 07:18:54 PM »

Thanks John,  that clears a lot up for me.  So the switch going from closed to open is telling the input pin that the probe has made contact and the pin knows this because there is no more current.  Is that correct?  Now the LED is connected to the one side of the circuit with a resistor to reduce the flow of power to the LED while the main circuit is broken.  This is because with the main circuit is closed the resistor send the power down the main circuit because there is less resistance?  The LED is then ground to the probe case, independent of the main circuit?

So if it is too much power going to the LED I need a pull down resistor and wire a jumper wire with a resistor in series between the input wire and a 5v terminal?  Using the same wire as the to the input pin, with the resistor wire running to power connected and then do I still run the ground wire like before?

How can I tell if there is too much power?

Geez I feel sleazy taking the knowledge that you spent time, money and sweat acquiring!

Thanks
Dan

42

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wiring Wild Horse Econo Probe

« on: December 01, 2014, 03:42:35 PM »

Thanks for the response John,

I have tried those schematics, and that is my problem.  I don't quite understand.  It appears I hook the left channel of the stereo plug to ground and the right to the input terminal, in my case, number 10.  I have tested all the connections and have conductivity between the probe and the plugs and at the wire ends.  I wired it up the way the schematics showed and had power on the left channel (2.5v), which I had plugged into the ground.  That made no sense to me, so I switched the left and right channels and still no joy.  The LED doesn't work and I get no response from Mach3.

I have it connected in inputs to terminal 10, port 1, enabled, low.  It must be that I have to wire in a pull down resistor because that is the only thing I haven't done.  I am confused about why I have the ground wire coming from the plug/probe hanging out the doing nothing.

Did I say that electrical stuff confuses the hell out of me?  I will never understand how breaking a closed circuit will make the LED go on! 

Thanks for the tie to look and help if you can.

Dan

43

General Mach Discussion / Wiring Wild Horse Econo Probe

« on: November 30, 2014, 01:39:24 PM »

I am my wits end.  I am trying to wire the probe up to my BOB (DB-25) but I can’t get it to work.  I know little if anything about electrical stuff, so whether I need a pull up resistor, and pull down resistor, or an in between resistor has me stumped.  I do know that an LED requires a resistor but just don't know if board has one built in.  

I cut the wire about 6” from the probe body and soldered in a female 3.5 stereo plug so I would have a short wire from the probe in case I wanted to turn it manually for aligning or whatever.  The wiring inside the probe is as follows:
 
right side of circuit - blue wire
left side circuit -  green wire
the yellow wire goes underneath the circuit board, so I am assuming it to be grounded to the probe case

It appears to me that I attach the the green wire to ground, the blue wire to pin 10, but am not sure if I connect the yellow wire to anything.  Since it is normally a closed circuit, I am thinking that maybe the yellow is a common and has to go to the 5v terminal, but I would ask and see if anyone can give me some advice.  I don’t want to blow it up.
 
I realize I still have a lot to learn, but am too deep into this hobby to give it up, and too stubborn to admit defeat!
 
Thanks
Dan

44

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor tuning headache

« on: September 22, 2014, 02:04:48 PM »

Okay, got it squared away.

For anyone as stupid as me, make sure you check your power dips.  I had accidently flipped off one switch that effectively increased the power to my motors by 50%.  Once I found and fixed that, the process was simple to get the motor configured in Mach.

That's 1Acnc for the explanations that helped me track down the problem.

45

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor tuning headache

« on: September 21, 2014, 05:28:19 PM »

Yeah, something is screwy.  I run the steps per unit calibration under the settings tab and tell it to move 2 inches, it moves a half, but the DRO tells me it has moved 2 inches.  When I jog the axis one inch, the DRO tell me it is 4".  

It is reading one something as four somethings.  I don't know if somethings - steps, pulses, rev's. or if the fact that my gears are at 1:1 are messing with it.

46

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor tuning headache

« on: September 21, 2014, 10:40:52 AM »

Thanks 1Acnc.  I don't understand the difference, if any between steps and pulses.  My motor's lowest dip switch setting is 400 steps per rev.  It must be the equivalent of 1/2 microstepping at 200 pulses per.  I tried 800 spu in Mach3 and got no discernible difference.   I guess I could leave all the dips to off and get to 200 spu and give that a try at a 1000 in Mach.

47

General Mach Discussion / Motor tuning headache

« on: September 20, 2014, 04:26:53 PM »

I am trying to finish up my X2 cnc conversion and am having trouble getting my motors tuned.  I just finished three hours of futile trial and error.  I didn't want to have to ask for help, but I surrender.

I am using a kit I got off EBay from Longs Motor, with 23HS motors.  I learned after the fact that their documentation is lacking, to say the least.  I have it all set up and running, but when I try and tell Mach where to go, it doesn't want to go where I tell it.  I have tried switching the dip switches on the drivers and the config in motor tuning to no avail.

I went to the setup screen and tried calibrating that way, but the setting Mach3 gives me is over the limits.  I started at 2000 120 4 and up to 3600 steps per, but the movement never changed.  Trying to move just on inch gives me about 5/16ths and 2 inches gives me about 25/32's.

My ball screw is .2 ipr, so I figure that at 400  steps per rev, which is the lowest my motor will go, I am at about 2000 steps per unit, so it must be the acceleration that is wrong.

Can someone point me to where I can find an explanation that will help me fix it?  I searched the forum and got a gazillion hits, but have to research after every post I look at and that is too much for my current state of patience.  I just don't know what I am doing wrong here.

Thanks in advance and sorry for not seeing what is probably very obvious.

Dan