Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 10:04:31 AM

Author Topic: Odd Stepper behavior  (Read 8143 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Hood

*
  •  25,835 25,835
  • Carnoustie, Scotland
    • View Profile
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2014, 02:53:52 PM »
Never used the UC100 but most reports I have seen are favourable, there are many motion controllers out there  from the very cheap and likely lower quality ones up to the higher end ones.
The advantages of an external controller is that the pulse (if it is a Step/Dir controller) will almost certainly be much nicer than you could ever hope to achieve from a parallel port, this often allows machines to run smoother than they previously did via the PP.
Another advantage is that the external controller does the pulsing so it frees up resources in your computer.
Also you can use a 64Bit OS, when using the PP the OS needs to be 32bit.
The disadvantage of the motion controller can be that it does not support some functions you require, ie the things that Mach normally does in the driver.
Things like Lathe Threading are not supported on all external controllers, THC, Probing etc. Most other "normal" functions of Mach should be fine.


Hood
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2014, 03:21:41 PM »
Hood,

Thanks for the info.

I'm running a G0704 Mill.  Only need XYZ and spindle on/off/speed control.  Anything else will be manual or not used.

I just ordered a UC100 on eBay for $129 shipped.  I'll give that a try on my new-ish home computer which is already 7yrs old......where does the time go?

Regards,

Mike

Offline Fastest1

*
  •  920 920
  • Houston, TX
    • View Profile
Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2014, 09:12:17 PM »
And it will be compatible with Mach 4 ;-)
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2014, 12:17:36 AM »
UC100 came in and seems to have taken care of my stepper noises. Small win for me and onto the next item...

Now I'm pulling my hair out trying to integrate the C6 board to be able to control the spindle thru Mach3. NO LUCK. I've watched Hoss's videos and read many posts and STILL can't get any higher than a couple volts on C6 output. I need 7v to match the stock G0704 speed control.

I only want on/off and speed control. No relays, stock motor and speed control.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever set up a C6 thru the UC100 yet?

Mike
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2014, 12:23:03 AM »
Oh, and what would cause an MDI input of M3 S1000 show only 975 rpm in Mach3?

Mike

Offline Hood

*
  •  25,835 25,835
  • Carnoustie, Scotland
    • View Profile
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2014, 04:09:58 AM »
Cant help with the C6, never used any of that stuff.
Regarding the RPM, depends what you are meaning but if it is that the commanded RPM DRO is only showing a max of 975rpm then it may be your spindle pulleys settings are wrong (from Config menu)


Hood
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #16 on: April 13, 2014, 09:39:35 AM »
If I set Pulley #1 max rpm of 1000, ratio of 1.0 and then enter M3 S1000, the spindle will only display 975 rpm.  

Mike

Offline Hood

*
  •  25,835 25,835
  • Carnoustie, Scotland
    • View Profile
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #17 on: April 13, 2014, 12:42:40 PM »
Are you talking about the RPM DRO or the Spindle Speed DRO?
Hood
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #18 on: April 14, 2014, 08:00:56 AM »
Hood - the RPM DRO is always reading less than the comanded spindle speed.  So when I enter M3 S1000, 1000 shows up in the spindle rpm DRO and only 975 shows up in RPM DRO.  Which now that I think about it, if the motor isn't hooked up and spinning, where is 975rpm coming from?  Shouldn't that read 0?

-mike

Offline Hood

*
  •  25,835 25,835
  • Carnoustie, Scotland
    • View Profile
Re: Odd Stepper behavior
« Reply #19 on: April 14, 2014, 04:55:54 PM »
That may well depend on your controller, maybe the UC100 just decides it should send a signal to Mach to say what the rpm is.
Try turning off Spindle Speed Averaging and see if that makes a difference, its in Ports and Pins, Spindle Setup.
Hood