Problems continue and don't know what to do

[Crazy L]

Thanks Leadhead, I still may take you up on that offer, just trying to exhaust all my variables and knowledge, not to mention my patience before I do so, hahaha.

Rob, I notice your printer port is labelled as an ECP printer port, mine simply says printer port. Is there a reason for this?

Also, now might be a good time to volunteer the information that the tower I'm using has the dreaded vista. Now, when I went to newfangled solutions or whatever they're called website, there was a vista specific version, so I downloaded that and that is what Is installed.

I am currently also trying to find out how to partition the drive to install XP as so far, the pin settings have unfortunately not worked. Windows version and the printer port name are the only other things I can think of that are different, so I wish to eliminate them.

When I clicked on the "automatic setting" button in the "ports n pins" menu, I selected estop and hit said button, it registered on mach, so communication is there, but that's pretty much the only one I succeeded with.

[Crazy L]

Well, I managed to partition the drive, but ******* vista wont let me install XP on the partition as it's:"an older version than what is on the computer". I changed the bios to boot from the cd, but to no avail.

Leadhead, I may be asking for help.

What I'll do though at the weekend also, depending on what you guys tell me here between now and the weekend, is do a continuity test on the cable, just to rule that out.

I bet there's one thing I'm missing somewhere, just one, and it's stopping the whole thing from working. that would be my luck.

[cropwell]

Hi

I presume you are in 32bit mode, it may have been mentioned before. If you are using an onboard LPT socket then you will need to go into onto the BIOS to set the mode to EPP/ECP. If you are using a PCI card then you must have a 5v one, the 3.3v ones will not work reliably, if at all.
There is no mode setting needed on a PCI ports card.

Rob-T

[Kitwn]

L,
You have my sympathy, it is usually just one minor thing that causes all your problems. Finding it is the nightmare!

One option is to install a new hard drive in the computer and put XP onto that. You might even have one lying around in an old external USB hard drive in back of a cupboard. It's also worth asking around if anyone has a working XP era PC they'd let you have cheap. I did that on my local 'Buy, Sell, Swop' Facebook page a while back and had 2 by tea-time. A hybrid of those is what runs my router now.

Good luck

Kit

[Crazy L]

Cheers Kitwn, Yes, it is my 1st machine and 1st foray into home cnc ( I work on full size Bridgeports using Heidenhain as a day job) but I find it frustrating when I have to put upon others to help me out. A chap on here, Leadhead has offered an XP tower and he is local, so there is that option, and Cropwell here is trying his best to help me out too. Nice to have such a friendly, helpful community.

Rob T, yes, it's a 32 bit system. I changed the printer port to ECP today. I've not checked the voltage of the pci card, but that is what the old tower was using when I bought it, anyway....

After a bit of a fiddle......It still doesn't work, lol but what I have found is.....
1: When go to move z manually with pg up/pg dn keys, the motor makes a whir, but doesn't turn the screw.

2: The same cannot be said for x and y, no noises and no movement, but the readout moves on Mach with all 3 axis when applied.

3: I can't turn spindle on on jog/manual, but it stays on until I hit the machine mounted estop, or hit the reset button on Mach, at which point it comes on again if I hit the reset button again.

I have got somewhere, just not where I want.

[cropwell]

Could be time to check the motor ports and pins settings.

[Crazy L]

Could be time to check the motor ports and pins settings.

I set them up a-la the link you provided. I assume the person who did the conversion originally then may have set it up willy nilly.

[Crazy L]

Well after much ado, I am nowhere.

I pulled the back off the machine to look at the LEDs that are on the board.

There are 2, then another 4 beneath those. The top 2 stay on.

Then, of the 4, the 2nd one is on while my spindle turns.

When I move z, as before, the motor whirs but nowt happens, the LED doesn't light up either.

Only when I use arrow keys to move Y, does an LED light up, and go back off when I go the other way.

I'm stuck, proper. I don't know enough about this stuff.

Like, if the pins are wrong, there are only a finite amount to change them to.

[cropwell]

Hi,

First of all my apologies, for some reasom I thought you had the 3 axis board but you have the 4 axis one. That manual is here https://wiki.shapeoko.com/images/9/9...ler_4-axis.pdf I don't know what you use the 4th axis for, it is wired in - is it for the spindle as the spindle interface does not look to be used.

[Crazy L]

Ok, thanks Rob. Was nearing end of my tether. Had searched online for the board previously to find additional info but I didn't twig either.

Put those settings in, wildly different. I can now move axis with arrow keys, but intermittently, if i hold key down it only moves kn steps and I have to release then re press again.

Also, I cant get spindle to turn now. Got somewhere though.