[extreme]

Hello everyone,
I have a problem with my router. I ran it rack and pinion and the motors seemed to weak (lost steps). When I run it, on some more complex code, it starts milling, then if after some time I stop it and get it back to 0,0,0(the computer shows 0,0,0) and in reality it goes to something like -17,-77, 0. I changed the driver board, didnt help, i put in twice bigger steppers, and it acts the same. Im using turbocnc (even tried other pc).

Please help me out. I'm so tired of rebuilding it...

Thanks,
Robert

[kong]

Does it always lose the same amount of steps? If so, perhaps your calculations are incorrect. If not, it could be electrical noise. Are you using shielded cables to your steppers? As a test, you could run part of the code on a real slow speed. It will take a while, but if it works ok, or you get less missed steps, then you may need bigger motors.
Just a few thoughts!

[extreme]

It does lose same amount of steps (atleast i think so). It always loses in one direction. When I lower the speed than it gets smaller. I dont get it, on twice stronger (bigger) motors it acts the same. I assume maybe there is a problem in tcnc? What do you mean by "perhaps your calculations are incorrect" ? When I run the cycle, after few minutes on the monitor i see y position 350, and my router's y position is some 270. I would like to try some other inerpretator (that would be for free or atleast some fully funcional evaluation). Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Robert

[ynneb]

How about running the same code but not cutting anything. Do an air cut and then report back to us what happens.

Is there grit on a certain section of your screws? This may cause lost steps.

[extreme]

I did aircuts. Why doesn't nobody mention software. I downloaded 4 th version of turbocnc, and guess what, IT does the job. I'm dissapointed, i got bigger motors, did lot's of other things trying to figure out whats happening, and it was the software. I tried it on several computers, and effect was the same, but now with the new soft it runs perfect.

Thanks for your help,
Robert

[mklb]

Extreme,

I think we are all looking for something else because the software is the same for everyone out there using TCNC, and they are not having problems.

I understand the software change fixed your problem, but I doubt it was just the software. It could have been a setup being mis-calculated or even something simpler.

Were you running in a true boot up DOS, or were you running in a DOS window? I have read many posts claiming similar things, and they were all running in a DOS window. TCNC must have a True DOS boot up. If you go to the "other" forum for TCNC and look in the files, there is a post of how to set up an icon in W98 that will reboot your system automatically and call up TCNC. I used it and it worked very well.

TCNC is an excellent program, and has been and is still being used by thousands of CNC'ers out there. If it was a TCNC problem I think that they all would have the same problem.

As far as other software out there, download the manual for Mach2. There is a great deal of information in there. You may decide to try it, and yes you can try it without buying it.


Royce

[extreme]

I ran it in dos boot up. I also think that people don't release software that doesnt work, but the newer version fixed it.

[extreme]

mklb, yeah were looking for something else, but what ? With a complex code i still get some "lost steps", a lot less but still do. I didn't notice it the first time i tested everything. How to solve that problem ?
I mentioned thet on older version of tcnc i got the same problems on two pc's, both runing dos prompt. I cant see where in the config I can go that wrong to get lost steps.
I'm opened for suggestions.

Thanks,
Robert

[kong]

mklb, yeah were looking for something else, but what ? With a complex code i still get some "lost steps", a lot less but still do. I didn't notice it the first time i tested everything. How to solve that problem ?
I mentioned thet on older version of tcnc i got the same problems on two pc's, both runing dos prompt. I cant see where in the config I can go that wrong to get lost steps.
I'm opened for suggestions.

Thanks,
Robert

You mention dos prompt, if thsi is within windows, this could be the problem. Although you mention you run in "true dos" earlier, make sure you always use true dos, not dos prompt! Sorry if I have misunderstood.

[extreme]

http://public.fotki.com/extremeFlying/cnc/motors/
You can see there what happens. There should be wall, not stairs. I varied feed rate a bit, so the stairs ar not even. I was getting the same effect with older version, lower speed, less lost steps.

[kong]

What operating system do you use? You might want to try freedos over at www.freedos.org
I have run Turbocnc in the past on this with good results.

[extreme]

I use win98 se. Will try dos.

[extreme]

How do install freedos?

[kong]

Ah, that is the tricky bit! You will need some unpartitioned space on your hard drive to make a new partition for it. Sorry, might not be possible in this case.

[mklb]

Extreme,

If you go to the Yah** group for TurboCNC, there is a post in the files section that explains how to create an Icon on your desktop that will reboot in DOS and open TCNC at the same time. I no longer use TCNC, but when I did, this worked perfectly. It is very easy to set up also. If you use it and are still having problems, then you know it is not your DOS setup.

If it is not your DOS setup, then it must be in the machine or the part program. Try another program and see if it loses steps.

What motors are you running? What controller and power supply? You said that you doubled the size of the motors, what did you have before?

Royce

[extreme]

mklb, I use hp steppers, and used dont know what. They are geared 1:3.7 . Controler is from cnc zone open source (the one that has 3 axis board, made of discrete components). Power suply is 12 volts from pc. I assume it is something in my pc, because it always "drifts" in one direction. I cant explain how lower speed does less missed steps. I had this older soft, it bahave the same, only in bigger quanities of lost stepps.

[mklb]

Extreme,

Have you tried to back off on the feeds and accelerations? Also, what about the Pulse width modifier in TCNC.

It could be just your computer though because I remember DAK saying that his software just doesn't work well on some computers. I ran it on a desktop 900mhz Athlon, an Athlon XP 1700, and a 400mhz Pentium II or III and had no problems.

Download Mach2 and try it. As long as your program is under 1000 lines it should run without any problem. You will have to pay for the activation if your program is larger than that. I would recommend it though, it is a very good program. Well worth the money.

Royce

[extreme]

Does mach2 run on 98 ?
What about the pulse width ? I didn't change it .

[ger21]

Does mach2 run on 98 ?
What about the pulse width ? I didn't change it .

Mach2 only runs in Win2K or XP.

Try increasing the pulse width. What do you have it set to?

[extreme]

pulsewidth is 10 (default). I dont wanna take this pc to the garage, and that in garage is 200 or so mhz, so it wont do xp. I dont want to make stepps in win, tcnc on windows dos screen makes some nasty breaks while running .