Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: Am I loosing Steps, and what should I do

« on: July 08, 2016, 04:44:23 AM »

Yes, Europe has a green or yellow/green wire for ground or earth as you call it. Is your machine connected to a wall socket that has an earth connection or do you just use the 2 power wires Phase and Neutral?

A few pictures of your electronics might help. Is this problem only the Z axis or do the X and Y axis show the same behavior?

What steppers are you sing, what drivers and what power supply set-up?

12

General Mach Discussion / Re: Am I loosing Steps, and what should I do

« on: July 08, 2016, 04:11:07 AM »

Watching your video, it shows at the end that you reach the top of your work surface at -0.73mm. If you were to lose steps, you would reach the work surface before the Z axis reads zero. Normally losing steps on the Z axis results in plunging into the work piece. It appears as if you were gaining steps when Z moves up resulting you reach Z zero above your work surface.

I assume that moving Z up is the Z+ direction?

Gaining steps could be a noise issue as Mogal indicated earlier or a PC problem. Is your machine grounded to the mains power outlet, the wall socket?

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: Losing Zero

« on: January 20, 2016, 08:13:36 AM »

Hello Russ,

Please check your PM's and email.

Thanks!

JB

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 constant pulse width or constant duty cycle?

« on: May 23, 2015, 12:15:56 PM »

Ger21,

I understand that but I was wondering how Mach 3 sends the pulses so that I can compare this and see why the Chinese USB thing runs so rough. Buddy of mine has the same motors and drivers but runs the traditional set-up of Mach 3 and his are running smooth as silk.

If I have time for the drive I will drive up there and see how the pulse train looks like from Mach 3 through the parallel port. Was just wondering if anybody knows how Mach sends pulses to the motor drivers.

Thanks for your reply anyway,

G21

15

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3 constant pulse width or constant duty cycle?

« on: May 23, 2015, 11:11:52 AM »

Hello everybody,

I was wondering if Mach 3 has a constant pulse width for the step output pulses with varying frequency or a constant duty cycle with varying frequency for different speeds? I am having trouble with a (Chinese) USB Mach 3 controller that puts out constant duty cycle with varying frequency that upsets my stepper drivers. I checked the output on the scope and the duty cycle is always around 50%, at low frequencies from 300 Hz all the way up to 15 kHz. Pulse width is not stable also. Steppers don't run smooth and sometimes hesitate or run rough. Positioning is correct though.

Direct to Mach 3 through parallel port and BOB all is OK so I was wondering if this could be the culprit. Anybody has some screendumps from a scope showing the pulse train at different speeds?

Thanks,

G21