[Twoeyes]

Help, I need some new ideas as to why the motors are not moving. I am trying to get my cnc running again after last using it a couple years ago on a few test pieces. I've verified the parallel port is working and sending signals and the breakout board is working. However the motors do not move. The servo drives hold their position when powered up. No binding in any of axis.

Details
3 axis homemade cnc router, fixed gantry, plywood frame, round thomson rails
x and y use Gecko g320 servo drives, 4tpi screws, 1024 quad encoders
z uses Gecko g201 stepper drive
Software limits only
Basic cnc4pc c10 parallel port breakout board
motors all use 33vdc

Control computer is 1.6ghz AMD Sempron, 1gb memory, ATI card
Have a Startech PCi parallel port card at 0xec00
Software is EMC v10.04 with Emc2 v2.4.6

Diagnostics
using Parallel port tester hal program
-on lpt cable plugged to back of computer, I've verified 5vdc applied to correct pin at other end of cable when button is toggled
-on breakbout board terminals verified 5vdc applied for given pins (that supply signal to the drivers)
-measured 5vdc on g320 driver "step" terminal when given button is toggled

Start up Emc2 Axis, home all axis,
try a g0 x3 in MDI panel, nothing happens, no moves, no noise, nothing on other axis either

The drives all have 33vdc, breakout board has 5vdc power. The servo drives all hold position (the drives definitely maintain position if you try turn the leadscrew) They do hunt a little between the encoder positions, but they havent been tuned.

Thing is, I had all this working a year ago. The machine sat the entire time, no changes to the router or wiring except for the control computer, I replaced the parallel port thinking it was a problem and I put the latest EMC2 on it as well. But I think I've ruled out EMC and the parallel port as the problem.

What's next? Any ideas or diagnostics I can do? (I don't have an oscope) Thanks in advance.

Jim

[CarveOne]

Check the computer BIOS to insure that it is set for EPP mode. Then check that the parallel port card is set for 0378 address. I think ec00 is port 3. One or both of these may get it going. Check that EMC2 has the same port address setting that the card is using.

CarveOne

[Twoeyes]

Thanks. I went back and tried both the onboard and addon parallel port. Made sure to change the port in EMC2. No change.

Onboard is 0x0378 and EPP mode
Addon is 0xec00 and tried both SPP and EPP modes

[CarveOne]

The parallel port cable from your C10 BOB goes to which parallel port connector on your computer, the one on the main board (0378) or the one that is on the Startech PCi parallel port card (0xec00)?

Is a printer connected to the main board parallel port connector? If yes, you may want to try switching ports.

EMC2 needs to be set for the address that is actually cabled to the C10 BOB. I don't recall if EMC2 can even use 0xec00 address. My one EMC2 CNC system uses the main board connector with no add-in pport card. I rarely turn it on anymore, so my recollection of this stuff is getting full of memory holes now.

[Twoeyes]

Still troubleshooting...

The parallel port cable currently runs from the add on card (using 0xec00 address) to the breakout board. I've verified that the step pulses are making it to the drives by putting an LED light across the STEP (Term 11) and COMMON (Term 12) of the x axis and y axis gecko drives. The brightness of the lights vary with the step rate, at 10ipm the lights are dim, at 180ipm the lights are bright. I think the computer, emc2, parallel cable, and the BOB can be ruled out.

I did have a wiring error where I miswired the STEP/DIR COMMON (Term 12) on the gecko drives, I've now connected it to the BOB common terminal (I had wired it to the +5vdc external power supply, so I don't know how it worked before!).

I'm now double checking the wiring of the encoders.

[Twoeyes]

The motors are working now. Encoder wiring was fine. I found some wiring diagrams that showed +5vdc to Terminal 12 on the gecko g320, so I set it back to that and now it is working. I am back to my original wiring in the control box. So I am stumped what changed. But I am happy to start work on it again, and it still needs some tuning and limit switches.