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Author Topic: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.  (Read 13056 times)

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newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« on: September 14, 2014, 12:04:41 PM »
just got my first CNC last week.
got it all hook up with the computer run win 7 32 bits, newest mach 3.
i am trying to setup homing and limits for the new machine.
i am a bit confuse.
the unit i bought is 6040z
i should have workable space of
580×400×75mm
but when i put XYZ axis to the one end and use keyboard move it to other end the mach 3 show me only move 199. Y i got 285 and Z i got 35.
so when i set the homing/limits.
i set it as
X 199 0
Y 285 0
Z  0 -35
is that right or should i go with what the manual said?




Offline 1Acnc

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Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2014, 01:03:50 PM »
Not sure I understand your question but I do not think your CNC/Mach3 is calibrated for the correct number of steps too turns. So if you tell the machine to step 100mm it should. Until that is right no sense setting up soft limits. You should be able to set up Homing if the switches are working.
Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2014, 01:29:06 PM »
it move actually fast when i manually move it(keyboard) i even set the slow jog rate at 50%.
so i think i need to look through the mach 3 manual to calibrate the steps.
the unit itself did comes with a manual for setting up the axis movement profiles, i did follow that setup the movement profiles. so that might be my issue.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2014, 01:34:09 PM by questionnaire »

Offline 1Acnc

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Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2014, 01:43:04 PM »
In Mah3 use the config pull down menu then go to motor tuning and set up. You can set the number of steps and the max speed the motor will run.
Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2014, 08:02:24 PM »
how do i know what numbers to set for the numbers for
the manual comes with the CNC said 640 2500 200 5 1.
i want to know how they come up with those number.
Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2014, 08:26:44 PM »
also my table workable space is 400X560X75.
but if i set that as my table size, when i jog, on the X axis show 200. i am already at the end of the table. same for the Y and Z.
the software think my table only 200X280X35. how do i correct that?

Offline 1Acnc

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Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2014, 08:45:38 PM »
how do i know what numbers to set for the numbers for
the manual comes with the CNC said 640 2500 200 5 1.
i want to know how they come up with those number.
I have no idea what those number mean.

Here a post you may want to read,   http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,27624.0.html  On how to set up the correct steps to mm
Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2014, 09:10:57 PM »
how do i know what numbers to set for the numbers for
the manual comes with the CNC said 640 2500 200 5 1.
i want to know how they come up with those number.
I have no idea what those number mean.
Here a post you may want to read,   http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,27624.0.html  On how to set up the correct steps to mm

thanks for the link.
i found the answer from the video. they cover the steps setup under troubleshooting. never thought of looking there, when i am troubleshooting. lol
you got to love the chinese manual, they made one manual for both 3040 and 6040. everything is the same beside the title change from 3040 to 6040. i think that's why the steps to mm are all wrong. after the video now i think i got the correct setting now and i got the correct table size in the software now.

Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2014, 09:42:09 PM »
This seems like a good place. Newbie section... :)
I got a 6040 wood router/engraver (chinese) i am trying to setup the mach3 and seem to be having issues with the parallel port. The software appears to work, except for the part of actually movinig the machine. Oh and the ERROR when i try to run the drivertest.exe.
i can hear the stepper motors tighten from power when i startup the PC but thats it. i have tried several things and am open to any possibility (although the sure fix is welcome also).. 
Windows vista (64) i know this could be the issue, i tried a fix from mach3 page and it didnt do anything for this problem. I also have my hard drive partitioned with half of it formatted to 32 bit hoping this helps. (installed the mach3 on this partition)

Offline 1Acnc

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Re: newbie with mach 3 need some help setting up.
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2014, 01:06:56 PM »
Not sure I can help, I think the first step would be to get the motors to move. I would start with just one motor. It, or the driver board , needs 3 things from the computer. A enable signal, a direction signal, and an a number of steps to move signal.  I would go into Mach 3 and set signal to a motor to do this. You should be able to check the first 2 with a meter. the 3rd will be harder as it is a string of fast steps.
I would not worry about drivertest until you get the motors moving. Hope this give you a starting point.