Hey Guys,

Sorry about the length, but best you know what going on in full

I have a 3 Axis Router, with Slave on X (B Axis)
Running a ESS and breakout board
Licenced version of Mach 3
Mostly cutting 3mm thick plastic shapes (only cut, dont cut on the Z (Z-3 to Z15))
Been running fine for about 2 years...... and then......

History
Every now and then, when I first start the machine, and jog around to make sure everything is working.
If, before homing, if I put cordinates into the MDI window, the Salve would run the wrong way
But manual Jog no problem.
So home the system, and everything would be fine

Today
While cutting, the B Axis would stop.
Jog no problem, but sometimes I would have to turn off / on that axis Power Supply
Re Home, and progress with the cut (and recut the error later)
By the end of the day, it would bearly get 10 cuts, and stop
Thinking that there might be dust in the Linear Bearings, I cleaned, oiled and reinstalled.
Problem remained

The problem is progressively getting worse, and the motor makes a growling/grinding noise.
Now, just even going back & forth with the arrows, the motor does not allway rotate the right direction
Thinking it could be the controller, Ive swapped to use the Z axis controller on the Slave, but same problem
I changed out the motor, nope.

However, If in Mach3, I change the motor to Z (for example), back & forth no problem

Change the setting back to it being the Slave - problem.

I am totally confused
Help !

Thanks in advance

Drew

Can you attach your xml please, I will see if I can find a problem.
It does sound a weird one though, so not sure if I will find anything.
Hood

Hey Hood,

Will copy the file when I get home from work

However, sounds like this guy has a very similar issue
Have asked if he ever found a solution....

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,21704.0.html

Attached should be my XML file.

Some of the ports may have changed, as Ive been trying new ports and swapping controllers

Not seeing anything which could be a problem in the xml so far anyway. All looks fine. I am not able to look at the ESS config as I do not have one connected here but I do not think there is anything in the config that could be an issue anyway.

Maybe try making a new profile from scratch to see if that solves the problem.
Or you could try reinstalling Mach over the top of itself to see if that helps.

Hood

Thanks Hood,

Ive been swapping motors, controller & ports & pin but the problem remains on anything set-up as slave.

Looking much more like a software issues, with everything pointing towards the ESS.

There is also a new drive out for the ESS (addressing Slave issues), and will look at doing a reinstall of Mach3 from scratch.

See how I go, and will post the results here in case someone else has a similar issue in future


Drew

Hi All

UPDATE

After stripping down all the electronics on my machine, I finally found the problem

The Gecko's I have has the cable connect terminals
I found out that these are actually "push-on" on pins on the Printed Circuit Board.
(they looked liked they were soldered to the PCB)

Its this push-on connection that burnt-out, causing intermitant connection
My slave was the worst, but all the Geckos connectors are showing signs of burning out.

Marcus of Gecko Drive has been very helpful, and have found a local replacement connector.

However, if it happens again, I will go to a soldered connection to an industrial connector for the motor cables

Now, I just have to finish putting the electronics back together.......


Later

Drew