How to turn on/off spindle

I have used Mach 3 with a Xylotex 4 axis board for about 8 years on a JGRO machine. I am now building a new machine and am trying to set it up to use M-codes to turn on/off the router. I have Port 1 - Pin 1 set for spindle control in both CW and CCW directions. When I hit the spindle button on the diag. screen output 1 goes high and blinks. Pin 1 on my ribbon cable goes to 4.88v. When I turn off the spindle it drops to 0v. This is all good.

So now I have 2 questions.

Hardware first: I made up a simple 5v relay using a NPN transitor circuit to turn on the spindle. But when pin 1 is connected to it and is turned on, the voltage is only .78v. So what hardware does everyone else use to turn on your spindles? I understand that there are breakout boards, but I have only 1 printer output from the PC, and therefore only one cable to attach to one board. The boards I have seen only have an 26 pin input and screw jack outputs, so how would I connect the Xylotex and a breakout board if that is what I need to do??

Software second:

I can turn on and off the spindle no problem, but only one time without having to do an E-stop. Without the E-stop, I cannot turn the spindle back on. Is this normal? Should I not be able to turn the spindle on/off as I like??

Thanks
Ray

When connecting to a P.P. you really need a TTL compatible device such as the 2N7000 Fet that does not load the port.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera...f_control.html
Al.

Thanks Al, i will get one tomorrow and rebuild the curcuit.

Ray

Quote:

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I have Port 1 - Pin 1 set for spindle control in both CW and CCW directions.

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I'd set the CCW output to an unused output. Otherwise, Mach3 may be running both the M3 and M4 macros at the same time.

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I can turn on and off the spindle no problem, but only one time without having to do an E-stop. Without the E-stop, I cannot turn the spindle back on. Is this normal? Should I not be able to turn the spindle on/off as I like??

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This may be related to what I just mentioned. You should be able to start and stop as many times as you like.
Do you have a long Spin Down Delay set?

Do you have a long Spin Down Delay set?

I have the startup set to 2 sec. and the spin down at 5 sec. I was just putting these #'s in as a test, as I have net yet got the router to turn on yet.

Ray

With the 5 second delay, you won't be able to turn it back on for about 6 seconds after turning it off. Try waiting 10 seconds and then try to turn it on.

Thanks Gerry,

I will try that tonight after work

I tried turning on the router after having started, stopped and waiting 10 seconds, nothing. I left it for 5 min. but cannot not turn output 1 back on until I do an e-stop. Gerry, the icon for the router in your screen set does not turn off until I do the e-stop, I am thinking the problem is connected to that.

Email me your xml file.
If the icon isn't going off, then you have a configuration issue. The button just uses Mach3's internal spindle on/off commands.

Thanks for all the help guys, I built the circuit from the above post and now have new questions. While the circuit works fine in Mach, when I turn on the computer the router starts up. Once Mach is running the router turns off. Is this normal? Is there a way around it? I put in a drop resisitor from the input on the FET to ground to stop false noise. But this is a full 4.88v on the printer port until Mach boots. Side note: the router does not turn on once Mach is shut off.

Thanks for the tip on the spindle control Gerry, that worked.

Ray

First, when switching on, all power fed devices, drives spindle should be off by virtue of an E-stop circuit, once Mach boots up the E-stop can be released, enabling the drives and SP.
If you want more protection, insert the output of the charge pump in the E-stop circuit and use as a type of watchdog.
Al.

Thanks Al, next thing to build in.....