Thread: Alpha Zoot ... new aussie machine on the way!

Had a chuckle when I did it.

Here

I need some technical help!

I have finished all (well most!) of my wiring and thought it would be good to see the gantry move. But alas, when everything is turned on I get no movement at all! I went back through my Mach3 instructions and found instructions to check my driver by running a Mach program called 'Driver Test.exe' but the program will not even load on my console computer ... I tried re-installing the program, but it still will not open up at all! It opens perfectly on my old computer connected to my Widgitmaster. Can anyone suggest what I am doing wrong?

The other glitch that I have is that I thought it would be really great to have the control panel from my VFD mounted in my main console control panel ... it is removable from the VFD with just a 10 wire strip of ribbon cable and a 10 pin IDC plug at both ends. It works fine, BUT even when I have the VFD turned off, I get an intermittent display on the VFD control panel!! 'ASR1.0' comes up on the display for a few seconds and then goes off. I am wondering whether the long ribbon cable bundled with all of the other wires from the console to the table is picking up some sort of electrical interference along the way? Should I be looking at some sort of shielding to this cable and if so, how does one shield a ribbon cable?

Thanks,

Alan

Hey Alan,

Good to hear your still moving forward. What system are you running on your pc. Vista??? I know vista required a few changes to get things working properly since it running different processes. Someone else who knows more might be able to fill you in if it is applicable.

The VFD panel is an interesting one. I was hoping to do the same with my vfd so i could see the display easier when using the digispeed just to make sure its all right. It is possible to get IDC cable which has an intergrated black cover over it which on the inside is covered with milar screen. The other option is to actuall buy a idc sheilding cover, same thing but it clips together like a ziplock bag and it goes around the idc. Price creeps up a bit though. Quick way to check the interference is just power the vfd seperate to everything else so there isn't any power to signal side and see if it acts the same.

Daniel

Hi Daniel,
I have been moving forward slowly, but nothing to photograph of late! The computer is running Windows XP and as far as I can see it should be identical to the Widgitmaster PC, but as I said the Driver Test.exe runs fine on one but not the other!!

I will have a look at the VFD as you suggested, but it works fine and runs the spindle up to 24,000rpm without problems and I did all of the settings as per Noel's suggestions (Psychopig7) and the spindle does not even get warm.

Cheers,

Alan

Originally Posted by Zoot

............ check my driver by running a Mach program called 'Driver Test.exe' but the program will not even load on my console computer ...

Don't suppose it is a 64 bit version of XP?

Greg

Yeah i know that feeling. I tried all weekend to get onto the machine but got no where near it. lol. Tonight i'm hoping to put in some new push buttons i got to control my contactors (one for psu and one for VFD). Then i can start finalising the wiring and when the new jaycar opens in town this week i can get the last of the electronics stuff. Just gotta figure out what i want for a connector for the vfd and one for the external high power estop circuit. Then its a matter of clearing the tabletop and bolting it down and finishing off mounting the reduction drives and i should see the machine powered up and moving....properly. Sounds so easy. lol.

Anyway, hope you figure it out. Maybe try running in compatibility mode??? I will try an find the supplier of the shielded IDC cables.

Daniel

Greg,
The computer that came with the console is an IBM NetVista ... Intel Celeron CPU 2.00GHz ... 1.99GHz 1.00GB Ram. Windows is XP Pro 2002 SP3.

The Widgitmaster computer is a Dell Pentium4 CPU 3.00GHz ... 2.99GHz 512MB Ram. Windows XP Pro 2002 SP2.

My basic problem is that I am a Macintosh user (have been since 1984!) so am finding PC's a bit mistifying! So from what I have detailed above, I don't think it is Windows 64 bit.

Cheers,

Alan

Hi Guys

Its not something silly like the Firewall blocking the app ??

Frank

Hi Alan,

If you cant work it out and you are around tomorrow I can drop in for a visit and have a look if you want. I'm home with the young bloke tomorrow, it's a couple of hours drive but it would be a good outing for us both.

From the man that created the software

Running the DriverTest.exe will reinstall the driver by itself. If it wont install, it points to either not being in admin mode, or a corruption of the XP install facility (Which Ive seen before. ). Reinstalling Windows on top of itself fixes that one if the drivertest.exe and logging in as Admin wont..

John,
I will be at home all day tomorrow and it would be fantastic if you could come and help me sort this problem out, but I also appreciate that the trip is 2 hours each way!!
I'll sent you a PM with details.

Cheers,

Alan

Originally Posted by rodm

From the man that created the software

Running the DriverTest.exe will reinstall the driver by itself. If it wont install, it points to either not being in admin mode, or a corruption of the XP install facility (Which Ive seen before. ). Reinstalling Windows on top of itself fixes that one if the drivertest.exe and logging in as Admin wont..

Right-click, run as admin.... how many times have i spent ages trying to over engineer a fix for a problem with new software only to realise it was only the silly admin control feature. lol.

Let us know how it goes today. I'm sure in this case 2 heads (or three...you never know with kids these days) will get it sorted.

Daniel

John_H from Queenbeyan came up to my place today ... 2 hour drive each way ... thanks John.
After changing computers and a phone call to Greg, we managed to get some power through to the steppers. John found a couple of mistakes I had made, one was wrong jumpers on the BOB which caused some magic smoke on one of the Geckos ... we isolated that drive and I will get back to it after the smell gets out of my nostrils! Methinks it may have to have a holiday in the States! The steppers are not working smoothly, in fact they grate and don't go anywhere, but we think that motor tuning may be the problem here. I will have another try tomorrow after the snow clouds move away from Moss Vale.

On the original computer, I reinstalled Windows after John left and even with a new installation and having to ring up Microsoft to get a new installation code ... no internet in the shed (yet!) ... the Mach Driver Test will still not load?

I don't know what I am doing wrong ... I had no trouble at all setting up the Xylotex board with the Widgitmaster. Perhaps I am a year older and my grey matter isn't working the way it did last year!

BTW Daniel, we worked in Admin mode ... that's all I have set up for the shed computers.

Will update shortly,

Alan