AM882 works with Protune - but not with the ZPA5-INT BOB

[badgerman]

Motor tuning is ok as I am moving the stepper perfectly with the Pro-tune software. It is only when the control board takes over does it go wrong.

[badgerman]

It says in the manual that erratic movement can be caused by weak signal or interference. How can I check for this?

[JAZZCNC]

It says in the manual that erratic movement can be caused by weak signal or interference. How can I check for this?

You'll need an oscilloscope to do it properly but chances are you have just got something wrong with wires or settings.
Your not trying to run this with a Laptop are you.?
Where did you get the PP cable.? . . It must be a straight thru cable not an old printer or serial cable.

Regards the motor tuning then that's nothing to do with Drive settings it's the control software sending out pulse's and if you motor tuning is set to high you could be getting stalling motors.?

This will most likely turn out to be something simple like dodgy wire or wrong settings. Would be very unlikely you'll have electrical noise issues. The drives clearly work fine has do motors so they are ok and wired correct.

It could be PC related like low voltage parallel port, unfortunately don't know anything about your BOB so unsure if it pulls signals high or not.?

Sorry can't be more help than this.!!

EDIT: Oh if your using Mach3 then try the PP driver test to check your PP port.
If still having trouble and can't see any thing else wrong with wires, drives etc then sometimes a reinstall can help. It's not unknown for Mach's XML file to get corrupted and cause daft issues like this.!!

[badgerman]

Thanks Jazz - I will have a look.

[badgerman]

SO I messaged Gary and we talked over the issues, I noted that there was a brake on the stepper with 24v supply that might cause issue - she he said get rid of it and try again.

Removed the brake, ran the standard ZPA profile for mach and the stepper motor jittered so violently that it nearly jumped off the desk!! Not the 24v supply I am guessing. . . . .

I'm totally confused now so heres the rundown of trials to date -

It has worked with the pro tune and with the direct parallel connection ( I wired up a parallel to stepper driver cable and it worked a treat) so there can't be any issue from the stepper-drivers to the steppers, or in fact the computer outputting signals.

It has not worked in and out of the case, I initially tried it out of the case and thought the problem was as a result of it not being grounded properly. It did exactly the same when I put it in the case - so it can't be something isolated to its assembly and orientation in the case.

. . . . . So, I am going to put the Zpa unit in my other machine to see if somehow I have lunched it. I bloody hope I haven't because it was doing the same thing with both the ZPA boards I have - so I would have knackered both!!

Whatever is going on is happening on the ZPA board. I will wire up the board to my other machine tonight (GEKKO 203V's - worked a treat with them) but if it doesn't work I am seriously considering getting another board to try. Annoying though - £20 for the ZPA is a good price for a punt, but any more serious board will require more dollar. ... . . . and it still might not work!!!

Anyone got any suggestions for a cheap driver board that will do the job?

Chris

[JAZZCNC]

Anyone got any suggestions for a cheap driver board that will do the job?

That's were your going wrong.?? Bob's are one of the most trouble some components in the control box and buying cheap boards just increases your chances of trouble 10 fold.!! . . . If you think about it they handle all the signals and no matter how clean the signal when it reaches the board if the BOB has cheap nasty components then it will get degraded to some degree. Now send it usable signal but on the weaker side and cheap board can easily scramble it's brains out.!!

The only board I can recommend which you can buy in UK is this one. I've used many without problems, infact I'm installing one at this moment along with AM882 drives.
OPPB

[badgerman]

The only board I can recommend which you can buy in UK is this one. I've used many without problems, infact I'm installing one at this moment along with AM882 drives.
OPPB

Right, sounds like a plan. I was considering a better board as I have a VFD inverter and spindles I want to get running - I don't see any mention of spindle control on this board - is that the case?

[badgerman]

The only board I can recommend which you can buy in UK is this one. I've used many without problems, infact I'm installing one at this moment along with AM882 drives.
OPPB

Just bought one of these bad boys.

Fingers crossed.

[badgerman]

I forgot to respond to you Jazz, apologies (rude when you are trying to help!)

Your not trying to run this with a Laptop are you.?

Nope.

Where did you get the PP cable.? . . It must be a straight thru cable not an old printer or serial cable.

The cable came from one of those chinese TB6500 boards that was included in a 3D printer I bough ages ago. I wonder if that one is a bit special??

Regards the motor tuning then that's nothing to do with Drive settings it's the control software sending out pulse's and if you motor tuning is set to high you could be getting stalling motors.?

The AM882 detects stalls - well it has when I have wound them up to fast in pro tune - red light comes on and it stops ( I might have been trying to see how fast they'd go. . . ). Anyway they are all happy in pro tune and when I connected my parallel port directly to the driver so its not that.

This will most likely turn out to be something simple like dodgy wire or wrong settings. Would be very unlikely you'll have electrical noise issues. The drives clearly work fine has do motors so they are ok and wired correct.

Yeah, I thought it might be noise, but it does the same in and out of the case and in different orientations too. so it isn't because it is in close proximity to power leads (I don't think)

It could be PC related like low voltage parallel port, unfortunately don't know anything about your BOB so unsure if it pulls signals high or not.?

I think the signals are ok as I did a direct connect.

Sorry can't be more help than this.!!

You have been great - I appreciate the input.

EDIT: Oh if your using Mach3 then try the PP driver test to check your PP port.
If still having trouble and can't see any thing else wrong with wires, drives etc then sometimes a reinstall can help. It's not unknown for Mach's XML file to get corrupted and cause daft issues like this.!!

Mach works on my other machine - which uses a ZPA board and GEKKO drives so I don't think its the install. I downloaded the ZPA5-INT xml file from the Zapp site and used that - as described above, the stepper nearly jumped off the table.

I do have one solution to this. . . . control box out the window. Done.