For clarification: I'm new at this.. so please be gentle ;-) Sorry, I should have been a little more clear.. If I need to provide even more details please let me know.
I have "inherited" this system as a whole. I have no documentation or specifics about the machine other than it's model and what I can observe from the chipsets on the driver boards. It's a fully self contained - enclosure and all. I used to be controlled by an internal computer system from a panel in the front with only basic x, y and z speeds and directions. The old computer has been removed, and the whole system has been converted to a parallel BOB from Campbell designs: http://www.campbelldesigns.net/breakout-board2.php (I have the board configured to use the N1 mode rather than the M1 or "Mach3" mode.) The stepper boards are labeled as "chopper" boards controlled which contain a L297/8 chip set connected to the original stepper motors. I have NO idea what the stepper motors are (like I said before.. no documentation). The Mill itself is basically a Sherline 5xxx series mini mill built into an enclosure with a compartment in the back for electronics. I currently have the system (to at least a "functional" degree) working in Mach3 including spindle on/off, limit switches, and E-stop (Spindle speed is manually controlled for now). John, I'm with you.. I am VERY averse to doing the shotgun approach since it usually leads to a "half-baked" system that doesn't really work to its greatest potential. However, in this case I don't see that I have much choice unless there's someone out there that can help me with the config. Here's what I HAVE been able to do with EMC. I was able to get the steppers moving by tinkering with the step time and step space values (Step time is currently 2000, step space is 1000) but I doubt these are optimized since they seem to be moving a bit slow in comparison to what Mach3 is doing. When I try to speed them up beyond about .05 velocity they start hanging up. I'm not sure where to find the step time and space settings from Mach3 so I don't think I can just transfer them. I am also able to sense limit switches in each axis, activate the E- stop from the switch on the mill, and start/stop the spindle just like I can in Mach3. I have the X axis limits set: 0 to 7.325 Y axis: 0 to 4 Z axis 0 to -4 This all seems to work, although there are some minor homing and limits mismatches that I'm still tracking down. I did invert the step direction signals on the x and y axis so that the tool on the screen moves with the tool on the "on-screen" workspace instead of opposite, and I'm still trying to work out what's going on with the Z axis. It homes to the top - so it thinks that's 0. I would like z=0 to be at the top of the material so that z moves will be made in relation to the top of my material rather than from the top of the axis. This all, so far, has been "tinkering" in between demands from family and work so I'm sorry if this is a little disjointed. I would also like to be able to scale a G-Code sequence (You do this in Mach3 by setting the "scale" setting on each axis). I've read that you CAN do this in EMC but can't quite find where/how. Also, Which interface would be recommended to give the most/best/ complete information? Thanks much, - Michael On Apr 6, 2009, at 11:32 AM, John Kasunich wrote: > Michael Jones wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> I'm currently running a small parallel port converted D&M4s mini mill >> (with a Campbell Designs BOB) on the demo version of Mach3. I'd like >> to try out the alternatives before putting out the money for Mach3 so >> I'm in the process of installing EMC. >> >> I've run the latency test, loaded I'm getting around 14200 unloaded >> about 8000-9000ish. Everything looks good there. >> >> When I run the stepconf wizard I allow the system to decide the step >> settings for the L297 configurations. When I get to the "test this >> axis" step, nothing moves. I can watch the lights flash on my BOB, >> but no information seems to get to the Steppers. I don't know who >> makes the steppers on this machine or what their specs are so I'm >> kind >> of in the dark here. I'm assuming that I have an issue with the >> step >> length setting, but where do I go to diagnose exactly what I need to >> plug in here? Do I just want to shot gun it? Take a wild guess and >> start increasing the numbers until they work? > > No No No. > > Wild guessing and shotgun servicing are pet peeves of mine. > > You really need to know the proper timing requirements for your > drives. > If you designed and built the drives, it is your responsibility to > know > the specs - from chip datasheets, etc. If you bought the drives, the > person you paid $$$ to owes you the specs. The only excuse for not > having those specs is if you picked the drives out of a dumpster > (one of > my favorite sources) and the maker is out of business and you can't > find > the data using your googling skills. > > That said, sometimes you have no choice. > > You say you can see the lights on the BOB blinking. I'm a bit > surprised, since I think most stepconf configurations generate step > pulses only a few microseconds long. Are you sure you are seeing the > STEP lights blink? DIR lights should be either on or off, depending > on > which direction you are moving - and they should only change when you > change direction. > > I think the stepconf "test this axis" step simply moves the axis back > and forth - I don't know for sure because I don't use stepconf. If > you > are seeing the DIR light toggle every few seconds, that is probably > just > the axis moving back and forth. STEP is the critical one - what are > you > seeing on that LED? If the step pulses are too short, your drive > won't > see them. > >> I can also activate the limit switches, hit E-Stop, turn the spindle >> on and off, etc from within Mach3 so I know I'm getting >> communication.. just no Stepper movement. > > This needs clarified. Do you mean neither Mach nor EMC gives you axis > movement? Or do you get movement with Mach but not EMC? Do all those > other things work with Mach and EMC, or with Mach only? > > If Mach works, then you need to figure out what length its step pulses > are, and tell EMC to make them the that length. If Mach doesn't work, > then you probably should be looking at the drives themselves, or the > wiring, etc. > > > Regards, > > John Kasunich > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > This SF.net email is sponsored by: > High Quality Requirements in a Collaborative Environment. > Download a free trial of Rational Requirements Composer Now! > http://p.sf.net/sfu/www-ibm-com > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This SF.net email is sponsored by: High Quality Requirements in a Collaborative Environment. 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