Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 08:23:20 AM

Author Topic: Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis  (Read 3541 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis
« on: July 24, 2015, 12:39:40 PM »
I am getting several inconsistent problems with the Z-Axis on my router:

1. MOST OF THE TIME...... when "referencing all home" Z motor judders/excessive noise and will not home (I have to press RESET in fear of burning the motor out).
2. OCCASIONALLY...... Z will home and zero.
3. Pressing -Z on the flyout MPG moves the spindle BOTH UP & DOWN (seems to randomly go up or down midd travel). +Z does the same. Also, when hitting -Z (up spindle) jog repeatedly, the spindle bounces off home and then goes back down all the way to the table. The DRO does not zero out and I get a wrong reading (kind of adds the up travel to the down travel when it bounces off home....sometimes positive sometimes negative).  I have rewound the screw by hand back to the home switch and zeroed the axis in Mach, but it does not stick for long. i cannot set cutter on the work with any confidence as the reading is wrong everytime.

Anybody got any pointers? All this has just cropped up and no config has been changed. I am using smoothsteppers.

Offline rcaffin

*
  •  1,052 1,052
    • View Profile
Re: Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2015, 06:10:23 AM »
Purely a random guess:
Your Z axis DIR wire has a loose connection somewhere. Been there, seen that before.
Of course, there may be several other loose connections as well.

Cheers
Roger
Re: Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2015, 11:40:08 AM »
Thanks Roger. Searching the Net for similar probs seems to suggest it is either insufficient current or as you say a bad connection. The vibration in the steps can be solved by upping the current on the SS pot....I will try this. If it is a bad connection or break in the wire I will try a meter on it. Thanks again
Re: Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2016, 05:44:44 PM »
The problem I am having is my z axis is staying at .000 and not changing on any movement. Every time you  hit the all home the z moves to the top hits the home switch, you go to move the machine to the - and it has automatically changed for active low to high reverseing the the controls. Is there anyone out there that has any ideas. All my coordinates are off to.

Offline rcaffin

*
  •  1,052 1,052
    • View Profile
Re: Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2016, 05:57:34 PM »
Kevin

I am sure there are people here who could help you, but you will need to be a LOT clearer in explaining what is going wrong. I could not understand what you are describing.

cheers
Roger
Re: Weird problems with Mach3 MPG on Z-Axis
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2016, 05:58:49 PM »
The problem I am having is my z axis is staying at .000 and not changing on any movement. Every time you  hit the all home the z moves to the top hits the home switch, you go to move the machine to the - and it has automatically changed for active low to high reverseing the the controls. Is there anyone out there that has any ideas. All my coordinates are off to.

My first suggestion is to start your own thread, you'll get more hits for your problem as it will be accurately described in the title ;-)
My second suggestion is to provide a decent level of detail on your equipment, it saves guessing

 - Nick