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Author Topic: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions  (Read 1243644 times)

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Offline kvom

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #980 on: April 29, 2016, 12:13:20 PM »
I copied the step/dir pin settings for all 4 axes to the Darwin config.  When I click the jog box for motors 0 and 1 the jogging indicator turns green from red, but motors do not move.  For motor 2 the jogging indicator doesn't change.

I configured the output signals from Mach3 config as pins 1 and 16.

If I exit the Darwin config and enable Mach4 there's an error message in the "history" box saying 'Darwin License Has Failed With -11'.  My license file is in the Licenses dir.  Does it need to be renamed?

Finally, the DarwinHz file is not in the Wizards directory as mentioned in the Darwin instructions file.

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #981 on: April 29, 2016, 12:36:07 PM »
Did you map the motors in Mach4's config to the motor number and the device?

 Dont worry about hz file, Im not even sure what that is..

   Try importing the license, put it on your desktop and tell m4 to import it..

Art

Offline kvom

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #982 on: April 29, 2016, 02:12:05 PM »
Got the license issue cleared.  Seems I needed to go to the Help/About dialog and invoke the 'Load License File" button, which then lets me select the Darwin license file.

I am trying to jog within the Darwin driver dialog, assuming that clicking within the square box would cause the motors to run.  Within M4 I mapped the motor numbers to the axes and enabled the jog keys in the M4 Output Signals page.  Keypresses yield nothing.  

However I have not done any motor tuning and the fields to do so are greyed out.  Thus it seems some important config step is being missed.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2016, 02:16:15 PM by kvom »

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #983 on: April 29, 2016, 05:10:25 PM »
You have to map the motors to the device in the config/mach4 menus

Art

Offline kvom

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #984 on: May 01, 2016, 11:00:52 AM »
I have done everything I can think of in the M4 configure screen to map motors, but the motor control tab remains unconvinced.  I am assuming that if I cannot move the motors with the Darwin driver  configurator/test that M4 won't work either.

As a possible clue, I discovered that if I enable M4 and toggle the eStop I get an error message in the log:



I can easily provide any screen shot needed to solve the motor issue, but right now I'm stymied.

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #985 on: May 01, 2016, 03:03:01 PM »
Hi :

  Its not unusual not to get motion while configuring Darwin,the Estop has to be reset and such before it will allow motion. Out of bounds is
an error Darwin spits out if it sees a motor try to move too fast. What does your mapping page look like? If M4 wont let you tune the motors
then its not seeing any motors turned on.. What does the motor mapping page look like..

Art

Offline kvom

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #986 on: May 01, 2016, 03:31:38 PM »
Is this the page you want?

Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #987 on: May 01, 2016, 05:11:44 PM »
Not sure if this is even remotely close to the right spot to ask this but... being the extreme noob in this area that I am I figured ive gotta start somewhere.

In the near future I'm acquiring a CNC that uses a RichAuto DSP A11 controller... 50 pin connector to a box that that drives the cnc i assume...

From what I can see there isn't any monitor output to a display that I can see whats going on and where the CNC is in the project... (something to be mildly entertained by at the CNC besides watching the shavings fly all over the place..

Long story short I'm trying to find a way to make a visible representation of my project appear on a monitor so that can be accomplished.

I know for the Axiom AR8 there is going to be a controller change at some point for additional features.. i might have to wait for that.. but is there anything I can do within the Mach4 / Mach3 realm that will let me at least *see* whats going on instead of just relying on the controller?

I picked this posting to semi hijack since I suspect the 50 pin connector might be able to loop out to something.. just not sure how bad of an idea that is.. and if its been done before... or what i'll break (Besides my brain, and my bank account ) by even giving that thought any decent length of time to be considered... Yes i realize parallel ports are 25 pins and the DSP A11 is 50 pins...  (still not 100% sure what the connector type actually is)

I've got enough spare computers and monitors around that throwing some computer at it isn't going to be a problem... but will it work / be useful... thats a whole other question.

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #988 on: May 01, 2016, 08:20:46 PM »
Kvom:

 Thats where you mapped the axis to the motors, but can you show me the page where you mapped Darwin motor signals to the motors?
I think its under the motors tab?

Art

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #989 on: May 01, 2016, 08:21:53 PM »
>>. i might have to wait for that.. but is there anything I can do within the Mach4 / Mach3 realm that will let me at least *see* whats going on instead of just relying on the controller?


 Sorry,. no.

Art