Ripped into it pretty good. all panels off, checked all fuses, uses a pair of angled pliers to do a light pull test on all wires. Everything was tight and no loose connections. I found a couple of the stand offs that hold the boards loose, and tightened those. Didn't notice any chaffed or burned wires. I did notice all the motor wires pass right next to the big transformers at the bottom of the case (noise?). Another thing i noticed was on one of the drivers (top driver) the "B" phase B- and B+ phase wire were backwards from all the rest of the drivers... I don't know if that was on purpose or a mistake.

I also traced the E stop mushroom buttom wires back, along with the micro switch for the plexiglass door back. They are tied in together at the BOB. They are connected, so i don't know why they wouldn't work.

Hmm...

Further testing...

Mach is completely unaware of any limit switch. It doesn't show at all on the diagnostics page.

The upper plexi glass door estop switch does nothing. The mushroom estop also does nothing.

The X and Y limit switch are odd also.. I have a X+ limit, x- limit and Y+ & Y -.

If I'm jogging Y+, and trigger the Y+ limit it stops. If i trigger any of the other 3 limits while jogging Y+ it wont stop. I thought they were all tied together, and it was to stupid to know the difference but apparently it does, hence why usually it homes one axis at a time on my other machine.

I checked for voltage (ac or DC) at the estop, and found nothing.

Now im officially stuck. haha

finally got the M1++ M1-- LED off by disabling active low on the X+ and X- limit. See picture.

Turned off active low on the Y and the Z and the LEDS for M2 and M3 ++ and -- illuminated..

Something is fishy..

haha

 

There is something weird with that port address, is it definitely the correct address? If it is then maybe try swapping the slot it is in, if you have a spare slot, and start the computer and see if you get a different address.
Hood

Ya that's the address its telling me. I think it's also weird. Later this evening ill do as you suggest and well see what happens! If that doesn't work out I may have to get a new pci card?

Ill swap the card and the address first and check that. Little machine shop got back to me with there current .xml file for the 3501 and 3503. Hopefully between those I can get it going.

So, Swapped the PCI card to the only other open PCI slot, and now im getting E010-E017 and E000-E007. The only address that gets movement is the upper address of E017.

Installed the new .XML file and im getting the spindle to turn on with the command M3/M4 and off with M5.

However, the Y axis will only move in one direction, and any axis when jogged will also turn the spindle?!

It's gotta be a bad PCI address?

I still get no feed back from the limit switches in mach.

I'm going to attempt to test the pin out from the parallel port. See what the heck is going on from there..

Here is the newest .XML file.

So atleast the spindle is moving now (only one direction)...
But lost bi direction in one of my other axis..

Maybe ill move the PCI card back with the new .xml file and try that again.

Little machine shop 3503 Sieg KX3 .XML attached (april 11th 2013).

OK! 

So far so good! Everything works, and my motors are roughly tuned, and are repeating to about a .001".

Spindle works clockwise, and counter clockwise, and i tuned the spindle RPM to where its within a few rpm of actual!

I think what did it, was that i enabled the parallel port under BIOS. Even though its not "onboard" the motherboard, it must control the PCI devices?

It gave me the option of output only, bi-directions, EPP or ECP. I left it at ECP and it works.

My limits and E stop switch now work too, and it also homes itself!! Yay!

Uploaded the newest .XML for the 3503 KX3 incase anyone needs it in the future. Sieg's tech support wouldn't even send me the current .xml file, little machine shop came through as usual and provided an amazing response time, and all the files.

I'll continue to update and tune the machine, and also upload and edit the .xml incase anyone else is in need.

Thank everyone.

DiyE

That is good to know, may help someone else in the future
Hood