Hello all, this is my first time on this forum!

I am a long time Mach user with 4 home built machines running version 2 or 3 5 days a week. I use Xylotex drives and have had virtually no issues.

I do have one question. I have one machine, of course it is the one setup for 4 axis machining, that I can't seem to change the spindle direction on. This machine is my first machine, and it is running Mach2. I use steppers for the spindle, and usually just do turning with them, but occasionally, I need to do some 4 axis machining and need to have control of the spindle.

When I command the spindle to rotate clockwise, it does. But when I command it to rotate CCW, it still goes the same way. This is also true when I command a=.2, it moves appropriately, but when I command a=-.2 it just moves .4 revolutions in the same direction.

I don't have the A axis setup on my other machines, but if I use the M3 and M4 commands on them the spindle changes direction. With this machine, it always goes the same direction.

Any Help?


Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.cm

Sounds like your direction signal is not getting through correctly, either that or you dont have it wired correctly or set correctly in ports and pins.
 If you attach the xml for that machine I can have a look and see if there are any obvious errors.
Hood

Hood,

Thanks for your help!

I just got to work this morning, but I will see if I can find that file. I am really not that familiar with the insides of Mach, I just load it, copy in my screen that I built and turn them on.  Our machine work is very simple, but repetitious.

Thanks!

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

Hood,

I think this is the one you are looking for.

Let me know if this is not it. I copied the entire Mach folder to a thumb drive and I have it here in the office with me.

By the way, I do have this machine setup with the A axis as both A and a spindle. I just set the same pinouts for both the A axis and the Spindle. It has worked this way for years, but I have not needed to change the direction until recently. I did go back and take out the spindle pin outs, but it did not fix the issue. I thought the Spindle output was keeping the dir pin on or off all the time and not letting it change direction.

Anyway, I look forward to your response.

Thanks!

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

Its been a long long time since I looked at Mach2 and I forgot how antiquated it was
 I dont see a problem so far with the possible exception that you have the active low for Step on spindle and A axis set to opposites. Not sure how that would cause a problem but may be worth making them the same just to see.
 I will try and navigate my way through the rest of the settings and see if I can find anything else.
Hood

Hood,

Thanks!

I have changed the active low on both the step and direction pins on both the spindle and the A axis output. Most recently, I changed the pins on the spindle to 0,0 and then toggled the A axis both ways to see if I could make the thing turn the right direction, and none of it worked.

I may just blow it out and load mach 3. I have a screen built for what we do most often, but I don't usually use it on this machine. I can load 3 on this machine and then show my guys how to change the screens when they need to us it in the 3 axis mode.

If you see something let me know! If I don't find something by tomorrow, I will go ahead with the Mach 3 switch over.


Thanks!

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

ok had a look through and cant see anything. Have you actually checked to see if the port is putting out the Dir signal? To do that just get a voltmeter and put it on the Dir pin and 0v (Gnd) pin and change between M3 and M4 from the MDI  and see if the voltage changes 0v to 5V, in fact if you just simply change the active state for the Dir pin and move the spindle it should be going the opposite way from previous, does  it?
 Also check to see you actually have  a M3 and M4 macro in the macro folder of your profile?
Hood

Hood,

I have changed many of the settings, and have never made the spindle turn in the opposite direction. It always turns CW when looking at the spindle from the tail stock.

I do have the M3 and M4 macros too. I will have to get out the VM this afternoon when the guys are done and check it out. Everything should be easy to get to.

Thanks

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

Could someone tell me where you go with the step direct pins in Motor Output, Spindle. How does this equate to driving the 0-10v . trying to setup V7 VFD with a C23 board

Regards

Noel