Hi, I'm new here

[novice]

Hi everyone,
I'm a retired electronic engineer with some mechanical background, located in germany.
I stumbled some weeks ago across an ad that showed a tiny little milling machine - steered by a computer.
Oh, how nice, I thought - seems like a perfect toy to play with during dark winter nights.
Ok, it's a Chinese product - who cares.
I learned in the mean time that I better should have "cared". The situation now is pretty disgusting.
Nothing works. I even contacted China with many people trying to help you but have no knowledge about anything, it seems! They give you outdated and cracked software (mach3), send you "links" to download software - but the "link" consist of a jpg-picture with chinese characters!. It simply drives you crazy.
I'm now in the process to buy a "real" mach3 licence and have downloaded the demo-software. But even with the "official" software I have problems I like to describe:
The basic No-Name-Controller seems to work. I can jog the axes with the keyboard of my computer. The interface, that was build in, is of USB-Type (RnRMotionControlECO-V2.0 - is the driver). I tried to set up limit switches which should be connected to the 4 available inputs on the usb-board. Also the mushroom-emergency-switch at the controller-box is connected to an input of the usb-board with no effect. Regardless of what I do in setting the pins at the configuration section (Ports & Pins) - nothing works. At the diagnostic page the interface pins are shown but only 3 red lights are on which seem to represent the enabled 3 axes (so I can influence the lights by setting the enable of the axes on or off.
So this is the current state of my "joyfull" play with the little milling device.
So I hope I can find some experts here to help me further on (....before I throw this device out of the window).
I hope you don't mind my bad english, as I'm not so keen in "Her Majesties Language".
Please Help!
Best Regards
novice

[AndyGuid]

Hi Novice,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm more of a novice than you so cannot help directly, but for the non-novices to help they would probably need extra info, so if possible it would be best to also provide website link(s) of the ad, and the machine name and model number.

Enjoy the joyful times,
Andy

[novice]

Hi Novice,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm more of a novice than you so cannot help directly, but for the non-novices to help they would probably need extra info, so if possible it would be best to also provide website link(s) of the ad, and the machine name and model number.

Enjoy the joyful times,
Andy
Hi Andy,
thanks for the warm welcome!
Yes, I'm already putting together all the technical details and photos. It will take a little time.
You see, even being retired you have the feeling that you have less time than before!!
Cheers
novice

[novice]

Hi everyone,
here are the technical details of my "problem"!
The machine, as shown in the picture - a 3020T engraving/milling device.
25198
I hope the picture shows!?
So as stated before, I'm able to load mach3 and steer the axes with the keyboard.
Even modifications of speed and ramps (for the stepper motors ...) are possible with the software.
But when it comes to the USB-Controller - some important things seem not to work.
Here the picture of the board:
25199

In the manual it says that you have to connect limit switches to the I1 - I4 inputs (as printed on the board - common to all switches is the "DCM"-called input ). In mach3 you then configure these inputs in such way that you define the input in relation to the axis - like I2 for X, I3 for Y and I4 for Z.
Interesting enough - in mach3 these Input pins now have different names. As far as I found out I1 correlates to a pin 10, I2 correlates to pin 11, and so on. You can also configure in this section (Ports & Pins...) if you are using a NO or NC switch.
Theoretically you can view your Input setting at the Diagnostics-page but nothing reflected there.

So my general question:
Has anybody experience with this kind of "Chinese Controller" and give me some guidance to get this machine up and running properly? For those who possibly can - be sure to be includes in my evening prayer!!
Cheers
novice

[m_c]

The problem with lots of these cheap controllers, is they often only work with specific, often cracked, versions of Mach3.

A google for bitsensor and mach brings up a few pages/videos you may want to have a look at.

[novice]

The problem with lots of these cheap controllers, is they often only work with specific, often cracked, versions of Mach3.

A google for bitsensor and mach brings up a few pages/videos you may want to have a look at.

Will try!
Thanks so far!
novice

[paulus.v]

I have no experience with those Chinese controllers but I'm sure you could find on google the info you need. I think your only problem is assigning in mach3 the corresponding port and pin number for the input you need.

If you suspect something wrong with the controller you could check at least that the input signal goes through the optocoupler.

I don't think there is a problem with using a new mach3 licence with an older version of the software, the one recommended for the controller. Even in trial mode mach3 has full functionality except for limiting the g-code to 500 lines.

[novice]

Hi paulus.v
that's a good point checking if the signal goes through the optocoupler.
Regarding the setting - I have tried anything from A to Z with no success.
But help me - when the switch-setting is done in one or the other way - shouldn't it show at the Diagnostic-Page?
I think I saw something similar in one of the videos describing switch assembly (... that's what 99% of the video shows).
In case of connecting the wires to the controller - so far I found tons of it connecting to a parallel port. I suggested, that USB is rather new in this field?
But thanks for the hint! I will try and come back!
Cheers
novice

[paulus.v]

Mach3 was designed to work with the parallel port. There the pins are straightforward, numbered from 1 to 17 and if there is one parallel port it is port 1.
With the USB and ethernet controllers, the inputs and outputs need to be emulated so that mach3 thinks there's one or more parallel ports. Each controller manufacturer can assign what port and pins number they want to their inputs and outputs. For example the CSMIO IP-M controller uses the port 10 in mach3, if I remember well.

edit: So the manufacturer should provide for each input and output the corresponding pin and port to be assigned in mach3.

[novice]

Hi paulus.v,
have checked the couplers - working fine. 24 Volts the input swing, 5 V the output swing. Detected with mach3 a page where the USB-Contoller is checked. Shows, besides other things, the behaviour of the inputs of the USB-Board. There you can see the switches work!?
Now whats preventing mach3 not to read this!?
Maybe I contact the mach3-provider?
A baffled novice

[paulus.v]

Do you have any documentation for the controller?
I have found only a Russian manual and I saw that the input pins they assign in mach3 are on port 3 and the pins 1, 2 from what I saw in pictures. You could try them.
Mach3 has the diagnostic page but I'm not sure if those "leds" will light for any port number...

edit: Maybe someone here with more experience with USB controller with mach3 can help you better.

[novice]

Hi paulus.v,
no, have no manual at all! Had to ask for some written description. What I then got is all about the setup, but nothing specific about the USB-Controller. So in this case - all I can do is guessing!
As this USB-Controller board is not very expensive, I ordered a new one. Maybe I was lucky to get the only defective USB-Controller around! You never can tell.
Anyways - I document everything relevant, and when I finally get it up and running (...hopefully), I will sit down and put it all together for others to set up such a machine easily. Promised!
Thanks so far to all that tried to help! I will come back when the new USB-Controller is delivered!
Cheers
novice

[paulus.v]

I don't think the controller is defective. Maybe you didn't installed the proper plugin in mach3 or your mach3 version is not compatible with the plugin or maybe only the port and pins in mach3 are not set up correctly. Since your axis are moving correctly, I assumed you have the proper plugin installed.
Hopefully you ordered a better USB controller card model than the one you already have. :smile:

[novice]

Hi paulus.v,
well, the software I got from China always came together with the RnR Motion Control software which is the Plug-In DLL for the controller-Box. As far as I complained in China, I now have two versions of cracked mach3 software and two versions of the USB-DLL of different file-size. None of them worked with the setting of the switches nor the Emergency-Mushroom-switch, which is originally wired by the maker. In addition - the third version - I tried the two plug-in-dll's with the original download from Newfangled. All of them ignored the switches. I also start to wonder if the problem is something so stupid / simple that I do not see it!
Let's wait and see!
But thanks for your effort!
Cheers
novice