Need helpwiring up from scratch

**FatFreddie** · 12-07-2010

Originally Posted by GeorgeD

I figure it just might be the bob as the charge pump led come and goes as does the power led,this board is basically naff because what happens is the led without pwer supply attached to 70v rail,glows dimly and when you attach the power supply its bright,I never known a piece of equipment that functions on the power side like that.

My System 4 board does that as well so I don't think that's the problem, as Irving says, it's just picking some power up from the parallel port.

If it's the same as the System 4 board then the charge pump LED should be on when it's powered and there is a signal on the charge pump pin (provided by Mach3) so that all sounds ok as well.

I'm afraid I don't use Mach3 so I can't help with configuring that.

Good luck!
Mark

**irving2008** · 12-07-2010

you have to tell it what steps/mm and acceleration.. just use 100 steps/mm, velocity 1000mm/min, acc 5mm/s/s, step pulse 5, dir pulse 5, these are good defaults for now... you'll set them correctly once the machine is built.

The charge pump LED should be out (I think) until MACH3 starts then it should come on... or the other way round... either way it should change...

The power supply LED glows when it plugged into the parallel port but not powered? hmmm, then its being driven from the parallel port outputs which is possible through the input clamp diode on the buffer chip so not sure that in itself is an indicator of faultiness...

I have a bit of software to exercise the parallel port, to prove hardware independent of MACH3... i'll try and upload it later on today...

**GeorgeD** · 12-07-2010

Taking the stepx(-pulse)to ground steps the motor incremently each touch to ground,Irving.

**GeorgeD** · 12-07-2010

As an aside what computer are you using ? and does it have an inbuilt parallel port or an add on card.?

Parallel is onboard and BOB fitted direct to port without cable.

What you said above in your post I did all this on the outset of completeing the BOB ie bought as a kit,checked for no dry joints and shorting of soldered joints and compoonent configuration.
I do have a fair bit of electronic knowledge as I repaired TV and Vids many moons ago.

The BOB seems to be finnicky in relation to the charge pump led coming on or not coming on when computer reboots,it could be paralllel port problems? but I've never had a problem printing from it and a the motors and drivers have been new I have to suspect the BOB at present,as I don't have another BOB I'm just looking for help on rectifying the problem.

**GeorgeD** · 12-07-2010

Some developement,it seems and I apologise for to ROY suspecting the BOB but I've switched the motor fromX axis to Y axis and its working ie slowley executing its phase in a loaded Mach3 G-code.

So why is the X axis not functioning?

**irving2008** · 12-07-2010

That is progress. Is the chargepump LED on or have you overridden it with jumper J3?

what test gear do you have available? multimeter?

**GeorgeD** · 12-07-2010

Hi Irving

Charge Pump Led lit

Multimeter,I do have a oscillscope but its down at the moment...have not got round to fixing it.

Anyway as you said some progress:dance:

**irving2008** · 12-07-2010

OK.. and is the motor reversing as well as stepping? (checking the DIR signal is changing as well)

What I'd do is check out the other channels Z and A (exercise A by telling Mach3 the A channel is the X channel i.e. use pins 8/9 instead of 2/3 in the configuration tab)

If they are all working its likely to be a solder bridge or dry joint on the X channel... easy enough to trace it through from pin 2 on the DB25 connector through the HC541 (using the datasheet to determine pinouts) to the 'stepX' connector.

**GeorgeD** · 12-07-2010

cWill do as suggested,Irving.

What the best way to tune the motors assuming I get the X axis sorted?

Have to cut loose,got rellies down for a bit. :whistling:

**irving2008** · 12-07-2010

you cant tune the motors properly til the mechanics are built, but you can set expected values. The values I gave are very conservative ones that should allow the motors to work easily.

When you are on the motor tuning page in MACH3 I believe that the up and down arrow keys cause the motor to rotate, which is a lot easier than running g-code each time to exercise that axis.