Thread: Another chinese CNC router

At the moment if I was you I would forget about limits and get the machine running. If the driver fails then no point going ahead with it as a likely replaclement will be one of the gecko drives - guessing there.
Soft limits in mach3 are only good if you home first and seeing as you have no switches at all then soft limits won't work. Bit of a catch22 isn't it.

Once you do get it running then yes fit physical limit switches and definately a touch plate. You can fit a laser crosshair as it is and run it off a USB or other power source. Later when you get the machine running we can help you identify pins on the Chinese board and fitting of the bits.

Originally Posted by rodm

At the moment if I was you I would forget about limits and get the machine running. If the driver fails then no point going ahead with it as a likely replaclement will be one of the gecko drives - guessing there.

I have a G540 just waiting for when if I let the smoke out of this one.

I might wait until tomorrow to give it a test. If it all goes wrong, I don't have any spare fuse wire (old house). I know it's unlikely but with my luck ...

Good thinking. Somebody on their signature has "An expensive circuit board will always protect a 10 cent fuse" or something like that. I laugh at it every time I read it.
BTW love the view out your window.

Not a brilliant picture as it's been a bit cold and overcast today.

FIshing from the wharf (about 500 metres away) is good. Not visible about the same distance in the other direction is the pub. Either can make it hard to get things done

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Not a brilliant picture as it's been a bit cold and overcast today.
It has been rainng, lighting and thunder all day in Perth. They even closed down the airport.


FIshing from the wharf (about 500 metres away) is good. Not visible about the same distance in the other direction is the pub. Either can make it hard to get things done
Now that's what I call a conundrum.

.

Now you know what to engrave on the shingle for your house.

Ordered a set of ER11 collets and should look at getting some carbide endmills too.
More money and I haven't even started it up!

A quick smoke test this morning passed but without opening up the box and checking voltages, it's hard to know if it's actually working. More coffee needed!

Of course this is the time that the computer decides to play up. Screen is tearing and flickering, another monitor has the same problem so video card (on board) issue then.
And if that wasn't enough, I've forgotten the password (it's been nearly 12 months since I powered the computer on). I have it set up for dual boot, Linux and XP. Yesterday, I got a menu allowing me to select XP or Linux and I could boot OK into XP. This morning it boots straight into Linux and that's the one I don't have (can't remember) the password to
I can reset the password, once I find my Linux DVD's and I can always reinstall XP if required but I might have to contact Artsoft/Homann for my Mach 3 keys.

I think I'll go and see what damage the rabbits have done to the veggie patch instead


UPDATE
Computer has settled down. Found the Linux DVDs and can now boot to XP.
Opened up the controller and found a loose wire, Lots of lights in the box now.
Only the Y motor shows any sign of life, back to the rabbits...

Update to the update.
Seems the cable labelled X axis is in fact Y. Checking all cables with a meter shows that only one is correct, the Y (sorry X) axis. The other two cables are wired differently i.e. no two cables are the same!. Motor connectors are consistent e.g. same colours to same pins and the wiring in the controller is consistent across all three axis. As soon as I find the soldering iron and the magnifying lamp, I'll fix them.

It's enough to drive a man to drink or, in my case as the pub is only 500 metres, walk to drink.

Well the wiring is sorted but I've now got an 'issue' with Mach3.

I have the parallel port set to EPP in BIOS which I believe is necessary, I've set the correct pins in 'Ports and Pins' but when I go to the Diagnostic screen, I don't see any indication of activity on the input/output LEDs.
I've double checked the port address etc, drivertest.exe runs OK

Any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong?

when you hit the stop button , does mach3 show it ? pin 10 ? , or auto set on the inputs page should find the stop button ,

if not you might have the wrong address ,
where did you end up finding your pin setup info ?

Don't worry about the diagnostic screen at this stage.

What you want is for the motors to lock up when you power on the driver board and the large Red Reset button on the Mach3 screen to be solid - not flashing.
If you get these two states then your machine will jog along.

Once you have got that part going it is time to tune and then get the inputs and outputs working. By the way have you checked the parallel port address in device manamger in Windows and made sure this is the setting in Ports and Pins in mach3.

If you are changing cabling while you are fixing it then very important to switch off the driver board before connecting or disconnecting cables. Remember all your motors are at full power when at standstill so if you disconnect a motor cable at this time it is let the smoke out time.

Originally Posted by rodm

Don't worry about the diagnostic screen at this stage.

What you want is for the motors to lock up when you power on the driver board and the large Red Reset button on the Mach3 screen to be solid - not flashing.
If you get these two states then your machine will jog along.

I can clear the red reset button to stop it flashing and the motors are locked when power is applied.

Once you have got that part going it is time to tune and then get the inputs and outputs working. By the way have you checked the parallel port address in device manamger in Windows and made sure this is the setting in Ports and Pins in mach3

The port address is correct, checked in BIOS and under Windows. The pin settings are as given in the document you pointed to which is the same as marked on the interface board/BOB. I've tried different settings for low/high on both step and direction.

If you are changing cabling while you are fixing it then very important to switch off the driver board before connecting or disconnecting cables. Remember all your motors are at full power when at standstill so if you disconnect a motor cable at this time it is let the smoke out time.

I've been very careful with that after reading of other peoples experiences. One thing I've wondered about and that is the interface in the controller has a connector labelled 5V, shuold a simple interface like this need an external power source?

Sounds promising.
Go to config, select native units and select mm.

Got to config, ports and pins, port setup and axis selection tab and make sure Port #1, port enabled is ticked.

While you are there press motor outputs and make sure X,Y,Z have a green tick on the enabled and the step port and Dir port are 1.

Apply the changes then on the top menu go config andthen save settings.
The reset button will need pressing as it should be flashing now.

Press the tab button on your keyboard and the MPG pops up. Click on each of the triangular X,Y and Z buttons and the machine should move at this stage - in any direction. The opposite button should move it in the other direction. If the motor tuning is way out it might only be moving minute amounts so listen for a change in motor sound when you jog. Any change in sound will indicate you are good and only need to change the motor tuning settings to finish from here.

It is not uncommon to power these boards through the parallel port 5 volts. Turn the driver off and check if a lamp is lit on the BOB. May not have a lamp for this but if it does then you know if it is powered this way.

Originally Posted by rodm

Sounds promising.
Go to config, select native units and select mm.

Done

Got to config, ports and pins, port setup and axis selection tab and make sure Port #1, port enabled is ticked.

Done.

While you are there press motor outputs and make sure X,Y,Z have a green tick on the enabled and the step port and Dir port are 1.

Done

Apply the changes then on the top menu go config andthen save settings.
The reset button will need pressing as it should be flashing now.

It was, clicked to clear,

Press the tab button on your keyboard and the MPG pops up. Click on each of the triangular X,Y and Z buttons and the machine should move at this stage - in any direction. The opposite button should move it in the other direction. If the motor tuning is way out it might only be moving minute amounts so listen for a change in motor sound when you jog. Any change in sound will indicate you are good and only need to change the motor tuning settings to finish from here.

The first time I tried this, I got some movement from the Z axis but not the others. It didn't last long and despite a reboot, I haven't been able to get any further movement.

It is not uncommon to power these boards through the parallel port 5 volts. Turn the driver off and check if a lamp is lit on the BOB. May not have a lamp for this but if it does then you know if it is powered this way.

There is an LED and it's on without the controller being powered up.
Each of the motor drivers has a green led that seems to stay on all the time and a red led. WHen I did have Z movement, this led lit for that axis. After a reboot, all the red leds are lit.

I did run up parmon and could see that actions on the MPG did change the pin status. Not sure if this is relevant, I re booted to make sure it didn't interfere with Mach3
I'll dig out the oscilloscope to see what signals are getting to the BOB