Hi All,
I have been using my mill via the parallel port for years with no problem but recently fired up a laptop, to use a USB SmoothStepper.
All was fine under PP mode, I could enter the required speed and Mach3 would see the spindle index pulse and regulate the spindle speed according to what it was set to with the S command, speed regulation was very good (PWM mode).

On my laptop, I have the SmoothStepper with no BoB using Port 1 only - i.e., nothing connected to port 2 and no other connections.
SmoothStepper is connected directly to a Xylotex XS-3525/8S-4 stepper driver board. A Homann Designs Digispeed XL remains connected to the Xylotex board's break out screw terminals.
I am using Mach3 version 3.043.062 and SmoothStepper version 2.08.24 with V17fe.m3p file. I was using an earlier version of all but upgraded to those when I struck the problem described below - I still have the problem.

I copied my PP XML file to the laptop and set up smooth stepper with the plugin etc.
X, Y, and Z axes work fine and I can fine tune steps and backlash OK.

I can start the spindle and stop the spindle using M3/M4/M5 commands via a Homann Designs Digispeed XL using PWM and Mach3 displays a speed when the spindle is running.
However if I set the speed with an S command, to say 500rpm, when a M3/M4 command is executed the spindle immediately ramps up to top speed (e.g., 1700rpm) and stays at that speed.
It doesn't matter what speed I enter with the S command, the result is the same.

I can see rpm's in Mach3 but they are not stable.
For instance, irrespective of what speed is entered in Mach3 I get a constant spindle speed of 1700rpm (verified with a second spindle sensor/display) and I see the Mach3 display of 1700rpm intermittently fluctuate upwards by as much as 600rpm momentarily, the second rpm display remains constant at 1700rpm.
I have tried two different spindle sensors with Mach3 with the same result.
I've tried different Ports/Pins, Motor settings, and Spindle settings in Mach3 but nothing I do rectifies the problem.

Here are my current settings:
Motor Outputs Ports / Pins
X. 2 / 3
Y. 4 / 5
Z. 6 / 7
Spindle. 14 / 17
Step/Dir Port 1. Dir - active low, Step - active high

Input Signals Ports / Pins
Probe. 1 / 12
Index. 1 / 15
EStop.2 / 2
All active high
Note: I could not get Estop to work on my original PP settings of port 1 and pin (2?) - (I can't remember what it was set to), so why it works on a port 2 setting when I don't have anything connected to it is a mystery!

Output Ports / Pins
#1. 1 / 1
Active low

Encoder/MPG's
MPG #1. 1 / 10 and 1 / 11  counts 4/vel 100
I have not tried using the MPG device with SmoothStepper yet but it worked fine with those settings on PP.

So, can anyone put me out of my misery and tell me what I am doing wrong?

TIA,
Dave.
 

take a look at the last couple of pages here, it is about spindle set up with the SmoothStepper: http://www.soigeneris.com/Document/Warp9/Installing_and_Configuring_the_SmoothStepper.pdf

take a look at the last couple of pages here, it is about spindle set up with the SmoothStepper: http://www.soigeneris.com/Document/Warp9/Installing_and_Configuring_the_SmoothStepper.pdf

Hi Jeff,
I had already looked at that document, and all the others referenced in this forum for USB SmoothStepper spindle control, but it (and they) was (were) no help.
However I will re-read the last few pages and have another play, but I'm busy with other stuff at the moment so it might be a while before I can do that and report back.
Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Dave.

If you can post a copy of your Mach3 profile I'll have a look.

If you can post a copy of your Mach3 profile I'll have a look.

Jeff,
I'm having trouble posting the file, don't understand why I get this message when I try to attach my SmoothStepper.xml file:
"Sorry! There is already an attachment with the same filename as the one you tried to upload. Please rename the file and try again."

I tried several times and got the same message.

So... 

OK, let's try again with the file re-named.

Jeff,
Did you get around to looking at the file I posted?
Since then I have tried every combination of ports/pins/settings I can think of, with no fix.
I have followed a couple of suggestions/documents that were posted by others with similar problems but they didn't help at all.

I hooked my mill back up to my old desktop PC parallel port (bypassing SS of course) and it all works fine - total, accurate spindle control at whatever speed I enter.
As mentioned before, I can see Mach3 displaying the spindle speed but it is not stable.
I use Windows XP Pro on two PC's, one a desktop and the other a laptop, the problem I am getting is when I use the laptop. I will try running USB SS from the desktop machine to see what results I get from that.

Please have a look at my uploaded file and let me know if you if it's OK or not.

Thanks,
Dave.

Did you ever get the USB SmoothStepper to control spindle speed or did you give up on it too?

Did you ever get the USB SmoothStepper to control spindle speed or did you give up on it too?

Hi Bill,
Not yet, I had to suspend investigations due to my breakout board deciding it didn't want to play ball. I'm waiting for its replacement to arrive before I will be able to get back to it.

Cheers,
Dave.

Did you ever get a response from Jeff about your configuration xml?