Tips for Newbie Huanyang VFD users

[BoomerangInfo]

Is this because you believe that the pin may be broken or because Mach is not outputting a signal.

If the former, then try using a different pin.

I don't think Mach3 would be wrong, as it's standard software. Either my parallel port pin 14 is broken, or the G540 is not sending that signal out terminal 8. You cannot change the pin that the G540 uses, it has to be pin 14.

Russell.

*EDIT*
well i guess the one other option is i've missed a setting in Mach3 which sends the signal to pin 14, but I've checked the settings many times and they seem to be what everyone else is using.

[Bob Willson]

Put an LED across the terminals. If it lights then it works.

Go to THIS SITE to see all about LEDs

[BoomerangInfo]

Put an LED across the terminals. If it lights then it works.

Do you mean on the parallel cable? That's the problem. I can't drive the cable via Mach3 without it being connected to the G540, and any other software I've found for testing doesn't recognize PCI cards. If they did, I'd just put my multimeter on it. Maybe I could fool Mach3 in to not faulting if the cable is unplugged, but I'm not sure how?

[Bob Willson]

On the female end of the 25 pin plug itself. just stick one end in the 14 pin and one end to earth and tell Mach to send a signal to the VFD. That should then tell you if a signal is being output.

[BoomerangInfo]

On the female end of the 25 pin plug itself. just stick one end in the 14 pin and one end to earth and tell Mach to send a signal to the VFD. That should then tell you if a signal is being output.

But that's what I mean. When i disconnect the cable from th G540, mach3 comes up with an error screen and won't reset.

[rodm]

Do you have a legit copy of mach3 - I have never seen an error screen in mach yet.
Maybe show the screen it is displaying.

Aside from that perhaps disabling chargepump and changing the E stop to active high it should work not being connected to the driver.

I simulate mach3 all the time on my office machine which is not connected to a machine.

[BoomerangInfo]

Do you have a legit copy of mach3 - I have never seen an error screen in mach yet.
Maybe show the screen it is displaying.

Aside from that perhaps disabling chargepump and changing the E stop to active high it should work not being connected to the driver.

I simulate mach3 all the time on my office machine which is not connected to a machine.

OK I probably need to just change the active low switches or something. My Mach3 is fully licensed, and it's a Mach3 screen telling me one of my switches is set wrong (suggests it may be the inouts or outputs, but I have the, all disabled) and it's asking me if it can automatically change all the settings to fix the problem. I didn't want to say yes and risk messing up my config, but maybe that's the go. I suspect it means one of the pins is expecting to have 5V running through it, and without the cable connected, that isn't happening. I'd post a screenshot but being on my isolated machine, i'll have to do some file transfers to get itonto the internet.

Sorry this has diverted from the VFD topic, so I'll move my problems back over to my build thread.

Thanks for the help.
Russell.

[Chris Parks]

I am using one of these 4kw VFD's to control a dust collection system and wonder if it is possible to control it by remote WIRED switching? It seems that it may be possible but I cannot find anything in the user manual or am I just thick and can't see it in the manual.

[Bob Willson]

Hi Chris
I assume that you are already using a switch of some sort to control the VFD, so all you need to do is extend the wires to a switch that is wherever you want it to be.

[Chris Parks]

Bob thanks for the reply. I have the VFD switched from a power point and to start i use the run button. What I am wondering is can I leave it switched on as normal and at all my machines have a switch to start the DE? There appears to be 12VDC control on the terminal block but I am not sure what its purpose in life is and I assume it is for some sort of remote switching.

[Bob Willson]

Hi Chris
OK, that is slightly different but still the same.

Take a wire from each point at the rear of the run button and just extend them.

Or.

Remove the existing key panel read out and extend the whole 9 wires with a longer cable. (This is probably the best method unless the cable run length is very long)

OR

Put a switch between the INPUT side of the inverter pins R, S, and T. (depending on which inputs you are using) (This will only stop the inverter and will not restart it.)

OR

Just break the 10v speed control circuit wire and send it to 0 volts. (Effective but crude)

What you must definitely NOT do is put a switch between the inverter and any motor that you want to control. This is (as the Americans would say) contra-indicated.

[Chris Parks]

Bob, I have remote mounted the control panel already. What I was looking to do was a switch at each machine, five in total to control the stop/start function of the DE. BTW I am no longer using this VFD having moved on to a new type which has a couple of advantages over the Huanyang. This is my own personal unit which was the original I used to try out the idea for the dust extractors and I have just finished installing a sound reduction cabinet and hooking it up to all the machines and I am now looking to put the stop/start controls at each machine. I found the Huanyang to be a bit hard to get at one stage in 4kw so I moved to a different type because of this issue. It still comes from China and allows me to supply for the same price which was the important bit.

[Bob Willson]

In that case I would use my final option. This is easily tested for its effectiveness and is the method that I would try first as all it requires is a length of signal cable and a simple switch.

You could of course also just buy some extra control panels from the VFD manufacturer and piggy back them off the original.

What is the new brand of VFD that you have found?

NB. Pay particular attention to the last sentence of my previous message.

[BulletMaster]

Hi guys... been using one of these spindle/VFD combos for a while now. I have the excellent plugin installed (thank you so much to the writer/creator of this) & am using Modbus through a serial port adapter. Now the issues I am having...

1. I can start & set spindle speed through the G-Code in Mach3. But spindle doesn't stop at end of program or if you hit the software stop button. Can stop by using the Mach3 E-Stop (software). Would like the program to completely control start/stop/speed control.

2. Actual spindle RPM is not shown, just the value that I set in the G-Code (s20000). Would be nice if it displayed the correct info?

So... any ideas guys? thanks in advance.

I do have the G540 as a controller, so could try the 0-10V control system if required.. as long as it will do what I want it to do.. No smooth Stepper installed.

[mhasting2004]

Hi BulletMaster

Check that you have not got the "disable spindle relays" ticked in Mach config/ports and pins/spindle setup.
You also don't need to enable the modbus spindle as technically it's not true modbus and does not use the mach3 functionality.

For the spindle speed make sure that you have configured the huanyang plugin with user DRO's and then modify your screen set to use the dro's. ie. I prefer to know the amps being drawn so have the dro set to 1001 and edited my screen set to show Amps not RPM.

Personally I don't see the point of getting the rpm back from the VFD as it will always be close to what you set in the code however the amps will increase to maintain that speed. I like to know the load on the spindle so that I know if I'm pushing too hard.


Can you start amd stop the spindle via M3 M5? are you sure the gcode has a spindle stop?

Also check Mach general config and ensure that pgm end or m30 or rewind has turn spindle off ticked

Cheers