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IndustryArena Forum > OpenSource CNC Design Center > Arduino > 3040 Out of Storage Won't Budge
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    6

    3040 Out of Storage Won't Budge

    Hey guys,

    I just got my old 3040 out of storage after a few years. Prior to that, it ran off a computer with Mach3 and a parallel port perfectly fine. Since getting it out of storage I've been trying to run it off UGS and GRBL with a db25 Arduino shield.

    So far no luck. Every command returns an "ok" status and it all appears to be working. However the CNC itself isn't moving, in fact the stepper motors seem to be locked and heating up and the spindle isn't getting any power to it.

    I checked and double checked the pinouts, even disconnected the Arduino from the stepper control board to confirm that it wasn't the Arduino causing it. The CNC was working well prior to going into storage.

    Can anyone give some advice on how to troubleshoot this?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    1206

    Re: 3040 Out of Storage Won't Budge

    I have to say that my first course of action would be to go back to the old computer and Mach3 if its still available.If not,I hope you kept a copy of all the parameters that related to the machine and can find a way to make them work in Arduino land.Have you tried rotating the steppers by hand-with the power off?If it isn't a mechanical issue from years of inaction and the pinouts are correct then I would move on to the wiring in case mice have been at it and if not then I would suspect the wrong pairs of wires on the steppers being connected to the right outputs of the drivers.

    For help with GRBL there is a lengthy thread about it's latest developments and thats where to look for an expert.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Posts
    409

    Re: 3040 Out of Storage Won't Budge

    So far no luck. Every command returns an "ok" status and it all appears to be working. However the CNC itself isn't moving, in fact the stepper motors seem to be locked and heating up and the spindle isn't getting any power to it.
    If the stepper is locked during moves and unlocked during idle, the enable pin is connected the right way. Check this first.

    the grbl settings must match your driver and cnc capabilitys.

    Note the current settings before changing them!!!!!

    Set $0 to 30 , avoid to short stepper pulses
    Set $100 and $101 and $102 to 100, avoid to may pulses per mm
    Set $110 and $111 and $112 to 100, avoid to high feed rates
    Set $120 and $121 and $122 to 5, avoid to high accelerations

    Use UGS or any other sender to jog 10 mm at 30 mm/min. You should hear the steppers moving or trying to. If you drivers have leds on the step signal, they should flash 5 times a second.

    If you get things running, you can change the grbl settings one by one to find out what is causing the problem.

    If this doesn't work, a picture and or link of the driver and DB25 shield could help.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    210

    Re: 3040 Out of Storage Won't Budge

    Probably the single most common "error" with Grbl is to not invert the stepper enables. $4 controls the sense of the stepper enable line(s). In many cases it needs to be inverted. Your symptoms are consistent with that.

    In the GCode Sender App, look at settings. (or enter $$ in the console portion of the app) $4 is probably set to 0. Try setting it to 1 ($4=1 in the console). If that only fixes the X axis, try $4=7.

    If $4 is set to 1 (or 7), try setting it 0 ($4=0).

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