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Offline Monty

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Mach3 problems
« on: April 09, 2007, 08:17:45 PM »
Trying to help my dad set up his mini mill. Went through a terrible motherboard compatibility problem. Stripped everything out of the computer, shut down most of windows. tried a new video card. No Dice. Finally decided the MB was just not compatible with mach. (it had onboard video and no real way to disable the memory sharing)

new MB and the driver works and mach3 is stable.

The setup has a PMDX 131 with Gecko G201's. Right now I'm just trying to get the X axis to talk to a motor. I have a 4 wire stepper hooked up to the gecko on axis 1. The gecko is powered up.

The external E-stop works so there is some communication. But the $%)#@#$# thing will not talk to the motor despite my best efforts, so I am apealing to higher powers here. Anybody see anything wrong??

I have tried changing the axis between active low/high so that isn't it.

The axis has power at the correct voltage.

The wires to the stepper are:

Phase A-red
Phase B-blue
Phase C-black
Phase D-green

My bios choices of parallel port mode are:
SPP
EPP
ECP
EPP+ECP (currently set to this one)

Whatever is wrong is probably plain as daylight, but I am currently blind.

anybody out there with eyes that work?

Monty


« Last Edit: April 09, 2007, 09:10:37 PM by Monty »

Hood

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Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2007, 02:44:23 AM »
Checked the parallel cable has continuity from pin to pin? some have crossover pins.
Hood
Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2007, 09:22:40 AM »
Could you please look on the diagnostics page and tell me what you have in the "time in int" DRO?

Thanks
Brian
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com

Offline Monty

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Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2007, 04:45:11 PM »
I know I checked the serial cable before, but did it again anyway with the pin out as a guide. Everything checks out OK there.

Attached the diagnostic screen shot. Time in Int jumps around between 4-5.

Thanks guys

Monty

« Last Edit: April 10, 2007, 04:47:59 PM by Monty »
Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2007, 09:59:26 PM »
Monty,
in your reply you said you checked the SERIAL CABLE are you using the serial port or the parallel?

Offline Monty

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Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2007, 10:40:19 PM »
sorry to confuse the situation. I am using the printer cable that comes out of the printer port and plugs into bob's board.

Monty
Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2007, 11:25:54 AM »
Can you see the LED's change on the breakout board? Do you have the charge pump setup? And could you please post your XML?

Thanks
Brian
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com

Offline Monty

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Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2007, 12:26:34 PM »
I convinced myself there was no problem with the way Mach was set up and the computer was running fine, so I started checking and triple checking everything. Turns out the Estop switch was wired through the normally open contact instead of the normally closed ::).

The wonderful thing about Mach is that it is infinitely configurable, the terrible thing about Mach is that it is infinitely configurable. I had Mach set up to recognize the NO Estop, but the PMDX only works with a NC Estop. So the board was off when Mach was working and vice versa. I had a mental block because the Estop was "working" so it must not be the problem.

Thanks for the input guys. You got me looking in the right direction.

Monty

Offline GPDC

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Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2007, 12:41:11 PM »
Monty,
   I have no info as to fixes for your problems....I'm too new (as you might see in my post right after yours!),,,but I gotta ask...HOW are you getting those beautiful screen shots (and saving them as jpegs, it looks like), and then attaching them to your posts?.....how the heck is that done?.....Thanks, gpdc

Hood

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Re: Mach3 problems
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2007, 01:06:59 PM »
gpdc
 have a look at the welcome tutor that Brett has done, it explains how to do just what you are asking.
Hood