Strike CNC (My first CNC router)

Newer version still does the same. Its odd because I can access everything within the software ie. the tuning options work and control the drives. But I can't read or write the RAM/EEPROM without getting the error.

The error is a string of numbers and letters followed by 'This type of data collation is not supported by the operating system'. Running XP btw.

I wouldn't be that bothered if the auto setting could get rid of that damn annoying howling noise. I was more impressed with the cheap chinese drives I had before than these and that's not saying much! I'll let Dean have a look at them when he's over but if I can't fix the issues can I return them for an exchange Gary?

Have you tried another driver? is the problem with one driver?
is your version of windows 32 or 64 bit? did you do the tuning without any load on the motor shaft (Disconnected from the ballscrew?)
What is the motor? do you have the dasheet, and how are you connecting (Series or parallel) and what is the current set to?
These drivers are very good, and i personally use these drivers on my mill, and they are near silent and we only autotuned them.

As with everything we sell, returns are accepted.

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Originally Posted by Gary

Have you tried another driver? is the problem with one driver?

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The noise is on all 4 steppers.

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is your version of windows 32 or 64 bit?

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XP 32bit fresh install with only mach installed

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did you do the tuning without any load on the motor shaft (Disconnected from the ballscrew?)

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A bit of both. 2 steppers (the Y and Z) are connect to the ballscrews and the dual steppers for the X are without.

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What is the motor?

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Nema 23 4Nm (8 lead type) on the X and Y. The Z is a Nema 23 3Nm.

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do you have the dasheet

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Have the datasheet from your webshop.

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how are you connecting (Series or parallel) and what is the current set to?

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Parallel wired and I've tried the current on the default (DIP 1,2,3=ON) and also 3.93A RMS (DIP 1 & 2=ON, 3=OFF)

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Originally Posted by Gary

As with everything we sell, returns are accepted.

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Thanks Gary. I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet but its good to know if I can't resolve whatever it is that's causing the noise I can at least swap the drivers for something else.

They are not our motors, we dont sell 4Nm motors (Nema 24) if the current is 4A, then you need to set this to the peak value not the RMS.
if you are setting to 4A RMS, the motors will most likley burn out, and may be the cause of the excess noise?

Set the current to either 3.6 or 4.6A, but start at 3.6A peak.
see if this solves the noise problem?
Regarding the software problem, this could be noise? make sure the RS232 cable is away from any power cables, and also make sure that your signal cables (Step, direction and enable) are well away from any power cables like the motor and the power supply cables. I cant see in the picture if you have done this. Also are the motor power cables shielded? and grounded at one end?

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Originally Posted by Gary

Set the current to either 3.6 or 4.6A, but start at 3.6A peak.
see if this solves the noise problem?
Regarding the software problem, this could be noise? make sure the RS232 cable is away from any power cables, and also make sure that your signal cables (Step, direction and enable) are well away from any power cables like the motor and the power supply cables. I cant see in the picture if you have done this. Also are the motor power cables shielded? and grounded at one end?

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Thanks for the help.

The stepper cables are shielded and ground at the control box end.

I'll try changing the current to what you suggest. The motors still made the same noise with the default setting of 1A before I changed it to 3.93A so no damage done to the motors.

Will play around some more this afternoon based on whst you've suggested.

OK, make sure that the rotary switch is in the "0" position.
Set the current to 3.6A and then power up.
Then move SW4 on and off twice to get the driver to tune to the motor specs.
Once this is done it should work ok.
Make sure the signal cables are not close to any power cables.
When you power the driers up, did the inverter for the spindle power up? if so disconnect it.

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Originally Posted by Shinobiwan

Thanks for the help.

The stepper cables are shielded and ground at the control box end.

I'll try changing the current to what you suggest. The motors still made the same noise with the default setting of 1A before I changed it to 3.93A so no damage done to the motors.

Will play around some more this afternoon based on whst you've suggested.

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OK result! The software is now working.

Took hours of faffing around and the solution wasn't clear at all!

Just in case anyone else runs into the error "Selected collating sequence not supported by the operating system." When trying to read or write data to the drives. Here's how I fixed it. You need to enable multi language within XP. Be sure your regional settings are English(UK) and then select the check boxes for Thai and also East Asian language support. And that's pretty much it. No idea why I had to do this but it refused to work without those options.

I've managed to eliminate the noise using manual setup but the autoset function brings it back. Seems that too high a Kp value increases the noise. The autoset function wants to set it around 2000 but to get the steppers silent you really need to be around 700. This value seems suboptimal as the rise time is fairly lax. Seems I have shite motors? Weird because the 3Nm behaves the same as 4Nm too, you'd think there'd be some difference unless they're both from the same manufacturer.

Anyway the drives are working well now so I'm happy there.

What's less good is the fact that Strike CNC have messed up on replacement parts and there's some binding issues in the Y and Z ballscrews. There's loose bolts, rail slides that haven't had their tension adjusted, missing screws from motor mounts, cock-eyed mounting of the supported rails on the Z front plate, damaged bearing in the floating end Z ballscrew support. AND that's in the replacement gantry that was supposed to fix all the other problems I had in the first one.

Now I've got strip the Z axis down, check and loctite every bolt. Thank god I've got the help of Dean because if I hadn't I'd have given up and cut my loses. The guy has spent hours on the phone and a couple of trips here and for virtually nothing. A true asset to the community.