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Author Topic: New Ethernet SS added, now configurator and 'steps-per' confusion...!  (Read 3675 times)

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1. I added an ESS board to my hobby cnc mill to eradicate some pc/noise issues and I have everything communicating and with stepper control. I made a new Mach3 profile and set about changing some stepper directions and the ESTOP port issue - all done. I'm aware I've unexpectedly missed-out on the process of configuring the ESS for stepper frequency, etc, and despite hours of seemingly going over the same process with the 'configurator', can't get to the page to do this. I've added and removed the jumper for BOOTP many times, powering up and down before/after, but running the configurator doesn't bring up this page (should it??). Ethernet adapter is talking to the ESS, so IP addresses are OK, right?

2. I'm also needing to revise my steps-per (mm) figure in Motor Tuning, and I'm pretty sure I had a figure of 2000 working before the ESS was introduced. HOWEVER, with my setup as follows:

  • Direct stepper connection to leadscrew with 5 TPI, so one rev = 0.2" or 5.08mm
    Standard steppers with 200 steps per rev and x10 microstepping = 2000 pulses per rev
    so dividing 2000 by 5.08 I get a 'steps per mm' of 393.7.
this figure works for axis calibration but how could it have been working with 2000 'steps per' before? (If indeed it was, perhaps I should up-the-medication.......)

Any reassuring words will definitely help!

Cheers, Andy
Oxford, UK
Well, to respond my own question (!) which I also posted and had answered at the Warp9 forum....the configurator has done its job matching the IP address to the Ethernet card; no other missing magic involved.
I should have been looking for the smoothstepper ESS config in Mach3's 'plugins' menu item, and yes, there it is!

I'm not really sure the second 'issue' is worth pondering, if indeed it is an issue. There has to be a logical relationship between steps/pulses and calibrated axis movement and my calcs. bear this out, so I'll move-on and try to forget the previous confusion.

Andy