Steps per unit daft question

[cncJim]

Hi Dave,

I think I asked a similar question before (So I think its not a daft one!) and this was the general advice I was given:

The "Steps per" setting in mach3 motor tuning is how many steps are needed to move one unit of measurement (as set in Mach3) so if using mm units, its how many steps to move 1mm.

This is determined by a calculation taking the drive Microstepping amount and dividing by PITCH of the ballscrew or how far ONE revolution moves that particular axis.

So as an example (with ballscrews), assuming 10mm pitch ballscrews and 1600 micro steps the STEPS PER 1mm would be 1600/10=160

This will mean 160 steps moves 1mm so you would set the "Steps per" in Mach3 to 160.

As for which microstepping amount you should set your drive to... I dunno! it should be set to what works best for your machine/needs :)

I tried many different settings on my drives, some worked OK others seems to create resonance in the machine and made it shake! I settled on the value that that made the machine run smoothest while allowing the speeds I needed.

Cheers,
Jim