[krazatchu]

Hi all...

I got my mill direct from Syil China...

It seems the pinout doesn't match the Mach3 xml config file....

After installing the latest version of Mach3... and loading the Syil America config file.... I came to the conclusion the pinouts are wrong for my mill... I also tried the Australian file (it's metric)....

I got an "Installation Instruction Manual" with my mill... On page 8, it has the pinout, but it doesn't indicate the active state (hi or low)...

Here is the pinout listed in the manual... (function, pin)

x pulse 7
x dir 17
y pulse 6
y dir 8
z pulse 5
z dir 16
a pulse 4
a dir 14
spindle pulse 2
spindle dir 1
signal 1 3
signal 2 9
x home 12
y home 13
z home 10
a home 15
e-stop 11


Now... When i configure it as to the manual.... The inputs work like they should... E-stop... X home... Y home...

But... the steppers don't jog in Mach 3... the ouput pin lights in the diagnostic screen don't light in Mach 3 either... only the inputs show responce...

So far.. I checked and tested... the stepper drivers are getting about 48 volts.. the red light comes on the drivers...
The control board gets about 14 VAC from the small transformer beside it...

I haven't checked to see if the parallele port is outputing 3.3 volts or more...

My parallel port is enabled and the driver is loaded... its running on x378....



So... other than checking that the parallel port is outputting a high enuf voltage (MSI K8N Neo4 MB / AMD Athlon64)... and not knowing what should be hi or low for the outputs... is there something else I have missed?

Thanks,
Michael

[metalworkz]

Hi Michael,
There are some great troubleshooting videos on the Mach support website, and if you haven't viewed them already you might find the infromation helpful in finding the problem with your setup. I had to reverse the homing of one of my axis and a defective Y axis home switch and found the Mach support videos very helpful in my case. Do you have power to the axis drivers? Sounds like maybe the wire harness to the stepper drivers is not connected. I had a similar problem with no stepper power when I first tried my SX3 and found the wires connecting the drivers were not connected. Hope you are able to get it running soon.
Regards,

[krazatchu]

Hey~

There is power to all four of there drivers... 48 Vdc, and the stepper motors are getting warm...

I will check the port voltage (3.3v vs 5v)... however I'm not sure this is an issue with the SX3... The other thing I need to figure out is the active states (hi or low) of the various outputs...

And what should the port setting be in the bios?... I've seen ppl say both ecp and spp..

Thanks,
Michael

[Greolt]

G'day Michael

Fairly sure it won't be the voltage on the LPT. The controller board that Syil use buffers the logic signals.

Are you sure you have the port address set correct? If your not sure about that go and look at the introduction video on the Mach site.

Post your XML and I'll have a look.

Greg

EDIT: OK I did not read your original post properly. You have inputs working.

Have you set the same port number for outputs?

[krazatchu]

Yes, everything is set to Port 1...

I just changed the port type to EPP and will resistall Mach3 R2.60...

Then I will use the Syil America XML file... and rewrite teh proper port numbers in ... without changing the active state setting (hi or low) ...

After that... I dunno...

[krazatchu]

Ok, Reinstalled and re-setup the config file...

Also tried Mach2

Same thing.. I can sense the inputs in Mach3... but the motors dont turn...

Something I jsut noticed after going thru the Mach3 setup video...
Under device manager... my LPT1 resources... I have two I/O ranges...

One is 0378 - 037F
Second one is 0778 - 077B

The Mach3 setup video only shows the first range...

Could this be the problem??

[krazatchu]

Hi agian~~

Here are a couple of pics of the LPT1 port screen and the Mach3 Diagnostic screen....

The controller in the back of my mill says "ECTL" and "East Crystal Five Axis CNC Board Rev 1.3"....

Is this the same board in the American SX3?? (or other countries..)

Thanks,
Michael

[Greolt]

Michael

0378 is the number you want. When saved Mach will convert it to 0x378

Post the XML you are getting inputs working with. Let's have a look at it.

When you say the motors won't run, can you be more specific?

What exactly are you doing? Do the DRO's run as if it is moving?

Greg

[krazatchu]

The motors get warm... but they don't turn... they don't make a sound either..

The DRO's do change as I press the buttons on the number pad... also change if I use the pop out (DRO) thingy (tab key)...

Here is the custom XML file... its jsut a modified version of teh Syil American XML....

Thanks,
Michael

[Greolt]

Take these three things one at a time,

On my X3 I don't have the "active low" ticked for motor outputs. I s'pose you have tried with them crossed.

Have you done the driver test? What sort of result did you get?

Set it to "Sherline Mode" then restart and see if they run.

Greg

[krazatchu]

Hey~

1) I did try them both ways... but I may have had the different pin configs then... I will try them agian on Monday, since the mill is at my office...

2) The driver test showed a nearly straight line with minimal interference...

3) I will try Sherline mode on Monday as well...

I also ran the port finder and it came up with 378....

Syil China said they would get back to me by email with the correct XML config file...

Thanks,
Michael

[krazatchu]

Oh,.. here is something intersting...

While at my office, I checked my main work pc... It also had two ranges for the printer port resources in device manager... see post #7 above for the mill pc...

It, as well as the mill control pc are both AMD systems...
My work pc being a socket 939 dual core Athlon 64 on an Asus MB...
And the mill is a socket 939 single core Athlon on a MSI MB...

Now... I just checked my wifes pc, it's a core 2 duo Intel system on an Asus MB ...
And it has only the single range of x378...
My home pc, core 2 quad intel on an asus MB doesnt have a parallel port...
But my TV pc is a P4 so I will check it asap (its in the bedroom and someone is taking a nap)...

Hmm.. perhaps the extra range is confusing the output...

[Greolt]

Hey~

1) I did try them both ways... but I may have had the different pin configs then... I will try them agian on Monday, since the mill is at my office...

2) The driver test showed a nearly straight line with minimal interference...

3) I will try Sherline mode on Monday as well...

I also ran the port finder and it came up with 378....

Syil China said they would get back to me by email with the correct XML config file...

Thanks,
Michael

OK I'll check back in on Monday.

Greg

[krazatchu]

The P4 I have also has the two ranges x378 and x778 under the resource tab of the parallel port driver...

[ger21]

It's not very likely the problem, especially since the inputs work. I'd also recommend setting Mach to 25Khz mode until you get it working.

Check the voltage on one of the direction pins, and jog back and forth. It should change from 0V to 5V and back as you change directions.

[krazatchu]

Since I didnt get around to checking if it was either 3.3v or 5v... I will also check that on Monday.. along with checking for a direction pin...

Here is the thing that I'm confused about tho...

The bottom row of lights on Mach3 Diagnostic page don't change... they all just stay off... regardless of what axis I try to move... or what input I toggle...

I can get 3 of the lights in the top row to change by toggling the x and y limit switches ... and by pressing the E stop button...

So, Shouldn't some of these diagnostic lights on the Mach3 Screen be blinking when I change direction??

[SyilAmerica]

ALL pc boards for ALL countries are made the same. This means the pinouts are the same for all machines. The only variable is the PC port.

Even the 3.3v units work, but sometimes not as reliable without some ACPI changes.

Before you can use the dianostic pages you need to establish communication between the PC and the mill. Doesn't sound like you are getting basic communication so the dianostics will do you no good.

We have a few videos on the support tab of www.syilamerica.com that address port config. It is the same on all machines regardless of make. You may want to check the forums at www.machsupport.com.

[krazatchu]

Page number 8 of the "CNC SX3 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTION" book that came with the mill...

This pin config and the American XML file don't match...

Furthermore... When I tried the the American XML file... the E-stop button activated the digitize function...

After changing the pin config in Mach3... I can now see the limit switches and the E-stop working correctly... from the diagnostics page....

What doesn't work is the motors.. .they get warm.. .the drivers get 48 volts.. .but they dont move... even tho the DRO's do....

So... In the American machines... do you use the same controller board?
Mine is labeled "ETCL" and "East Crystal five axis cnc board rev 1.3"

[krazatchu]

One more thing I noticed...

In the Syil SX3 Manual fom the Amercan Website... The picture of the Parallel Interface PCB, doesn't match the board in my machine....

Also, I googled for the "ETCL" controller board, but only came up wth a few results in Chinese....

I'm sure if I could find the board manual, it would clear things up...

Thanks,
Michael

[krazatchu]

This is my controller board here....

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/drdiymall...xt=7&l=f&fid=5

Thanks,
Michael