Trying to get this thing to work

[GeneO]

I got my machine, and had to order mach3 to run it. I've got it in and I can get the cutter to move X, Y, AND Z. My next problem is that I can't seem to figure out the settings for the spindle. I found a You Tube on the settings, but said nothing about the spindle. Can anyone help I'm a cnc virgin. I'll be on here a lot.

[JAZZCNC]

Hello, Sure we can help but first, we need to know more about what you have, so give any info you have on the machine.

Do you want Mach3 to control the speed or just have Start/stop the spindle.? For mach3 to control the speed then your system must provide a control voltage which then gets passed to the VFD or speed controller board the spindle connects to.

If you just want to start/stop then it's much simpler and mach3 just controls a Relay using it's Outputs. Which you then wire your spindle power thru.

So first we need to determine if the BOB or Controller provides speed control.?

[Doddy]

Photos. Lots of photos.

Trace where the spindle plugs into - either a PCB or a large box - photo. Trace where the motors for the XYZ drives plug into (not just the enclosure, but inside the enclosure where they run to a PCB) - photo. Trace where the computer plugs into the control box - photo.

[GeneO]

I don't mind manually turning on the spindle, but I would like to know the rpm. When I received the machine it came with a generic controler program. I put it in while waiting for mach3. The spindle worked, but the only control was in the box.

[GeneO]

I haven't used this or any forum before. Is there a way to see if you have a response at a glance?

[JAZZCNC]

I don't mind manually turning on the spindle, but I would like to know the rpm. When I received the machine it came with a generic controler program. I put it in while waiting for mach3. The spindle worked, but the only control was in the box.

Again difficult to help without more info or pics.
However, Mach won't tell you the real RPM of the Spindle, it will only tell you the RPM which was programmed in the G-code and if you have a controller capable of providing speed reference voltage for whatever controls the spindle speed ie: VFD it will set the voltage according to the G-code or RPM you enter.

But it won't tell you the real RPM the spindle is spinning at unless you attach a Single index encoder to the spindle and feed it back to mach3. Not something commonly is done or found on routers.

Give us the info and we'll get you going.

[JAZZCNC]

I haven't used this or any forum before. Is there a way to see if you have a response at a glance?

Think you can go to settings and select so sends you a message when a post happens.

[GeneO]

So can you tell me the settings under plugs and pins to get the spindle to spin. Better yet take a screen shot of the page.

[GeneO]

Thanks I'll try.

[Doddy]

So can you tell me the settings under plugs and pins to get the spindle to spin. Better yet take a screen shot of the page.

That needs the knowledge of which, if any, pins on the BoB are bound to the spindle functions.

Photos.

[JAZZCNC]

So can you tell me the settings under plugs and pins to get the spindle to spin. Better yet take a screen shot of the page.

No, it's not that simple I'm afraid. Every controller or breakout board is slightly different. This is why I keep repeating we need more info or pics to identify what you have.

[GeneO]

under config.- ports & pins - spindle set up, I need to know what values to enter to get the spindle spinning. Maybe you can send a screen shot.

[GeneO]

I'm sorry, pics of what?

[JAZZCNC]

I'm sorry, pics of what?

pics of the controller and breakout board in your control box.

The pins and settings are different for different boards with several ways to control the spindle so first need to know how yours is being controlled and by what.?

For instance, we don't even know what spindle you have or how it's being controlled or by what. If it's just a router then you probably cannot control the speed. If is a router and speed can be controlled then It will be using some form of speed controller and we need to know which.

Without more info we cannot help you.

[GeneO]

Ill get that to you.

[GeneO]

27094
I don't know if this picture is going to go thru. If it doesn't I could e mail it to you.

[AndyUK]

We need actual photos you've taken of the wiring and electronics on your machine. Everyone's setup is unique, so to figure out what settings you need we need to trace each wire and see where it connects to. A stock photo doesn't help with that!

[Doddy]

We need actual photos

To be honest, Andy, I believe (from random google/eBay searches) that might be the best we can expect. That image shows a USB to 25W D-Type that plugs into "Black Box", and "Black Box" has enough circular connectors on the back to drive the Spindle, axis-steppers and take some sensor input. The front panel integrates a control pot and switches for the Spindle and E-Stop for the rest.

Adverts on eBay for similar 6040-style machines with similar "Black Box" configurations refer to CNCUSB software and I'm wondering if this, and the image of the USB->25W means that this is a Chinese knock-off of the veritable UC100 interface, then the "Black Box" is just a BoB/Stepper Driver board and somewhere there's the spindle controller. Other "Black Boxes" present the control plate from the spindle controller into the same "Black Box".

OP: Have you a link to where you bought this from? (I'm trying to find links to any form of documentation), are you brave enough to remove the cover of the control box? to take internal photos? (desperate hope for sensible silk-screening on the PCB to get an idea).

To give you some understanding where we are on this, From the one picture that you've provided we know you have a 25W interface into your control box, and a speed controller integrated into that control box. A standard parallel 25W interface (which that one picture suggests) has 12 output pins that could be used - but 6 should already be assigned to give you X/Y/Z control that I understand you have running and working. Next, the Spindle controller has to be configured to support an external input to turn the spindle on/off - I'm guessing that's used with the wiring from the front panel switch; and it needs to be configured to take an external analogue input - and we need to resolve how the rotary control on the front of the panel is wired - and whether you can substitute that with an analogue output from the internal BoB of your control box. This is very likely an electrical wiring issue (to enable spindle/speed control) rather than a ports/pins query (that comes after the electrical side is resolved).

What software came with the machine? (just like the applications, and drivers) and what documentation was included - pdf's on memory sticks?


But here's a key take-away from this reply: You need to help us, in order that we can help you - I'm more tolerant than some here (and less tolerant than others), and I'm getting frustrated with this thread. Please help us, or you'll probably find this thread quickly dies.

[Doddy]

Right, I've polished my crystal ball and predict from the image you've provided that the controller is labelled Z-DQ, lower right?

Have a look at the following.

https://hackaday.io/project/6776-3040-cnc-milling-machine-mods

And see if any of that is relevant.


EDIT:

I've re-read the earlier posts - part of what OP is asking for is to be able to read the RPM - not, as most of us use, setting the RPM from Mach3. Jazz did spot this with his dialogue on spindle encoders.

If OP just wants manual control for the spindle, but with an indicator for the spindle RPM, then you need to figure a way to attach a rotary encoder (this can be as simple as a slotted/reflective opto-coupler mounted near the spindle with a bit of reflective tape on the spindle) - to generate a 1-pulse per revolution signal. From here, either an external device to display the spindle speed or determine an input pin on the controller PCB, and wire that signal to that input, such that Mach3 can read this signal state. If you can get as far as this then I'm quietly confident that there's Mach3 experts here that can advise on getting this to display spindle RPM (I stopped using Mach3 a while ago and only ever used it in a display-commanded RPM, rather than display-actual RPM configuration)

[JAZZCNC]

Right, I've polished my crystal ball and predict from the image you've provided that the controller is labelled Z-DQ, lower right?

Have a look at the following.

https://hackaday.io/project/6776-3040-cnc-milling-machine-mods

And see if any of that is relevant.

Doddy none of this is relevant because he says right at the beginning he's ripped out the original controller.


Gene: That photo doesn't really help it's not clear enough and ideally it would be better if you took the lid off and took a photo then we are not guessing what's inside. The problem is the Chinese use many different boards in same models and until we determine exactly what you have inside it's all just guesswork. Even providing a link to where you bought it from doesn't mean what they show is what you have in the control box. So pics of what you actually have in front of you is only way can be sure.

[Doddy]

I miss the part where the controller is removed - though recognise that OP replaced the original software ("program"). But, these type of questions that the OP have raised are best answered from a single non-conflicting source, and no-one here doubts that you're best placed to support that. I'll back out of this thread.

[JAZZCNC]

I miss the part where the controller is removed - though recognise that OP replaced the original software ("program"). But, these type of questions that the OP have raised are best answered from a single non-conflicting source, and no-one here doubts that you're best placed to support that. I'll back out of this thread.

Put your teddy back in the pram I wasn't having a go at you...Lol, The more experienced heads the better.
My comment was to point out that what he's showing isn't the same and saves going down wrong paths.

27099

[GeneO]

Sorry for your frustration. Keep in mind that I am not a techie. I'm just an old machinist who is retired, and wants to learn something new to keep myself busy. I took off the black box lid and this is what I got. Hope it helps.27101271042710227105271052710627106271072710 8271092711027111

[AndyUK]

2-pin spindle connection on the back goes to a JST on the PCB located low down, between the fan and the toroidal. That PCB also has the parallel port and USB port on it, so I'd suggest its just a case of identifying that PCB and finding a manual to determine the pins.

GeneO, can you see any markings on the board in the middle of your first photo? The one that sits right behind the fan. I'm looking for a model name, number, manufacturer. Something like that. There seems to be some writing above the handwritten label on it, but its hard to make out from the photos.

Looks to me like a low power DC spindle, so the exact RPM is going to be a bit subjective.

[GeneO]

On the pcb behind the fan there is a number it is JP-382C . Also there is a hand written number that is 040048 (see pic)
the wires that go to the spindle plug has a -DC SP+ (see pic) Can you tell me what voltage the spindle motor is? It has no labels on anything. Hope this helps. 2711527116

[phill05]

https://planet-cnc.com/replacing-chinese-jp-382c-board-genuine-planetcnc-mk3drv-controller/

[JAZZCNC]

The JP382C is the CNC control board. The two boards stacked together are the 4th axis and Spindle board. Top one JP1635A is 4th axis the lower JP1482 is the Spindle/Power board.
This board rectifies the AC power from the transformer for the drives, The fans, and the Spindle. As well as doing the PWM for the spindle and from what I can tell the Spindle is 54Vdc. The Drives are 27Vdc, which fits with the TB based drive Chips. Here is a link to schematic for the Spindle board.
https://hackaday.io/project/6776-3040-cnc-milling-machine-mods/log/21618-jp-1482-spindle-controller-schematic

Unfortunately, I haven't yet tracked down the pins you need but I will bear with us.

[GeneO]

I can now jog the 3 axis, but the spindle shows no sign of turning. I know it's good because the rudimentary program that came with this machine worked, and the spindle turned. It not running started when I bought mach3. Also, I'm an American and use inches for measure. The only thing I see about changing it to in. is in the config and tells me not to change it. Do you know?

[JAZZCNC]

Also, I'm an American and use inches for measure. The only thing I see about changing it to in. is in the config and tells me not to change it. Do you know?

The warning isn't saying don't change it, in fact, it's the only way you can change it. What it's saying is that if you do change then you need to change the Steps Per setting and Motor tuning to match.
So if set for Metric then the Steps per setting in Motor tuning will need to be multiplied by 25.4 so it moves the correct distance. You may also need to play around with the velocity and acceleration settings if doesn't run quite the same.

[GeneO]

Thanks for the tip. I'll get it running sooner or later.