[turmite]

Ok Jason, got the parts in and began the new install......and found the problem. I could not get the new board to come on period. I left the p/s on and checked voltage at the input and the voltage was 1.8 volts and that was right were the wires from the p/s came in. So I changed p/s turned it on and still no lights. By this time I was freaked because you told me you had tested and all was good.

So, I took the old board with no usb cables hooked to it, applied power and bingo.....main board led lit right up! Now I really am confused. I thought about it and decided to plug each axis into the usb board one at a time. X axis.....green lite......y and z the same results. When I plugged the a axis, which in using the home plug, all the lites went out and the voltage at the input dropped again to 1.8 volts. I had removed the switch end of the usb so I could ohm out the individual conductors so I wondered if the usb plugged into the usb board was bad. Turned everything off then cut each conductor individually just to be safe. I then turned power back on, inserted the usb for the home back into the usb board and got a green and red light on the panel leds. Checked the voltage in and it was at 4.82. So now I take the switch end usb and change it for the one in the usb board, and still have lights!

Now I am assuming.......but I assume that there is a short somewhere in the 4+1 cable that is causing this. If I ohm out again and this time check each wire instead of just the corresponding color wire, will it show me continuity if there is a short?

Mike

ps gonna go test it anyway but hope someone answers

[Falcon69]

Mike, the board was tested.

Everything worked as it should.

Somewhere in your wiring from the mainboard to your limit switches is wrong. either the wires are crossed, arcing to each other, or not connected at all.

The green and LED lights should not have turned on when you plugged the switch in. The red light should have been on the panel, but turned to green only once plugged in. If both went on, you have 2 wires shorting together somewhere along that length of wire from the external mount usb board to the limit switch.

[turmite]

Found it. I had a short between the ground conductor and one of the others. I did the divide and conquer method of finding it!:devious: Cut it in half, and half and half and wouldn't you know it, I found the short with the last cut I made!!

I am taking a little break and will hook everything up later this evening.

Mike

[Falcon69]

Oh, and also, if you only had 1.8 volts for supply current, none of the LED's would be on. The Sensor needs a minimum of 4.5 volts to turn on and the ULN2003's need about 2volts (i think) to operate.

[Falcon69]

okay, good, I'm glad you found the culprit. Keep me updated.

It would have been less of a headache to just replace all with new wiring me thinks.

I will start suggesting that from now on.

[turmite]

Jason, the funny thing is, this particular piece of cable was the only piece on the machine that never moved in a cable carrier! Go figure. You might want to "strongly" suggest the new wiring thing.

Mike

[turmite]

Ok Jason, so what is the problem if the switch red lite and the panel red lite is on and the magnet has no effect? Remember this is the home switch I am using.

Mike

ps I am posting these questions here in hopes this saga helps someone else......then hopefully no one else is having problems.

[Falcon69]

The ULN2003 is fried on that port. There are 7 ports for the ULN2003.

Did you plug the new board in, with that short still in tact? If so, then you've fried that board as well :*(

[turmite]

I don't think so. Although I probably did because of the low voltage on the input showing up. I will go to the shop and check it. Can I use one of the unused sides of x y or z to trigger the a axis reference signal I need? If so, with jumper or without?



Mike

[Falcon69]

The board has a total of 7 switches input to 7 outputs to the BoB. (without jumpers 1-3 installed)

All the jumpers do is combine, for example, the two x-axis switches into a single output to the BoB. So, if you are using a single switch for the X-axis with a magnet on each end of the machine to trigger it, then you have an extra switch output.

[turmite]

I will configure it that way then. It will be tomorrow before I post back but I will let you know the results and findings. Thank you once again.

Mike

[Falcon69]

I think however, that Mach3 wants to see 3 home switches, one for each of the 3 axes. Then the switches for the other ends of the axes can be combined into a single. Just like the picture I posted earlier. So, making it a total of 4 outputs to the BoB. If x-axis has a single switch, and you assign that as a home switch, I am not sure if Mach will know if it has been triggered when it hits the magnet at the other end of the machine. I could be wrong though, but if that is the case, then You needed the home output for the a-Axis.

The new boards I am changing the names of everything. It's way too confusing the way I have it now.

I should of had them......

Xaxis Home
Xaxis Limit
Yaxis Home
Yaxis Limit
Zaxis Home
Zaxis Limit
Aaxis Limit

[turmite]

Jason, Mach is an incredible little piece of software. Now I am assuming here because I am just now upgrading to Mach 3.....yep, I used Mach 2 all this time and it was great, but I wanted to go to the Ethernet Smooth Stepper and it works with Mach3. If 3 is like 2, then Mach can read the following with no problem.

All limits, wired in series as normally closed, and any one broken will stop the machine. The same limits, in the same config can be used as the home/reference switches. Mach changes use internally depending on the code ask for. Limits of course are for machine safety to keep a crash from happening, but the same switches are used by Mach in the following order when a reference all is called. Z axis lifts to the upper limit and stops, backs off a smidge then the x axis travels in a - direction until the switch is broken, and then the same for the y axis. In my case all axis back off the switch just a little and that is my zero position or home position. I did not have soft limits set up with Mach 2, but I am for sure going to use them in this application. After having read the pdf and watched the videos for setting up Mach 3, I realize how many times those soft limits would have prevented a hard limit being hit and having to start all over.

I probably have this all wrong and if so, someone please correct me in a hurry!

Mike

[daniellyall]

you can have all homes on one input and all limits on another or all together when homing it only sees home switch, when working if it hits switches it stops no mater what one it hits.

[turmite]

Jason I am at a dead end. I replaced the cable, both usb ends are new and the switch is new. None of this as been used and regardless where I plug the usb at on the usb board, and the corresponding panel led into the main board, I get red led only on both ends. No jumpers. X Y and Z are still glowing green and work fine when the magnet passes.

Do you have any ideas as to what to try next?

Mike

ps you have my email and phone if you want to use it or send me a time and I will call.

[Brown3ulie]

Oh, and also, if you only had 1.8 volts for supply current, none of the LED's would be on.

[Falcon69]

Mike, It seems that the board is damaged. Plugging in the shorted out cable into that new board I sent has damaged the ULN2003's on that board.

Draw a schematic of the wiring from the External USB to the Switches. Draw a schematic from the Mainboard to Your Breakout board, and give me a link to the manual or schematic of your BoB. I will try and trace the problem and see what's going on. Without actually being there, doing the wiring myself and seeing how things are connected, not much I can do on this end.

If i just send out a 3rd board, the chances of that one getting fried as well seems to be high.

[Falcon69]

Post #718 than John100 posted up is the schematic for the Mainboard. Well, sort of the schematic. It's more of a visual representation of how the circuit is wired, less the external USB, but all that does is just make a connection point between switches and mainboard.

[turmite]

Jason, if the board was fried, why does xyz still work perfectly? That is the part I don't understand. You did tell me in another post that I should be able to move the a axis to any of the xyz b side plugs and it work. When I tried that, I still got red leds both ends. If the b side was burned, wouldn't the a side be as well?

I am not questioning that you tested the board. I know you did. I readily admit that I fried the boards, but the second was done quite innocently based upon assumption that it was when I cut the wire on the first board that I shorted it out. The problem is, the short was not when I cut it. It was already shorted about 24 to 30 inches in from the end of the cable. A 5 volt .350 amp short with cutters is not going to short the cable that far away. There was no damage to the cable cover either. I can't tell you why or how the cable was damaged, but that was the problem from the beginning and I assumed otherwise and fried the second board.

I will make you the drawings tonight and try to get them to you by 9pm your time.

Mike

ps none of this is hooked to my bob.....this has all been prior bob hook up on the new board.

[Falcon69]

Okay, choose a port on the mainboard that is working correctly and also plug in a panel LED that is working correctly into the corresponding USB position (i.e. x-axis a USB with x-axis a panel led). One by one, plug in the switch USB into it and see if it works correctly. If it does not, there is something wrong with the switch still, whether it is wire, or the switch sensor itself has been damaged. It is possible that during all of this that the sensor has been damaged and is not sending out the signal. I believe that would cause the Red LED to go on. I know the red led on the panel stays on when there is no usb plugged in. If all switches are operating correctly, use a switch that is operating correctly, and the panel LED< and move one by one through all the axes.

Let me know which are damaged.

Somewhere, something is wrong, and I would hate to send out a newboard, without tracking down that problem.

I looked at the schematic for your breakoutboard. It's a nice set-up. It supplies 12volts, input signal, and ground. With a Diode, that would work nicely with my new single LED switches I will make soon. (I could even make the resistors for the LED's for the 12volts instead of 5)

But for wiring of these switches, the 12volt is simply not connected. The ground would come from the ground input of the mainboard, and the axis output signal to the output signal of the BoB.

It is possible that plugging in and unplugging the Panel LED's has disconnected the wire at the pin. Unless that wire is touching another, all that will happen is that panel LED won't come on. Simply resolder the wire back on. If it is touching, that as well could damage the ULN2003's. Those chips are so touchy. I've had bad luck with the chips, they are working, but most are not. Only the boards I test that are operating 100% I am sending out. I will not buy IC Chips again from eBay. The new boards are working flawlesslly for the 3 I've assembled so far for prototypes. But, those chips I bought direct from Mouser.

There's nothing wrong with the tested and working old boards however, but because of the eBay bought chips, I've had to scarp about 23 boards out of 100 that have failed the tests. Not good odds.

DON'T buy IC's from eBay!