[JLOASE]

I had an Linux 4 axis CNC system running fine using parallel port control to a Chinese control card.
I foolishly upgraded Ubuntu from 10 and of course EMC quit working. I then deleted the partition and again loaded Ubuntu 10 and Linux CNC with the CD and configured using the Stepconf Wizard as before.
The problem is none of the axes will move. The spindle control works fine estop output and input work fine but not the axes. When I try to tune the X axis the Y axis slowly steps until it hits the limit switch. Trying to tune any other axis does nothing in other words there is no movement.
When I jog from EMC the movement is displayed on the screen but no motion occurs.
The hardware was working fine when I started this mess so that is not the problem. Any suggestions would be appreciated

Jim

[atex57]

Steppers or servos ? Step and direction? If so then do one axis at a time. Step and dir lines on the right pins? You did do a backup of your ini and hal files? :-) Need some details.

Ed.

[JLOASE]

Step and direction. The hardware was all working an hour before I messed up the software. I did not change any of of the hardware or interface wiring. The spindle still works fine and the estop in and out work fine. I do not believe it is hardware for these reasons.

Jim

[lwill]

Did you upgrade to 10 using the Linux CNC Live disk?
If it is a "vanilla" copy of Ubuntu it will NOT work!
It must have the real time kernel installed to run Linux CNC. (it will only run in simulation, and not move axis)
This is included with the Linux CNC Live disk image.

[JLOASE]

Yes I Did re-install Unbutu 10 using the Linux CNC Live disk after deleting the partition it was originally installed. I deleted the partition from Windows.
I did a fresh download of the live disk and burned the iso image to a DVD.

Jim

[lwill]

OK. Do you still have the original install disk?
Could you try it to see if you get back to where you started?
You said:
"When I try to tune the X axis the Y axis slowly steps until it hits the limit switch."
Sounds like pin outs are wrong in the ini file.
(x step going to y dir, and x dir to y step, could give this strange type of action)

-- Sorry I have never used the wizards. I did mine a long time ago by hand and keep copying my files when upgrading.

What kind of a machine/hardware are you running? Did it come pre-installed? If so was it pre-configured to non standard pins?
If you could re-install the original, verify operation, then backup configs for new version?

[neilw20]

Change for the sake of change can come back and bite?
Why did you change with no way to reverse the procedure?

[Tensaiteki]

Is this Chinese control card one of the TB6560 based boards?

Try switching to a PCI parallel card. I have a TB6560 based that has killed the on-board parallel on two separate computers. Each time had slightly different symptoms.

The first time all the inputs worked (limit switches, etc.) but the motors would run extremely rough, the wrong direction, both, slow, or not at all. The board would even male a weird hissing noise. A few minutes later they stopped working all together. I thought for certain that I had managed to kill the driver board. As part of trouble shooting, I hooked it up to a different computer with LinuxCNC and it worked fine. Put a PCI parallel card in the original machine, changed the port in the .hal file and everything worked fine from then on.

Fast forward about a year and the hard-drive in the computer dies. I slap a quick LinuxCNC install on a "new" computer and start getting everything set up. 'Bout a half-hour later the motors suddenly started working only intermittently, then not at all. The inputs still worked but when the board was enabled it would make a hissing noise that would get louder and louder for about ten seconds, then stop, and the motors still wouldn't turn, but they would vibrate a bit. Took some readings on the output of the drives with a multi-meter (volt meter) and got some weird voltages. All the inputs continued to work fine. Again, I thought I had killed the driver board. Remembered the earlier issue, moved the PCI parallel card from the old computer to the new one, changed the port in the .hal file and everything worked again.

I suspect that the Chinese boards are hard on on-board parallel ports and that all you need is a cheap PCI parallel card.

P.S. If your motherboard has more than one PCI slot, put the parallel card in the top-most one, first. I couldn't get mine to work in the "new" computer until I moved it to the top slot.

[neilw20]

Yeah use an external card so you don't kill a mb lpt port.
Bet you have common earth and no optoisolation. Nice way to kill the port when a common or ground gets high voltages INDUCED in it.
Don't blame the PC or the cards. It will be wiring that is killing it.
while the hissing is happening, (normal but nyou can't hear it often) the induced voltages -- read that as 50-200v are killing things.
USE OPTOS!

[JLOASE]

OK. Do you still have the original install disk?
Could you try it to see if you get back to where you started?
You said:
"When I try to tune the X axis the Y axis slowly steps until it hits the limit switch."
Sounds like pin outs are wrong in the ini file.
(x step going to y dir, and x dir to y step, could give this strange type of action)

-- Sorry I have never used the wizards. I did mine a long time ago by hand and keep copying my files when upgrading.

What kind of a machine/hardware are you running? Did it come pre-installed? If so was it pre-configured to non standard pins?
If you could re-install the original, verify operation, then backup configs for new version?

I bought a Chinese 4 axis machine 3060 on Ebay. I did not receive anything from the vendor so I just downloaded Ubuntu 10 with EMC2 and loaded it on an old PC I had. I wired and configured it and it just worked. I have no backups.