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Messages - Highspeed1964

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71
I'm using BOB-CAD/CAM.  I have the 3 Axis Standard, 3 Axis Pro and 4 Axis Standard (indexed milling, no continuous rotation) modules enabled.  Usually this package is around $5000 but I was able to "sweet-talk" the salesman with a statement that this is strictly for hobby use and got quite a deal.  $695 for the modules listed.  I also got Preditor Standard (a g-code editor, but standard is very much like Windows Notepad - Pro adds a lot more functionality) added in for free.  Now I'm not sure how well they would receive being inundated with similar requests, but I love this software!  If I were to go into business as a mill shop I'd definitely invest in the full price for any features I'd need, including the 4 axis Pro.

The approval for this price had to go to the owner for acceptance so your mileage may vary if you decide to try this for yourself.

Stephen "Highspeed" Kruse

72
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing
« on: August 09, 2016, 03:34:20 PM »
Yep, sounds like the switch is acting flakey.  Can you swap the upper and lower limit switches to see if that works better?  If not, try doing a "Home Negative" and check if that operates properly.  (CAUTION: Homing to a negative Z requires careful monitoring and quick response on the RESET button if things go awry!)

73
Awesome!  I knew we'd get you going.  Good find on the jumpers.  I'll make a note of that one for future reference.  I know the feeling of that first triumphant movement on the motors.  Great job getting your CNC conversion on that G0704.

Definitely glad to help and hope, too, that you will someday be able to pay it forward.  Have a great time "making chips" my friend.  Good luck, Tyson.

Stephen "Highspeed" Kruse

74
Continuity between ground and common would be a common anode connection.  Try moving that connection on the BOB that has one red wire on the GND connection over to the 5V connection.  That will get one of your drivers moving a motor I'm sure.  If it does, then you need to move the other (2 red wires) connection from the other GND connection to a 5V pin as well.

The little bit of voltage you see on the pul- pin is the averaging of the voltage a multimeter will show when pulses are present so Mach3 and the BOB are working.  But bear in mind, those are positive pulses.  Positive pulses going into the negative input will give no response if the other end is connected to ground as the input diode on the opto-coupler will be reversed biased.  Putting the 5V on the positive input will forward bias the input stage whenever the pulse on the negative pin goes LOW so you need to make sure to set Active Low for both signals on all three axis outputs.  This will ensure smoothest operation of the motors.

I have the exact same stepper drivers and that's how I have mine working.  (5V on the + pins and the inputs on the - pins with active low signals.)

Stephen "Highspeed" Kruse

75
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing
« on: August 08, 2016, 10:00:24 PM »
Ah, thanks Gerry!  I was at a loss at this point.  Debounce could very well do it.


76
I think I see the problem.  Thanks for the pics.

It appears you have everything wired correctly on the stepper driver end.  You even correctly have the PUL+ and DIR+ tied together.  However....  in that configuration, the common lead should be tied to +5V, not GND.  This is assuming you have a common anode configuration on your BOB which seems to be the more common configuration.  If you have a common cathode setup on your BOB then the two pins that are tied together on the driver need to be put on the PUL- and DIR- and the other two leads would move to the PUL+ and DIR+ pins.

The easiest way to test this is to move the GND connection on the BOB for one axis to the 5V pin.  If that axis then moves, you'll know you've got it right.  Just do the same for the other axes and you're good to go.  If not, put it back where it was and reverse the connections as described in the first paragraph.

Hope that helps,

Stephen "Highspeed" Kruse

77
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing
« on: August 08, 2016, 05:26:18 PM »
Sorry to take so long to respond to your last question, but I've been pouring over the settings to see if I could find a quick answer for you.  Not finding anything that stands out.  But a couple of questions for you:

1.  Is your Z Axis set to home in a positive direction (i.e. Zero at the top of the movement)?
2.  Does your Z Axis move UP for positive values and DOWN for negative?

It's possible the logic in your configurations is reversed at one setting or another.  So when it homes, it could be possible that it's moving to the limit and then trying to move further in the same direction to "back off" the home/limit switch.  You'd probably know this, however, as you'd be hearing it try to continue as it crashes into the mechanical limit of the machine.  But it's something to check.  Make sure the Z Axis moves up for positive and down for negative and then check that "Home Negative" is UNCHECKED so that it knows it is the positive limit it is looking for.  Then when it tries to home the axis, it should seek the upper limit switch and then back off until the switch is no longer active.

This, of course, assumes you are using shared home/limit switches.  The same should be true if you have a dedicated home switch as well but I do not know for sure.

Stephen "Highspeed" Kruse

78
Can you post some pictures of the wiring between the BOB and the stepper drivers?  My guess is the trouble lies somewhere between those two components, especially since you said the motors do lock when the system is fired up.

Stephen "Highspeed' Kruse

79
General Mach Discussion / Re: Diagnostics
« on: August 06, 2016, 03:28:54 PM »
Good points Dave.  Looks like you posted while I was typing my reply.  Yes, basic troubleshooting steps are necessary here.  As I replied above, it looks like it may be a simple need of running through the configuration.  No output lights in the Diagnostic screen tell me Mach doesn't know what pins are for which signals.

Highspeed

80
General Mach Discussion / Re: Diagnostics
« on: August 06, 2016, 03:26:24 PM »
Have you configured Ports and Pins to set what pins control step/direction for the axis motors?  Often times, these troubles (lack of movement, no input signal, etc.) are due to incorrect configuration.  I'd suggest going through the machine setup section in the manual and make sure you thoroughly understand it.  There could of course be other reasons (such as stepper drivers not powered or connected incorrectly) but configuration is the first place to look.  This is especially true if you're not getting any lights in the diagnostic screen.

Essentially, you need to tell Mach3 which port and pin each and every signal is going out on or coming in from.  Without this configuration Mach3 is "dumb" and doesn't know how to control anything.  It's not just plug and play.

I do not know your level of experience with Mach3 so forgive me for being so basic, but my years of troubleshooting electronic/electromechnical systems has taught me to always start with the basics.  Philosophies aside (which came first, the chicken or the egg) let's take it one step at a time and we'll get you running.  Again, no lights on the diagnostic screen for outputs indicates a configuration issue and no further troubleshooting of the electronics is necessary until we get something showing on some output pins.

Stephen "Highspeed" Kruse

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