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Author Topic: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors  (Read 5946 times)

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Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2019, 10:40:23 PM »
Thanks for the pointers and the reference to Peter Homann. He has some pretty stuff on his web page!

My machine is a very basic 6040 and, at the moment, I'm using a crappy (non parallel port) USB Bitsensor board for the'getting it up and running' work and trying to learn the Mach3 operation.
My tiny budget dictates slow progression so the next step is to fit TB6600 drivers to start prototyping some fairly intricate objects for a long term project for a colleague working with confocal microscopes and tissue culture physiology. Pretty fancy cancer research.

When I'm competent with the CNC software and happy with the progress of the design I will justified in upgrading the electronics completely. It would be nice to jump these intermediate steps but I need to be realistic and aware of financial limits. This research is, for the moment, unfunded. This is a freebie for now but funding should be available later this year or early next year.
We shall see...

Cheers again,
Scintilla.
Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2019, 10:54:47 PM »
Hi,
believe me I understand the realities of budget constraints!!!

The stepper drivers can be replaced on an 'as required' basis. You don't need to rush out an buy them all, you could if you blow
one replace it with a more robust one.

The TB6600's are not that bad. The problem is they are sensitive to overvoltage. What happens when you decelerate a motor
it becomes a generator and feeds an elevated voltage back into its driver. That's what kills the TB6600's. If you use modest
acceleration/deceleration rates this problem is minimized. The down side is that for cycle time and toolpath accuracy
you want the highest accelerations you can achieve. There is the trade off.

Leadshine AM882's are 80V and upto to 8.2A capable at about half the price of a Gecko.

Either way you don't really have to spend anything on drivers unless you need to.

You will reap benefits in both performance, realtime supports, and manufacturers back-up by going to an ESS or other
US or European external controller. Save your pennies for that.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2019, 01:19:11 AM »
Yep, that all makes sense.
I'll only need fairly modest deceleration for my motors and I think the 32 microstep settings will be fine enough for the detail required.
Some of the drivers I have used on smaller projects use 256 microsteps and are very smooth, but only good for 1.5A or so.
I will need to be patient...

Thanks again for your helpful advice,

Scintilla.
Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2019, 01:36:19 AM »
Hi,

Quote
I think the 32 microstep settings will be fine enough for the detail required.
Some of the drivers I have used on smaller projects use 256 microsteps and are very smooth, but only good for 1.5A or so.
I will need to be patient...

Regrettably microstepping does not result in increased resolution beyond half step per full step. This is because of the marked
reduction in differential torque at increased microstepping regimes.

What microstepping is good for, and the reason that astronomers developed it in the first place, is smoothness of motion.
Beyond about 8 microsteps per full step you are in to reducing returns. Best overall performance from two phase
steppers occurrs at around 8,10 and 16 microsteps per full step.

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