Quote Originally Posted by Agathon View Post
I just want to check that the symptoms I'm getting with my set-up is down to an inadequate power supply. Here they are:

  • Losing steps on rapid travel
  • Drives trip "sensorless stall detection"
  • I also get an occasional message from Mach3 saying something like "one or more of the drives exceeded the 25000 kernal setting".


I've got the current settings at maximum.
Point 1 - could be a number of things. On rapid, I would expect the stall detect to come in, but I suspect that it's not just the motor being overloaded. Could be tied in with point 3 below?

Point 2 - I get this if I try to work the motors too hard (mainly, that just means trying to go too fast. In my case, the motor speed is getting close to the stepper motor's corner speed, the point where torque starts dropping rapidly). I found that increasing current helped (torque depends on current) and I have ignored the actual numbers; I've turned up the current to the point that the motors run just a bit too hot to touch which is fine for steppers. Increasing voltage helps, as it allows the motor current to rise more rapidly. The driver will stop the motor being overloaded, but the higher voltage gives the motor that bit more of a kick at the start of each pulse.

Point 3 - sounds like you are trying to drive the motors with too many microsteps. Using my machine's settings as an example - 5000mm/min with 2005 ballscrews means 1000RPM. I'm using x8 microstepping, so 1600 pulses per rev. That works out at just under 27K pulses per sec. The Mach3 kernel speed is tied up with its ability to generate accurately timed pulses, and maybe you are pushing its limits. I'm using Mach3 but with an external motion controller which takes over the pulse generation and frees you from some of these Mach3 parallel port issues.

I may have made some false assumptions in that bit of reasoning so don't take this as gospel! First thoughts based on what you have said, though.