[looseman]

Hi, I need help and this is my pain story. I guess should be the right topic here..

I tried many times to make the stupid MC433G working...but I've never successful did it once.

1. I was tested on a DB25 M to DB25 M both serial/parallel, only the serial type works on programmer utility. the test utility never worked, stepper motors never moved .

2. I'm using PC's power supply's 12V 300W for motors, 9V 2A power supply for the controller board.

3. PC's Bios set to ECP+EPP mode.

4. the board has 3 LEDs, 2 was ON, 1 was flashing.

5. I tried 2 methods said on the manual to connect these 6 wires to controller board on the X-axis port. both methods were not working at all, and the fuse is still alive.

6. when I use the programmer utility, it said all ATmage chips were OK with serial DB25 cable.

my story.
I feel so pain, and I think I got rip off from soc-machince' Steve who sold me the MC433G for $165! MC433 just around $70 on ebay, and I ordered the package for $366 with 4x motors, 1x controller, 4x couplers, 1x MC-USB, he was not send out the package after 2 weeks since I completed the payment. until I mentioned him I'm going to do refund via paypal or card center. finally I got it at the 3rd weeks.

After about a month(End of Feb to today 25th MARCH 2008), he still didn't send me the MC-USB, his replied. "will send this friday"...and another week said "will send this monday".....he repeasts such messages with the reason he said he want to make it better to send command to controller...huh? while the product is not ready to use, why put them on ebay, I was not paid for NOT-YET-WORKING product, and I'm not going to be a beta tester unless you pay me, not I pay you. I still not get the MC-USB until today anyways. "Steve"..i think the only person in the "company" he doesn't willing to reply email...maybe only 1 of 10 emails. I very feel he sells these products are prototype or beta...that are not ready to the market, but he still selling such things. DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM soc-machines.com, and I've all history recoreded on ebay/hotmail that I can post up here if you want.

hey guys, what kind of the LPT cable you made it working between PC and MC433? manual just makes me so confusing. please tell me clearly... Sorry for my bad English.

serial DB25 M/DB25 M?
parallel DB25 M/DB25(laplink)?
serial COM DB9 F/DB25 M(modem)?
I tested all of above...none of one worked so far.

Thanks

[blackbeard52]

Looseman

I have ordered one of those boards just to see whats up. I hope I dont experience the same troubles you have. You know that if the board doent work you have recourse if you paid with paypal.

Anyway when I get mine I will try to help you. I should get it any day. it has shipped.

Bob

[looseman]

thanks for reply, I'm thinking of chargeback and send mc433g back to him with registered mail, ask him to do refund maybe another problem..someone in here who reported never get refund from him.

[looseman]

what was my steps to do test with MC433G

L and R potentiometers turn max countclockwise, middle one set to mid position

set all motors to half step...tested with all modes...I got the same result..no reaction

6 wires to X, or to connect 4 stepper motors, wiring followed White+yellow > black > red > green > blue.

9V 2A power to board on
12V 350W PC power for motors on
you'll see 2 LEDs are on, 1 led is flashing

test the parallel/serial cable's connection, and board's ATmega chips, run mc433test, input CM command and then exit. short the programming jumper where next to the board power, right now, 2 LED on, other led is off,
,run mc433 programming utility, it should show up ALL "X1~X5 have responding, OK", type XA, all reset..and have responding with 20mhz status.

close the programming utiltiy. power off the board, remove the programming jumper.
power on, you should see 2 led is on, 1 other led is flashing. run mc433 test.
imput CC command, try T,5, and R test the motors...

good luck, motors should have reaction.

PS: Steve replied :The right cable is a Parallel LPT cable's pinout is from 1 to 1...2 to 2..10 to 10 so on. I got no luck with my old parallel cable, and brand new from computer store, another one from Londondrugs

[blackbeard52]

start from the beginning...I am assumming that these tests are alrady done.
verify all these
1. voltage and amperage is infact what you want to achieve
2. when the board is powered on ande motors connected are they energized? (locked so they will not move)
3. Since I havent seen his test utility I can speak to that
4. Use Mach3 (you can download free trial)
5. setup Mach3 and make sure that the DIR and STEP signals match the board and that the STEP pulse duration is set to the maximum value of 5usec.

try this and get back to me

Bob

[looseman]

1. voltage and amperage is infact what you want to achieve

9~12V is very enough for board power which is adivised on the manual
12V 350W is enough for test for motor power, 24V 14A+ is advised for working in real world by Steve's replied.

2. when the board is powered on and motors connected are they energized? (locked so they will not move)

methods for 1A~3A, and 3A+ 6 wires stepper motors, on the manual
1~3A wiring followed
White+yellow > black > red > green > blue
3A+ wiring followed
White+yellow to motor main power's + with fuse, and black > red > green > blue on its slot

steper motors I brought from him.

3. Since I havent seen his test utility I can speak to that

all possible commands I've been tried, motors have no reaction at all, the CD came with the package should be the lastest ver. All software you can be found on soc-machines.com are all out of the date for years! and none of any firmwares even older verison showed up, I've no chance to reflash these chips, it makes me feel it wouldn't actually has programmer working hard with its product developing.

4. Use Mach3 (you can download free trial)

Mach3 won't work unless it can pass the basic test frist, I have tried TurboCNC, Mach2,and 3 already. TurboCNC is the most working one with MC433 which reported by other users here.

5. setup Mach3 and make sure that the DIR and STEP signals match the board and that the STEP pulse duration is set to the maximum value of 5usec.

none of any responds yet.

I brought all types of such new cable on hand right now, Serial, Parallel, Laplink, DB9 to DB25 F-M serial, and I did tests with all of them after the MC433G doesn't work with my old parallel DB25 M-M cable.

After some confused replied by Steve, The serial cable is to command the MC433G board, and programming, and the parallel cable is to talk with MCtest. and you need to try with some commands, such as !, cm, and cc once you run the test utility.

Programming utility work for some of these serial cable, it shows all ATmega chips are responding OK.

MC433 could be easier and few steps lesser then MC433G, you don't need to disable the G code processor b4 to run test.
hope you have no problem to get it to work, and leave us your detailed steps..possible a photographic introduction is always very welcome :P

I've already requested a refund anyway.

[blackbeard52]

It sounds to me like you have a problem board. I myself have tried to contact him with no results. If I were you I would start refund proceedings from paypal ASAP

Bob

[jeff2005]

Hi All
I have had my board for I think close to a year. Didn't think it would ever show up took forever and finally got it and have never have made it work. I emailed a few times without much help then asked Steve if I could send back and have him CHECK IT(I did not ask for refund or new one as of yet) just to test it and that was the end of all communication. I contacted paypal wanted me to try their negotiations in the middle of us moving then took internet service 5 weeks to get us hooked up and working by that point paypal said it was to late for refund it was now over 30 days. So stil have the board I dont even waste my time anymore with it. I have read many more stories like mine and yours out there for the same board.
Jeff2005

[looseman]

you should try to contact Steve via emailsssssssss by any chance for refund...not by stupid paypal...but it is tooooo late I think, your money could be just for few ATmega64/128 chips and MOSFETs for another projects...I got refund..but it is still on "Pending", and I'll send him back the board once the refund is cleared.

[blackbeard52]

Well I finally got a reply that he had sent it...... but not in tracking...I wonder if he actually knows about this board. (CNC Zone) kinda kickin himself in the A@@.... but following along right behind him is MDFly.... I think we should just stick to Gecko or others supported here on the board. If Marress will ever get hose CHEAP DRIVES done ....many entries on that post...........


Luck all
Bob

[looseman]

Do you know
I got replied from him like this such of messages for overed 10 times during a month.
He sells things that not sure in stock sometime. check his feedbacks on ebay.

"I'm so sorry, I'll send it to you today"
"you package has been sent to you, you'll rev. it in any day soon"..when I asked him about the tracking#" after few emails

he repeats such shxt again!
"It will be sent on Friday.....next monday..."repeats the same shxt on ramdom day"
We're doing some debugging..and you can download our new software/firmware tomorrow or maybe on Thu this week...so on, you can guess what could be the same shXt next

for already over a month, he didn't send me the complete package.
and software on soc-machines.com...no updates for years already as I said on early replied.

I think he wants to do good business, but he may too busy with other stuff. and at least...I got replied...better than none after brought something from other ebay sellers.

[looseman]

BTW...I'm lookin for USB 4 axis controller board that can handle 10A+ after this stupid mc433g...any recommended good boards? I've asked google, he told me not too many right now...only fews to choice. and some has problem to be worked with Mach series.

[glasswoodmetal]

It's a more than a year since these folks have posted the mc433 / mach3 problem. I didn't do enough research and bought a mc433 about 2 weeks ago. I previously was using a lightobjects board from ebay. It fried when one of the motors locked. (soc warns use a fuse on the motor circuit -- good advice)
I thought the higher amp rating on the mc433 was the ticket. The previous board was so easy to configure. The mc433 was not so simple, but I found that the more I learned what I was doing, the easier it got. The test program HAS to run first. Tweak the motors with the jumpers off -- the instructions say that. Test the motor with a ohm meter to be sure to get the wires right. Find out what that means, if you don't know, or consider another hobby.
Now the hard part. The test program will drive the motors all day. So what?
Mach3 IS complicated. To me, it's like flying an airplane. It took a week of messing with the setup, but yes, the mc433 does run with Mach3.
Currently, I have a new problem. The PC that I was using died. I think the steel dust accumulated in it.
I downloaded mach3 and it seems to have changed since the dead pc's version. I copied the configuration from the old pc's hard drive, but the new pc will not drive the motors. Let me clarify that... the mc433 test program runs great, but mach3 will only make the motors shake and run very rough.
I haven't given up yet, when the other pc was running, the board and mach3 performed wonderfully. I'll try to post a video when I'm back online.
Meanwhile, I wouldn't recommend the mc433 - the lightobject is really well documented if you can get by with the low amperage. Not sure what I would get for bigger motors... maybe a gecko.

Glasswoodmetal

[dertsap]

your one of the few who I've seen as fortunate enough to get one running half decent
most have never seen these run anything bigger than a nema17 if anything at all , even modular could not provide a video of these drives running any decent motors in this thread http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55312
I suppose the thread got pushed to the point of product bashing or some other reason that I don't understand and it was was closed , but I still to date would like to see their video , even if they faked it and used geckos hidden behind the board

[glasswoodmetal]

Well, I tried, maybe even more than most. I was trying to run my cnc plasma cutter with mach3 and a mc433 controller. I still haven't abandoned the idea, but for now, I am using a lightobjects controller. The mc433 DID run, for a short time, But now, all I can get is random motion from the motors, Finding the tuned spot with the pots seems nearly impossible. The kind folks at soc returned my emails with a phonce call, and gave me some good suggestions, but for now to no avail.

Meanwhile, here is a film of the cutter with the lightobject board. This board works well most of the time, but whenever the piece is complicated, the y axis starts to turn the wrong way, and will not reverse, until I reset the controller. I am starting to think it has to do with the relay.

www.tikibuilder.com