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Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« on: October 29, 2007, 08:42:41 AM »
Hi,

I am a model engineer and a CNC newbie and have just aquired a MAXNC 10 open loop mill. It is the earlier version with wave drive. It also has a 4th axis rotary table. The system as purchased was configured and working OK with MAXNX DX DOS software. The 4th axis is driven from a seperate parallel port and this can also control the spindle motor relay. However, I wanted to use it in a Windows XP environment and after much research and rave reviews, decided to try the Mach 3 software.

I have downloaded and installed Mach 3 R2.36. I have watched the setup tutorial, carried out drive test succesfully and read the very useful MAXNC OL configuration document. I have now got the X, Y and Z axis working via the jog function. However, I now have some problems that I just do not understand!!!

The 2nd parallel port in on a PCI card that uses ITE chip set. I have sucessfully installed the drivers and tested the port on a printer OK (LPT2). I have found the adress (0AF0) and used this in the Mach 3 config and enable port #2 but I can not get Mach 3 to do anything on the second port! This is what I have found:

1. X, Y, Z work fine on LPT1.

2. Plugging in the 4th A axis controller into LPT1 allows me to succesfully drive the rotery table using the Z axis jog keys. I assume, therefore, the controller is OK and that the pin assignent for A axis is the same as Z axis but obviously on the other port.

3. Plugging the X, Y, Z axis controller in LPT2 produces no response when changing the motor drive config (Motor Outputs table) to port 2 in Mach 3.

4. What is really strange is that changing the port number in the in the Motor Outputs table has no effect! It always appears to map to LPT1 irespective of the number you enter for 'Step Port' and 'Dir Port'.

5. I can not get the 4th axis (4+ and 4-) button on the Jog screen to control anythig. Do they map to the A axis in the Motor Outputs setup table? Setting up the A axis to control a known working axis (same pin assignments) has no effect. Do you have to tell the programme what the 4th axis is?

Sorry for all the qestions but I am now confused. Mach 3 looks excellent and I am looking forward to getting it all working. Am I doing something silly? Any help help would be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

DrBios.

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2007, 04:34:10 PM »
Make sure you are putting a zeros rather than O's your port address.
When you are changing from port 1 to 2 in the motor page are you clicking apply?
Hood
Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2007, 04:44:55 PM »
Hi Hood,

I am using zeros and I click apply after making any changes.

You can put 0, 1 or 2 in the port fields on the motor page but LPT1 is always controlled!?!

DrB.
Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2007, 04:47:16 PM »
A question. Do the port numbers only work when the programme is correctly configured with more than 1 port? Or should selecting the wrong port stop all control to that port in any case?

DrB.

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2007, 05:36:31 PM »
selecting the wrong port should stop that pin working, eg if you have the Direction for X on pin 3 and you have the port set as 0 or 2 then it shouldnt work if the motor is connected to port 1.
Hood
Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2007, 05:52:01 PM »
That is what I would have expected but it is not working like that! Do you think it is part of the the preset MAXNC wave drive option that is overriding these settings?

Interestingly, I have just noticed that if you look at the 'Ports Setup and Axis Selection' screen, it implies <port set option boxes> OR <MAX NC selection boxes>. The word 'OR' is in the middle of the screen between the boxes. This would imply you can have one or the other?

If this is the case, can the Wave Drive settings be recreated with other parameters so I can use 2 ports? Or is there another way around it?

DrB.

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2007, 06:04:44 PM »
Afraid I know nothing about those options as I have never had MaxNC.
Might be worth reposting with MaxNC in the title as I know a few guys here have used it.
Hood
Re: Mach 3 - motor outputs port setup ignored
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2007, 06:16:53 PM »
Thanks Hood. I have done that.

DrB.