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Only X-axis motor is working
« on: March 18, 2018, 05:35:45 PM »
(sorry for double posting. I posted this in FAQ before realizing this was a general area)

Hello all.
Noob here.
I'm using the popular Chinese interface board and building up a system. I have the Toshiba drivers and all that. (If anyone needs the actual hardware items specified then it's no problem to get them for you)

It's taken a few weeks to iron things out to this point. First I had a faulty power supply. It was supposed to be a 12V supply but only putting out 2.6v. Now I'm using a 24v 20A power supply It's overkill but I already had it so that's where I'm at.
I'm using NEMA23 motors that are 8 wire but have isolated the 4 wire configuration.
My PC is Windows 7 32-bit fresh install.
Mach3 software is a fresh install, but a demo version (don't know if demo acts different than official version)
Parallel cable is new.
5v power to interface board is supplied via USB cable that I isolated the positive and ground (just occurred to me that I didn't test the voltage on the USB power wire)

Through trial and error I found out that I had the wiring set up as common cathode and changed everything to common anode (+)

Last night I was not getting any results, per usual, and then after adding the common anode the X axis worked. Y, Z, and A were still holding, no matter what test I ran.

This morning I thought I'd start swapping things around to rule out different things being problems. I disconnected the steppers and then tested them one at a time and verified that all the steppers were good.
I disconnected all the driver blocks and tested them one at a time. They all work with the X-axis test but none work with any other axis test.
I replaced ALL the wires from the interface board to the driver blocks.

I had a second interface board so I disconnected the old one and installed the new one and get the exact same results.

X-axis will work as configured but no other axis will.

I checked the address of the parallel port and it matches Mach3.

My motor outputs are
X - 3/2
Y - 5/3
Z - 7/6
A - 9/8

I have tried switching to 2/3, 4/5, etc and it won't work, even the X axis won't work at that point.

I can provide screen shots as needed.

Any help appreciated.
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2018, 06:10:00 PM »
This is what I have for Printer port settings



Mach screen for parallel port



Pinouts

Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2018, 07:47:26 PM »
Hi,
do you have a manual for the board? How about some pics.

If the board is all in one, quite common amongst entry level Chinese boards it may be that one or more of the drivers
is faulty and need repair or replacement.

Were you replacing faulty components consider buying separate drives and controller, then if one fails you don't have to
throw out the rest.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2018, 07:59:14 PM »
Here's the manual for the board.

https://warp9td.com/images/BOB_Vendors/StepperOnline/ST-V2.pdf

The drivers are single.
I've switches all the components around to diagnose everything and all checks out OK. With different drivers and a different controller, I get the exact same results.

I'm with you on the cheap Chinese components so I bought double everything. I have 2 controllers and 8 drivers to work with as well as about 20 stepper motors.
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2018, 08:46:32 PM »
Here are actual pictures of what I currently have set up.





This picture is of the A axis driver setup. The other three are set up the same.

The wires are kind of a rats nest as I tried to narrow down anything I had hooked up wrong and the breakout board is set there temporarily

« Last Edit: March 18, 2018, 08:48:41 PM by Inferno »
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2018, 09:15:56 PM »
Could the problem be that the computer uses a ECP Parallel port driver?

If so, how do I fix that?
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2018, 10:29:33 PM »
Hi,
 I think it possible that you require two power supplies, one you've already hooked up but try hooking up the
other one, that is the USB cable back to the PC, it provides power also.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2018, 10:55:37 PM »
Hi,
 I think it possible that you require two power supplies, one you've already hooked up but try hooking up the
other one, that is the USB cable back to the PC, it provides power also.

Craig
The +5 and gnd in the upper left of the above photo is a 5v power from the USB on the puter. I still need to check to make sure it's outputting 5v.
The other USB on the board, from what I've read, is optional. You can either provide +5 from the computer where I have OR you can plug in a USB cable or both (but I read that on the internet so it HAS to be true, right ;)

I did it that way because, despite the fact that I know I have FIVE usb flat to usb flat, I can't find them.
I can pick up another USB cable tomorrow and give it a try, however.
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2018, 11:10:35 PM »
Hi,
Hi I think that 5V supply you have provided if for the output side of the opto isolators. The USB I would expect
to be on the input side.  I would be tempted to try the USB cable trick.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Only X-axis motor is working
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2018, 11:40:57 PM »
Thanks. Will give it a shot.

One of the tutorials I watched on youtube showed that there needed to be both because of a bad bridge on the board. He was showing where to run a jumper.

I will pick up a USB cable and give it a shot.

Thanks