I just noticed you have outputsm1&2 assigned to the same port &pin. I don't think that will ever work as the two logical outputs will be fighting over the state of the physical output. What you should do is disable output 2, then go to the spindle tab and tell Mach to use output 1 for both CW and CCW spindle on. You also have to tell the ESS configuration screen what sort of spindle control you have.

Jeff, great feedback,

ok understood, so here's my question should output 1 be selected as pin 16, which as you can see in my diagram at start of post is pwm signal or 17 which is direction.?

When you say the ess screen you mean the config drop down screen?

J

Output 1 has nothing to do with PWM. Typically a motor speed control has a 'start' input (digital)  and a 'speed' input (analog). Some speed controls may also accept PWM directly but for the most part you will have a PWM->analog converter. Your Output 1 pin would go to the 'Start' input and the PWM 'step' pin goes to the PWM input of your converter (or speed control if it accepts PWM directly.) The 'direction' pin on the PWM setting is not used but the ESS will whine if you don't set it to something. You can use something bogus like Port 5 Pin 1.

The ESS configuration is in the Plug-in Control menu in Mach 3.

I was hoping i was going to have a better night tonight on this after your advice Jeff, but alas its still not doing what i want it to..

So this is what i've done:

> updated ESS plugin to latest
> In motor outputs used spindle pin = 16, dir = 1, step port=2, dir port = 5
> Removed output signals output2, and changed Output 1 to (this is where im still guessing)..

Jeff - I'm missing something about your explanation above about this output, on my sketch in my first post, I only have the following output pins connected to my stepper board:

Port1
pins 2 to 9 = xyza motors
pins 11/12/13 = Inputs for homing xyz
pin 14 out - goes to a relay that if i make active signals all homing switches on the diagnostic page so im guessing this has nothing to do with spindle..

Port2
pin 16 out = pwm (and goes to C41 control board
pin 17 out = dir (also goes to c41 board)

So if i dont use the pwm pin (16) in the output signals page and dir isnt needed I dont seem to have any other outputs from my stepper board to use here???

Am i missing something?

What is strange is that the ONLY way i can make my spindle rotate is if i change my port to pin 16 (against spindle motor putputs) to 1 instead of 2, but this is where it goes straight up to max!
Now how can that be if pinout 16 on port isnt even used???

I had talked my self (at work today while stewing over this) that I could run this way short term and turn the pot down on the vcd (sunvar300a) but when i did this no reduction in rpm?

J

I am starting to question the wiring on this setup as the C41 PWM control board doesnt seem to be wired as per examples I have seen on the web (i.e no use of the boards on boards relays to control direction etc).  So i have emailed the gents at cnc4pc and requested some feedback on what i have in place.

What is freaking me out is that I have seen a video of the suppliers (the company in china) actually control the rpm via mach, the used m03s1200 and had a corresponding 200hz on the vfd, then an mo3s2400 which took it upto 400hz.....
So unless they then moved some wires around why wouldnt it be right now???
Totally throwing me at the moment.....

Jeff - Ok well on inspection late last night I can't see how it ever tested right. The fwd from the vfd is looped straight to yhe common, this must be why it Ramps straight up as soon as it gets signal.  Later I plan to draw up what I have and post up to ensure you agree that it can't be right...
J

Well after all that I now have a working spindle...its not 100%, as i suspect the spindle motor needs tuning (over the rev range the vfd hz dont always calc to the theoretical rpm) and I haven't figured out reverse but its working in m03 spot on now..

I had to re-wire the spindle to the C41 board and change my settings in mach to suit the attached cnc4pc data card.. (God knows why the supplier did what they did!), I don’t really understand my new mach settings, which has been my problem all along (disabling the spindle relays) but hey it WORKS!

PLUS had some very handy data sent across from MVOROS, who thankfully took time out to send me some data to help me sort my head out....praise to you my friend!

For anyone else reading this with similar problems now or 2 years from now, see my attached wiring diagram and mach settings (from cnc4pc) and my .xml...(my machine is a 6090 router with sunfar c300a / ess smooth stepper / c25 board / c41 pwm board....)

Jeff - Thanks for your guidance too, you helped steer me towards something not being right with machine..

J

I have talked to a lot of people who have purchased a 'cheap' machine from China (typically via EBay) and have yet to come across one that actually worked correctly. I know that China is full of smart folks who can make top notch products but what everyone wants is 'cheap' and 'cheap' is what we get.

Don't get too hung up on getting an exact RPM as it is not usually that important. With a 20,000RPM spindle if your within a few hundred RPM your fine. You may want to double check the motor specifications and see if they programmed the VFD correctly for that motor. Some VFDs will have an 'auto tuning' that will set the PID, etc. don't run it until after you program in the motor specifics though.

Did you ever get your spindle working via Mach 3?

Did you ever get your spindle working via Mach 3?

Hey bud, wow 2yrs ago was last post....

Yes I've been happily using it since this thread finished......
Very happy with my Chinese purchase..


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