I am a newbie converting my JHF Vista Chinese CNC router to Mach 3. I purchased my package from lowcostcncretrofits.com. I have having difficulty figuring out what the steps per inch or the steps per revolution of the machine is so that I configure Mach3 correctly. I have the x-axis running smoothly, but at arbitrary setting which I developed by trial and error. The y and z axes are apparently being overdriven as the work in one direction, but not in the other.

Does anyone have a simple step by step procedure to set up the drives when you do not know the native resolution?

 

Is it a servo or stepper kit? If servo do you know the resolution of the encoders?
 What is the pitch of the ballscrew?
Do you have any gearing between motors and ballscrews?


Hood

The machine uses steppers. The x and y axes are rack and pinion drives and the z is a lead screw.  I don't know the resolution of either of the 3 drives, and have not been able to find it in the manual. I was hoping that I could find a procedure for measuring it.

Thanks

There is a way, on the Settings page right above the reset button you will see Set Steps Per Unit button, you can use that to set your steps per unit. It will however only be as accurate as your measurements. The correct way is to work it out mathematically. If its steppers then you will more than likely have 1.8 degree steppers so thats 200 steps per Rev, if the kit has Gecko drives then they have 10 micro steps. so thats 2000 steps per rev all you need to know now is the pitch and amount of teeth of the pinion and you can work out your steps per unit.
Hood

OK, I can see how if I count the teeth on the pinion and measure the length of that many teeth on the rack I can calculate the distance per revolution and assuming that the drives are 200 pulses per revolution then I will know how to set x and y.

I don't know the pitch on the z-axis so it is not as clear. Is there a kind of standard pitch for z-axis drives?

Use the button on the Settings page and it will get you close, there is no standard I am afraid.
Hood