Motors and Board? Problem.

Okay this is the problem. I have a stepperworld break out board that is a three in one and is getting power to the motors but not moving them. PIN configuration matches that set by the maker of the board and Mach3 seems to be having no problem getting info there. The motors are 6 lead Nema 23 motors (190 oz) with a six lead set up (two pairs of three).

While this might not be the ideal set up up it is where I am currently at. I need to get the system to work as time has become an urgent problem. So does anyone else have experience with these motors or this board and know how to get things moving. On Mach I have done different tuning setting in trying to get a response including the 500, 50, 5 setting and no joy. The board comes with one 1.5Ohm 50W resistor for using with 5V. This pairs the two tap lines together per axis and leaves the other four going into the board by axis.

Have set it up for 12V and using a 1.5 Ohm 50W resistor per tap line (there is the connection point for them) and have them mounted on an aluminum frame as well as cooling blades mounted on top.

The system is a Marchant Dice Gantry system. Mach3 is running from either a laptop or a desktop and both are having the same problem. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

Michael

Michael,

Bit of a long shot but does the Stepperworld BOB use a charge pump circuit by any chance?

Might be worth enabling it (pin1 port 1) in ports and pins just in case it isn't documented

Jeff.

Well found the enable pins and that is fixed which makes me a bit less annoyed (polite word for what I really feel like). Still have a no go on motion though and having some recurrent problems with the desk top. It is currently using E800 for the resource ID to the PP that I installed into her. Which Mach sees without a problem but there is not even a hum coming from the motors that i am getting from the laptop.

So here we go again and seriously looking for a BOB that will handle unipolar motors 6 lead until I close the contract and move up to bipolar and a bit better equipment.

Michael

I feel your frustration Michael.

Took me best part of two days to realise Mach wasn't saving my ports and pins setup before I could get a motor turning.

Keep us up to date with how you get on, it might save some other poor sould from going through the same tribulations.

Best of luck, just wish I could help in some way.

Jeff.

Well update,

I HATE WINDOWS. Let me say that again, I HATE WINDOWS. I had just started getting everything retuned from leveling and securing the router (found loose bolts and that was causing problems and have the X axis arbors touching each other and that is not good but will find a solution (Also all the bolts can't be used on the X axis motor mount, all holes don't line up). So in the process of first trying to repair XP and than having to bite the bullet and do a re-install of XP. All that wonderful progress has been lost partially (I kept notes like any good craftmans, scientist, engineer). So it is getting the system fixed haul it into the house as the wireless is not working properly, re install Mach 3 onto it and the few other programs I use on that machine (1.5 Gig of RAM has it's uses). Then set everything back up and hopefully be cutting shortly.

The good news is got the Drill Press moved to the new bench and ripped the wood for 5 reed pans and was able to get things more toward the order I prefer in a workshop. Bad news is in doing this damaged three fingers. So today is marked up to one of those days. Got alot done and feel completely warn out. It is good to feel this way.

Now for a beer.

Michael

Quote:

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Originally Posted by m.marino

Well update,

I HATE WINDOWS. Let me say that again, I HATE WINDOWS. <snip>
Michael

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Have you had a look at EMC2 running under Linux? It is very good (if a little cryptic, initially)

You can download a 'live' CD which will run in ram from the CD drive without even needing to install it (it won't hurt windows installation at all).

Will look at that system you mentioned above and see how it does as that sounds like an option.

Good News, Bad news. Up early this morning and doing the rebuild on the desktop which will be the workshop controler when done and ported Mach to the laptop to continue working on the Beastie (I name my machines, easier to remember which one needs what). For a breif moment had all three motors running though X does not want to smooth down at all. Could this be from the two arbours touching each other and compression problem?

Neither X or Y will go to home point (next to the motor end) completely and hangs about and inch from the true home point (possible torsion issues?). Was getting X a bit smoother when lost Z so letting it rest as need to do some more downloading on the workshop computer (Igore) and get it up so that it can take over the job it was built for.

Michael

Well upon a second go at retruing the the system I now have a full Y and only missing 1 cm of X so now we work on getting the distance gone to equal the distance stated and see how it goes.

Michael