[Jannes20]

Okay so first im not sure where to post this so yeah

I got a CNC router from ebay a few years ago. I put it in storage then thought about trying it out today. CNC 3020

I set up a computer and downloaded Mach3.

I'm new to everything here. I don't have any background knowledge about anything. I have a manual but it doesn't really help much with my problems.

Okay, so I set-up the ports and pins. I also tuned the motors, though I'm not sure if I tuned it correctly. The manual told me to put 400 steps, Velocity 2000, Acceleration 200, Step Pulse 10, Dir Pulse 3. I just copied those values, without any knowledge of their meaning and purpose.

Then I tried jogging it using the keyboard controls. It was fine for the positive values, they work. But when I move them the other way around (negative), it moves for a few turns then stops. Also, sometimes nothing works (even the positive movements) and sometimes it works (positive movements and the negative with the stopping after a few turns)

I also tried running a few things that i made using ArtCam. In some parts of the line, the motors work, but most of the time nothing happens - Mach3 highlights the code lines but no motors are moving.

I also tried the MDI, I typed in values like G0 X10 Y10 Z10. It works just as long as the values increase, but when i enter lower values than the previous ones, nothing happens.

Im really new to everything and I'm overwhelmed by everything happening. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or what. Or not doing something important.

[awerby]

Usually, when motors will only turn in one direction, it turns out to be faulty wiring that causes that. I'd suggest you check the wiring in and out of your motors, and remake any connections that seem suspicious.

[Jannes20]

The motors turn both ways though. Just not for a long time. For example, the x axis motor can move right for a long time (until it reaches its limit) but when I make it go left, it goes left for a few seconds only (about 2 seconds). Then it stops. This is happening to all the motors.

But I'll try checking the wirings and see if anything is wrong.

Thanks!
Jannes

[Jannes20]

Wiring seems to be okay, opened up the controller and everything is fine. Is this a problem with my Mach3 troubleshooting? or Mach3 in general? I only have the demo version though. What else should be done after setting up the ports and pins? What makes it lock when going reverse?

[Claude Boudreau]

try them with no load

[Jannes20]

I did the ports and pins again and all. After I assigned the ports and pins, it started to work. X and Z were both going forward and reverse. But Y wasn't moving at all. Then, nothing moves anymore. Then, XYZ can now start to move forward but still "lock" when going reverse after a about a second. Then, Z and X can both move forward and reverse again. I'm so confused, what is happening to the machine? Is it a problem with Mach3? (It doesnt move on its own, it moves using the keyboard keys or the jog keys on the MAch3 screen when I push the buttons)

[Jannes20]

try them with no load

What do you mean with no load?

[Jannes20]

I can now get X and Z to move forwards and backwards but no luck with Y. Y is still locking after a few turns. For X and Z, for them to work it needs to be in this order X+, Z+ X- Z- or else it would lock when going backwards. Any ideas why this is happening?

Is there a problem with my settings?

(in mm)
--Pins
Port 1, 0x378 (according to my system)
X axis - Step Pin 2, Dir Pin 3 (Dir Low) (Step Low Active) Pin 1, Port 1
Y axis - Step Pin 4, Dir Pin 5 (Dir Low) (Step Low Active) Pin 1, Port 1
Z axis - Step Pin 6, Dir Pin 7 (Dir Low) (Step Low Active) Pin 1, Port 1

Probe Port 1, Pin 15, (Active Low) - not sure about this one though
Estop Port 1, Pin 10, (Active Low)
Enable1 Port 1, Pin 14

--Spindle Setup
Disable Flood/Mist relays checked

Motor Control
Use spindle Motor output checked
Step/Dir Motor checked
PWM base Freq. 5
PWM Min 0%

--Motor Tuning
X Axis Steps Per 200, Velocity 2000, Acc 200, Step Pulse 3, Dir Pulse 1
Y Axis Steps Per 200, Velocity 2000, Acc 200, Step Pulse 3, Dir Pulse 1
Z Axis Steps Per 200, Velocity 800, Acc 150, Step Pulse 3, Dir Pulse 1

BTW, I use a CNC Machine Router 3020

[Jannes20]

Update: XYZ are moving both forwards and backwards!!! I didn't really do anything, I just checked the Enable1 and put it in Port 1, Pin 16, then unchecked the charge pump.

But sometimes they stuck and "lock". When one motor locks, its red LED light stays on. I'll press random motor jog buttons on Mach3, and nothing will happen for a while but after a few seconds, it starts working again. It works sometimes, but sometimes it doesn't. I want to make it work always. Any ideas on how? and why this is happening?

[awerby]

Crappy Chinese electronics? People that get tired of this sort of thing often replace them with something more reliable.

[Jannes20]

Crappy Chinese electronics? People that get tired of this sort of thing often replace them with something more reliable.

So there's no fix to this machine?
--

I got up today and now X is the only one working forwards and backwards sometimes, Z and Y are stuck when going reverse.

[handlewanker]

Hi, You could spend a lifetime trouble shooting and swapping parts around without getting it to actually be reliable most of the time if at all.

If you do not have anyone to do the expert touch approach and run out of ideas, providing you REALLY want to run this machine and have a few extra bucks to spare, go down the Gecko 540 path and replace all the electronics with that.......at least you'll get local backup and a current warranty.

There's just too much that can be out of wack, especially as it's been on the shelf untouched and not run for years.

Too many items need perfect alignment to work well or the steppers will react accordingly.........I think they're only just capable of moving the slides without having misalignment issues to overcome, like rails out of parallel, couplers and stepper shafts misaligned, or twists in the frame during assembly etc.
Ian.

[Claude Boudreau]

Try to move the motor by themselves , not coupled to the machine , to make sure there is no binding or anything preventing their movement. If every things fail like handlewanker said
the G540 gecko would be a good investment that could be use to future larger machines.
In the meantime rewiring the motor with good 18-2 awg shielded cables and maybe replacing the db25 cable and parallel port would not be that expensive to try.
good luck

[Jannes20]

Thanks for your replies guys! I really appreciate your help.

I can turn the motors by hand when they're not on or coupled to the machine. They work fine, nothing seems to be stopping them moving in both directions.

I'll try rewiring and replacing things but if that doesnt work, I'll try the Geck540 thing.

I still have hope for this machine, haha

Jannes

[Claude Boudreau]

One last thing make sure these motors are not loosing steps by lowering your speed in motor tunning ...
intermitent problems are the worst

[Jannes20]

Okay, Thanks! How would I know that they're not loosing steps after I've lowered the speed in motor tuning?

[Claude Boudreau]

You can jog the motor one turn forward then one turn backward to see if it come back to the same place .
There is a verify function for that on the setting page of mach 3 though.
I suggest to you to do more reading on mach 3 , there are lots of good video on utube also.
here is one on many...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3futACR6dM

the learning curve is time consuming but worth it , you probably seen the mach 3 site here it is just in case
ArtSoft USA - Video Tutorials

best of luck

[Jannes20]

Thanks for helping, I will read more on mach 3 and hopefully I can get this thing working.

[handlewanker]

You can jog the motor one turn forward then one turn backward to see if it come back to the same place .
There is a verify function for that on the setting page of mach 3 though.
I suggest to you to do more reading on mach 3 , there are lots of good video on utube also.
here is one on many...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3futACR6dM

the learning curve is time consuming but worth it , you probably seen the mach 3 site here it is just in case
ArtSoft USA - Video Tutorials

best of luck

Hi, thanks for the link Claude, just what I need to get into Mach3......I'm a beginner in CNC too.
Ian.