[dberrouard]

I am a NEWBIE to mach and everything but I have been reading and reading. Finally decided to start my buyild and got the steppers wired up. I am using Automation Direct power supplies, stepper drives and motors and cables. The stepper drives appear to be a lot like Geckos. Anyway got all the switch settings on the device set for amperages, half step mode, etc and set the motors on diagnostic mode and motors turn in both directions. set the motors to run mode. I am using a breakout board I purchased on EBAY wired up per instructions lites up etc.

Hooked up to an IBM computer I have P2 2.0gig, watched and followed the setup video, set the connections per the video, changed the motor pinouts to 2 - 3, 3 - 4, 4 - 5. but when I get to tuning motors don't turn when hitting arrow keys. How can I track down where the problem is.

I checked the lpt port settings set to EPS mode and default settings.

How can I test my LPT port, how can I trouble shoot my wiring ,

any help will be appreciated. Please HELP

Thanks,

D

[Crevice Reamer]

The P2 computer may not be fast enough to properly run Mach3. Mach specifies 1 GHZ as minimum speed.

Are the motors locking up? If so, can you PRINT by hooking a printer to the parallel port?

Is your DB-25 cable a "straight thru" cable? Test read each pin from end to end with a multimeter set to Ohms.

CR.

[ger21]

changed the motor pinouts to 2 - 3, 3 - 4, 4 - 5.

Are you saying one motor is using pin 2 for step and 3 for direction, and the next is 3 for step and 4 for direction? If so, that won't work. Should be 2-3, 4-5, 6-7.

Also, when using the arrow keys to jog, make sure jogging is turned on, and your in the correct jog mode. And you can't jog on all the screens, unless there's a jog on/off button, I don't believe.

And make sure the cable you're using has all the pins straight through.

[m1ck]

Just a thought, is the emergency stop in the left hand corner flashing?

If it is, nothing will work but you can disable it in the settings by un-ticking it.

Mick.

[dberrouard]

Ok these are all great thoughts he is some more info:

I screwed up its a P4 2.0 gig processor with 512 ram.

I will next check the cable to see if its a straight through.

The estop flashes but then if I hit it it stops flashing and turns green so I thought that meant it would work.

x uses pin 2 - 3
y uses pin 4 - 5
z uses pin 6- 7


Now on the MACH forum one of the guys said I need to run 5v to the enable pins on my stepper drives to get it to allow mach to communicate. so is enable + get 5v and enable - get ground??

Again THANKS everyone for their patience and help.

[diecutter]

I'm not familiar with Mach3, but when setting up under Mach2 you have to assign each jog key before they work. You can find the screen for this on the Mach tool bar under the "system hot keys" tab.

[ViperTX]

If you're tuning the steppers.....then you select the axis and I believe that only the Page Up and Page Down keys work...I'd check my system, but it's freezing in the garage.

Also on my C11G BOB, you have to enable the outputs of the drivers on the BOB. I'm using Keling KL6050 and you don't connect the enables on the Drivers, you just enable the outputs on the BOB on my C11G there is one enable that I wire in series with my Normally Closed E-Stop Switch to +5 VDC.

I also had to enable the Charge Pump input on MACH3, Port 1, Pin 17, Active Low I believe.

Paul

[dberrouard]

OK I checked the cable using a multimeter set to ohms (continuity) and only PIN 25 reads any resistance all other pins read open or nothing!!!??? This is bad right?

where can I get the right cable - does staples carry them??

Thanks,

D

[Crevice Reamer]

OK I checked the cable using a multimeter set to ohms (continuity) and only PIN 25 reads any resistance all other pins read open or nothing!!!??? This is bad right?

where can I get the right cable - does staples carry them??

Maybe, but I doubt it would be straight thru.

Order this A1 cable Friday morning and you'll probably have it by Monday:

http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/inde...8f2b63efeaeecc

CR.

[TOTALLYRC]

Bring your ohm meter to staples and ask the manager what you need in a cable.
He will probably let you open one to check it out. In this tight economy, cutomer service is where it is at, and most of these places are pretty good, at least around here.

Mike