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Author Topic: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly  (Read 3333 times)

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Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« on: October 01, 2017, 10:23:05 AM »
I have been using MACH3 with my router that I built a few years ago with great success.  Earlier this year I started on a plasma table and it is now all finished and I am setting it up.  My controller is a Gecko G540 (same as the router), running MACH3 on a Dell desktop machine with Windows XP using the standard parallel port.

The problem I am having is that the motors are not responding to the pins that I have programmed.  With all the correct motor pins chosen, I would expect the right-left arrow keys to operate the X axis, the up and down arrow keys to operate the Y axis, and the page up page down keys to operate the Z axis.  However, the right left arrow keys cause the Z axis to move and the page up page down keys cause Y1 axis to move with the up down arrow keys cause the Y2 (A) axis to move.  If I slave the A axis to Y1, the Y1 and Z axis move together.  Here is what is really strange to me: this only happens in the Plasma profile.  If I load the STDMillRouter profile, I can set everything up exactly the same and the motors respond perfectly.

I have checked all the basic stuff, motor wiring, printer cable, etc.  I must be missing something in the programming but I haven't found it yet. 

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dale     
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2017, 11:29:29 AM »
Hi,
in the first instance just check that you have the motor output setup correctly go to the MDI page <tab> and operate the jog
keys on the fly out jog keyboard. Do the arrow buttons work as you expect?

If they do then the keyboard assignments in your plasma profile are wrong. Config/System Hotkeys is where you set the key assignments.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2017, 01:00:52 PM »
Hi Craig, thanks for the reply.

Okay, so I checked the operation on the flyout and it is exactly the same as on the keyboard, meaning that the problem is there also on the flyout.  So I went through the hot keys setup and there is no change.  I did notice that the DROs are showing correct meaning that when I press the up arrow the Y-axis DRO responds correctly but the motors don't.  Same for the Z and X axis', DROs respond correctly but the motors don't.

Thanks again for the reply, any other ideas?

Dale      
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2017, 01:34:09 PM »
Hi,
then your motor pinouts must have changed.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2017, 01:52:20 PM »
Hi,
remember than active high-active low of the dir signal change the direction.

May I suggest you disconnect all three motors and start again one at a time. Does your BoB have LEDs on the outputs?
Vey handy for setting up if they do. Issue G0 X100 and watch the LEDs, one will be continuously off or on, the dir pin and
the other will be somewhere in between being the step pin.

Once you've got X sorted then move onto Y.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2017, 02:14:21 PM »
Well, I got it working by moving around the motor output wires.  Y2 motor is on the X output, Y1 motor is on the Y1 output, X motor is on the Z output, and Z motor is on the X output.  The motors are now working correctly and the DROs match up and all the jog key are correct.  This has to be something in the MACH3 software Plasma profile because as I mentioned earlier, the Mill profile has no issues with the motors connected correctly.  It is like the Plasma profile changes the motor outputs in the G540 somehow.  Damnifino but I'm going with it.  Need to get this thing fired up today.

Thanks,

Dale
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2017, 02:30:20 PM »
Or so I thought.  Now, the motors won't tune and I cannot reverse them where needed.  WTF!
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2017, 03:01:00 PM »
The BoB (Gecko G540) does not have LEDs.   
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2017, 03:50:47 PM »
As I said before, I have a router that uses the exact same setup, Gecko G540 and steppers and has always used the Mill profile.  So, out of curiosity, I started up the router and loaded a plasma profile then set up the correct ports and pins.  The router uses a different Dell computer than the plasma and also has Windows XP.  EXACT SAME PROBLEM!  How can this be??  I MUST be missing something in the software setup.  I have been through everything at least two dozen times today. 

Any help is appreciated

Dale   
Re: Plasma Profile - Can't Get Motors to Respond Correctly
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2017, 03:51:30 PM »
Hi,
just shifting wires around is not likely to work, it just induces frustration....sound familiar?

Do ONE axis at a time. By the time you've got one absolutely sorted the rest will be easy but if you try to do
all of them at once you'll fail.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'