[c131fr]

Another day, another disaster...

I installed more wiring, but decided to test everything UP TO the rectifier. I turned on the switch, and BAM. Fire, smoke, general chaos. See photo.

I don't get it. The first time I turned it on, I had my computer on and the TV, and it popped the 15amp house breaker. So I reset the breaker, made sure everthing in the room was off, and when I turned the box on, the two wires from the low side of the transformer were obviously shorted. Something is horribly wrong. I just don't understand it. Anyone have any ideas?

[Bubba]

On all the bridge blocks like that I have used have the AC terminals diagonal from each other. You have probably just created a direct short on one half of the sine wave and most probably blown the bridge.

[c131fr]

That could be one of my problems. Also I just figured out that I did indeed have the hot and neutral backwards at the plug. Wouldn't that be an issue as well?

I'm sure the rectifier is blown, it got very very hot. Radio Shack has a couple in stock, thank goodness.

[c131fr]

I'm pretty sure it was because of the neutral and hot wires being backwards at the wall plug. I put them around correctly, and the transformer no longer makes a humming noise, and the cooling fan came on (so I know the transformer is making power). Does that make sense to you all? I'd like some input before I smoke more wires and resistors. lol

[judleroy]

Sounds like you might be better off (and safer) spending 50-100$ at keling and get a power supply you don't need to wire yourself. Lol.
Judleroy

[c131fr]

Heh. Yeah. Well, I got it. 24VDC with no smoke, no popped breakers, no scary noises, and I had the TV, computer, and ceiling fan all on. Hey, I learn by doing (and sometimes failing), and I learned a lot so far. Now to hook up the capacitor and shock myself to death. I've got a 1.5k 5 watt resister between the terminals per the instructions. After that, it's all easy. lol /knock on wood

[Bubba]

Congrats on making progress! :})

Learning by doing is the best way. Shame I or somebody else can't be there looking over your shoulder only to stop you if your doing something bad!
Hang in there. This is the way we all learn.

[c131fr]

Thank you sir. I'm now trying to find some 6 pin connectors so I can wire the connections to the motors. I figured this whole project would only take me a few days. Wrong...

[Bubba]

Why 6 pin connectors? If your thinking of putting the power lines of the geckos and the encoder lines in the same plug, I highly recommend against that! You want to keep the encoder lines and the power lines separate because of possible cross talk (noise) .

[c131fr]

Hmm. The instuctions say to use the 6 pin connector- even gives the Mouser part number. They are expensive from Mouser, so I thought I'd try looking around. Maybe not now. lol The cable I was going to get is shielded, but maybe I'll get 4 conductor shielded wire for the encoder and then just zip tie a regular 2 conductor lamp cord to it for the motors. How about that plan?

[Bubba]

I keep my power wires WELL separated from the encoder wires.
And in the control box, encoder wires and power wires are not run parallel to each other. And when they have to cross, it is done as close as possible to 90°

[c131fr]

My controller box is almost finished. I was about to install some connectors when I noticed that several commercially available servo controllers use Cat 5 cable (with presumably only a few of the wires). Since Cat 5 is 24 gauge, and my instructions say to use 22 gauge, I'm wondering if this is a good idea. It would certainly be easier- I have a cat 5 wiring tool in my toolbox. Any thoughts?

[bobsch]

My controller box is almost finished. I was about to install some connectors when I noticed that several commercially available servo controllers use Cat 5 cable (with presumably only a few of the wires). Since Cat 5 is 24 gauge, and my instructions say to use 22 gauge, I'm wondering if this is a good idea. It would certainly be easier- I have a cat 5 wiring tool in my toolbox. Any thoughts?

Most Cat5 uses solid conductors, not a good idea for cables that will be flexed.

[Harry_Y]

Most Cat5 uses solid conductors, not a good idea for cables that will be flexed.

I would go with heavier gauge as well

[c131fr]

Ok. I have shielded 4 condutor wire that's stranded and 22 gauge, but I just thought it wuold be easier to use the cat 5 connector. I wonder if I could stuff the 22 gauge wire into the connector. lol

[Bubba]

I used db9 connectors for my encoder lines!

[c131fr]

Hello. I got severely side tracked with this project and am just now back to finish. Pretty sad, eh? lol

Anyway, I finally have everything wired up. I have one servo cable done and plugged it in to the Z axis and turned the box on. I have a switch up front that basically turns the Gecko 320 on and off (resets the fault). And lo and behold, a problem.

When I flip the switch to engage, the fault light goes out and the motor starts spinning. After a second, it stops and the fault light comes back on. It will try to reset- the motor will jerk- and the fault light comes on. I do NOT have the computer connected to the controller box. Is that my problem? Seems strange...


EDIT: Okay, I read the Gecko G320 instuctions, and the trim pots were not where they said to put them. I adjusted them and now the motor just sits there. The instructions suggest I should be hearing the motor "sing", but it's dead. I can turn it with my finger. When I turned off the box, the big capacitor I am using takes a while to discharge, and after about 5 seconds the motor took off on its own for aobut a second. lol

Whomever wrote the instructions for the G320 needs to have his fingernails removed....

[c131fr]

Update:

Been pulling my hair out all day, but I found some errors and I think I'm making real progress now. The ground pass through terminal I was using to send volts to the servo was grounded to the chassis, which was causing all my Gecko drivers to be grounded to one another, and was causing all sorts of problems with the servos. They were oscillating like crazy. Fixed the problem and now the servo is acting PERFECTLY!! Whoo hoo.

Okay, not perfectly. I hooked up my box to Mach 3 to "tune" the servos. Much to my delight (and hystarical laughter of frustration and near insanity), the servo only turns in one direction... Any ideas??


EDIT: Didn't have my pins set right in Mach 3. I now have two servos running correctly. Woo hoo! I got this turkey about licked!