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Author Topic: Why won't the pins go low?  (Read 8496 times)

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Offline Chip

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Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2007, 07:43:10 PM »
Hi, Tamathumper

I tryed the parallel port program your using.

It is consistently interfering with Mach hear, Shut it down.

The red led's in mach only show the state on or off.

Thy have no relationship whether the output is low or high, In Ports & Pins, Active High or Low is set for pin's.

Thanks, Chip
Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2007, 09:28:19 PM »
One of the fellas on CNCZone remote controlled my PC this afternoon, and he found that the Mach3 driver was not loading - I believe it was being interfered with (during install) by a bi-directional software (printer, Canon MP390) that I had since uninstalled.

Once we ran DriverTest it reinstalled the driver, I rebooted, and MAGIC HAPPENED! :D

Then my Z axis broke. :(

Ah well, that'll teach me to build an MDF router !

Offline jimpinder

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Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2007, 08:16:13 AM »
Well - at least you saw something move - perhaps not how you intended, but it's a start.
Not me driving the engine - I'm better looking.
Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2007, 07:53:03 AM »
Yes, followed by an immediate stop. :D
Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2007, 08:36:31 AM »
I also had some issues and still have.

I am using a breakout board from cnc4pc "c11."

There is a lack of background info about this board, when then machine was all up and running all the output pins were lit up so my machine didn't work.

I disabled all the pins in Mach yet there they were still all lit up.

Playing around with the printer address in windows i managed to get all the pin leds to go out.

I then set one axis and it worked.

I have had the problem come back so it doesn't work again.

I am waiting on a new pc which i will be running Mach on so i am hoping it is the PC printer port.

The current Pc is the usual full of junk type machine the new one will be Mach only.

HTH
Phil_H
The Good Thing About Mach3, Is It's very Configurable

The Bad Thing About Mach3, Is It's Too Configurable

Offline jimpinder

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Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2007, 09:38:08 AM »
The standard printer port address for an IBM PC - which is what PCs are supposed to be - is LPT1 - &H378.  LPT2 if you are lucky enough to have that fitted is address &H278.

The output lines 2 to 9  which Art uses for stepper motor board drivers is address &H378, the 5 input lines - pins (note the order)15,13,12,10,9 are bits  3 to 7 of address &H379, and the 2nd 4 outputs, pins 0,14,16,17 are the first four bits of address &H37A.

If you disconnect your breakout board from the lathe/mill, you should be able to set the correct address, and then test the output at each pin with a voltmeter. You can use Mach3 to address each line individually (on the ports and pins page). Go to the output page and select M3 and allocate it to a pin, starting at 0 and working up the output pin numbers, using M3 and M5 command to turn the pin on and off. See if you have a voltage change on the particular pin.

If you detect the change then you board is OK. Don't forget - most driver cards etc use 0volts as the 'on' command - i.e. that is active low in Mach3.

As an alternative you could peek or poke data to the addresses to test them - but using Mach3 is better.

As far as you machine is concerned, ny computer that I am using now is also full of junk, but I have a copy of Mach3 on it. I had to make sure the driver was functioning - see the tutorial video, and it works OK. I do all my planning and programming on this one, then transfer the GCode on a stick memory to my workshop computer - a Toshiba lap top. All you need do is make sure that as much of the background junk is turned off as possible and it should be able to run Mach3.
Not me driving the engine - I'm better looking.
Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #16 on: October 03, 2007, 10:55:40 AM »
Hi Jim i hope that you are addressing Tamathumpers problem as i am unsure whether i have a Mach problem or a PC problem, until i am sure i will keep quiet about it.

I don't want to hijack the thread. i have started one about printer setting in the bios.

Regards
Phil_H
The Good Thing About Mach3, Is It's very Configurable

The Bad Thing About Mach3, Is It's Too Configurable
Re: Why won't the pins go low?
« Reply #17 on: October 03, 2007, 08:12:40 PM »
Hijack away Phil, I'm good to go!

I did a whole bunch of tuning tonight, getting my acceleration and velocity settings as fast as possible without binding or missing steps.  I got the Z axis to 60-65 and the X and Y axes to 65-70.

I think I did the math right on the steps per unit, and I did it three times just to be certain, but oddly enough the DRO seems to denote 10 units for only 5 inches of travel...  Odd.  ;D