[scrogathon]

I need some help with setting up my ethernet smoothstepper, I cannot get it to control anything without freezing up mach 3, I dont even know where to start I just want to finish my CNC machine I purchased over 3 years It causes extreme anxiety for me and I cannot seem to figure it out anyone with a good setup guide for a windows 7 pc would be greatly appreciated. I have got the board to connect to the computer but it freezes constantly and here I am.

[James Newton]

Help

[mactec54]

I need some help with setting up my ethernet smoothstepper, I cannot get it to control anything without freezing up mach 3, I dont even know where to start I just want to finish my CNC machine I purchased over 3 years It causes extreme anxiety for me and I cannot seem to figure it out anyone with a good setup guide for a windows 7 pc would be greatly appreciated. I have got the board to connect to the computer but it freezes constantly and here I am.

Did you load the Parallel Port when you installed Mach3, if so this may be the cause, you should not have it loaded, this will be a starting point to check, you may have to remove Mach3 and reinstall it, without the Parallel Port, save you XLM file if you have set up your machine

[scrogathon]

I made sure to not install the parallel port multiples times, Ive reinstalled windows 7 on my machine and then proceeded to install mach 3 with the smooth stepper drivers as per the instructions on this page Ethernet Smoothstepper Setup Guide | CNCRouterParts Mach does connect to the ESS as it shows the correct Lights but as soon as I go to ports and pins and change something it will freeze up MACH and then the LEDS on the SS will change showing I have lost connection or at least that is what I am lead to believe. I am 99% positive I have the wiring hooked up correctly to the 1 stepper motor I am trying to test out. and I doubt that would have anything to do with MACH freezing.

[scrogathon]

also I am using A c25 breakout board from CNC4PC and hooked up the stepper motors with these instructions http://cnc4pc.com/Tech_Docs/JINAN2ESS.pdf I am not sure what I am missing, could it be that my computer is far too new to use? I built it a few years ago and its a multicore and had no parallel ports hence the ethernet smoothstepper buy. I am so stressed out over this I know I shouldnt be but its the way I am. first person to help get my machine going will get a reward!

[scrogathon]

I also need to note that I do not have the jumpers placed on the pins beside port 1 and 2 as described in the instructions here http://cnc4pc.com/Tech_Docs/JINAN2ESS.pdf Im nervous to hook them up I dont want to burn up a few hundred dollars worth of equipment.

[mactec54]

I also need to note that I do not have the jumpers placed on the pins beside port 1 and 2 as described in the instructions here http://cnc4pc.com/Tech_Docs/JINAN2ESS.pdf Im nervous to hook them up I dont want to burn up a few hundred dollars worth of equipment.

When you open Mach3 can you see the smoothstepper in the plugin control drop down ( top of screen ) do you have the 5v supply for the SmoothStepper

Disconnect the Breakout board from the Smoothstepper, and see if the same thing happen

[scrogathon]

I do see the smoothstepper in the plugin controls and I do have a dedicated 5v power supply hooked up to the board, and I will try disconnecting the board for a moment and see where that gets me but it was a nightmare getting it on the pins. must have been built on a friday evening or monday morning.

I honestly think I need to jump the pins to supply 5 volts to the breakout board but didn't want to mess anything up.

[scrogathon]

Still freezes up after exiting ports and pins even with the breakout board not attached.

[mactec54]

I do see the smoothstepper in the plugin controls and I do have a dedicated 5v power supply hooked up to the board, and I will try disconnecting the board for a moment and see where that gets me but it was a nightmare getting it on the pins. must have been built on a friday evening or monday morning.

I honestly think I need to jump the pins to supply 5 volts to the breakout board but didn't want to mess anything up.

Do you have the 5v jumper on the SmoothStepper in it's correct position, it has 2 positions, one for USB power and one for remote,5v and no USB cable can be connected when you use 5v remote, get one Board/part working at a time

[scrogathon]

the bootP jumper? its open like it came from the factory, and I do get the lights showing im connected to MACH but it will freeze and lose connection. Im not using the USB version just to clarify.

The top green led lights up solid and the bottom one blinks 20 times a second showing im connected and it will then proceed to lock up mach 3 after I exit the ports and pins section regardless of whether or not the breakout board is attached.

[mactec54]

the bootP jumper? its open like it came from the factory, and I do get the lights showing im connected to MACH but it will freeze and lose connection. Im not using the USB version just to clarify.

The top green led lights up solid and the bottom one blinks 20 times a second showing im connected and it will then proceed to lock up mach 3 after I exit the ports and pins section regardless of whether or not the breakout board is attached.

The USB connection is only for power, if you don't have a 5v supply, the jumper has to be correct for this, make sure yours is correct with the photo, you move the Jumper to the left looking at the photo

[scrogathon]

I am not using the USB version. getting ready to put this back on the shelf for another three years, im in over my head on this one, fresh windows install, new drivers, following directions correctly but nothing, I either have a lemon ESS or my Perfectly running gaming computer cant handle it.

[scrogathon]

Im using the "ETHERNET" version which has no jumper for switching from usb power to external 5v

[scrogathon]

Attachment 300998

[mactec54]

Im using the "ETHERNET" version which has no jumper for switching from usb power to external 5v

Strange I have the Ethernet version, I must check it, I thought it had 2 options for power, just checked it only has 1 option like yours

Your computer should be fine,is your OS 32 Bit and antivirus turned off, or not even on the computer is best, turn everything off that is not needed, or remove whatever you can

[scrogathon]

I really wish it was easy for me to get going, I probably would have never built a 5000 dollar cnc if I knew it would be this hard to get running. My OS is 64 bit because I have 16gbs of ram and it will not detect any more than 6 with the 32 bit version. I have no antivirus cause im badass like that.

Again I have been able to connect to MACH 3 and the lights turn on properly on the board but as soon as I try to do anything in Mach it will lock up and lose connection with the Smoothstepper it comfirms that with the lights turning off. IM at a loss.

[mactec54]

I really wish it was easy for me to get going, I probably would have never built a 5000 dollar cnc if I knew it would be this hard to get running. My OS is 64 bit because I have 16gbs of ram and it will not detect any more than 6 with the 32 bit version. I have no antivirus cause im badass like that.

Again I have been able to connect to MACH 3 and the lights turn on properly on the board but as soon as I try to do anything in Mach it will lock up and lose connection with the Smoothstepper it comfirms that with the lights turning off. IM at a loss.

You only need 2G of Ram for Mach3 is more than enough, you may have to much computer,I run it on an i7 8G of ram with no problems, you don't need much when you use the SmoothStepper, are you using Mach3 version 3.043.062

It sounds like you are connected, does Mach3 do the same thing, ( Crash ) if you don't connect to the ESS

[ger21]

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling Mach3?

[scrogathon]

Just did again for about the third time, It still hangs after exiting the ports and pins config but only when it has been connected to the smoothstepper. powered down the ess and it worked and didn't freeze on me