Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Steve, I installed Hardy right from the live CD in January. A friend and I did this on three different hard disks to make sure and had the same result. Peter Blodow At 02:10 09.04.2009, you wrote: Peter blodow wrote: P.S.: I am using hardy (so does Alex Joni) so it may be different from dapper. P.Blodow Hello Chris, since I am using the German version I don't exactly how the buttons are named. The way to leave the mouse over the button works only when going back. I tried the following in my Hardy laptop (in sim mode, which *shouldn't* matter): v2.2 branch - not sure how far past 2.2.8 this is, I imagine not too far v2.3 branch - the current beta is pretty close to this TRUNK - the latest For all three versions, I tried the standard XYZ mill, and also tried an XYZA mill. In all cases, including one where I pre-positioned the mouse cursor over the spot where the Forward button would appear, repeatedly clicking Forward would get me through all of the pages, up to the final screen where it changes to Apply (where I didn't apply the changes). I'm not sure what's causing the issues you are seeing, but I suspect it's not in stepconf. There may be some workaround, but I don't know. The long-standing bug mentioned before could be the culprit on the Dapper machines. I don't know what's causing it on your Hardy machines. Out of curiosity, did you directly install Hardy, or was this a dapper install that was later upgraded? - Steve -- 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. 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Gentlemen, since I was using stepconfig a lot these weeks (!) I noticed a little feature that made frequent configuring of Z or A axis a little tedious. A friend of mine told me that it was still present at 2.3. which I haven't tested so far. When you go through the pages to configure X, Y, Z etc., clicking on Continue has no effect unless you at least touched one (clicked into one) of the fill-in-boxes of that page. This behaviour is useless, and you can't make multiple mouseclicks to jump to the last pages quickly. Best regards from a beautiful spring day Peter Blodow -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
On Wed, Apr 08, 2009 at 06:11:51PM +0200, Peter blodow wrote: When you go through the pages to configure X, Y, Z etc., clicking on Continue has no effect unless you at least touched one (clicked into one) of the fill-in-boxes of that page. This behaviour is useless, and you can't make multiple mouseclicks to jump to the last pages quickly. Strange, I don't see this behavior. I am using gnome on dapper on this machine. However my button says Forward, not Continue, so I'm not entirely sure I'm testing the same thing. Can you give more information? I can leave the mouse over Forward and click it several times to move through the X-Y-Z-A pages. I think I noticed the buggy behaviour on hardy. Although I am not 100% sure, since I rarely use stepconf. Regards, Alex -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
P.S.: I am using hardy (so does Alex Joni) so it may be different from dapper. P.Blodow Hello Chris, since I am using the German version I don't exactly how the buttons are named. The way to leave the mouse over the button works only when going back. Peter Blodow At 20:52 08.04.2009, you wrote: On Wed, Apr 08, 2009 at 06:11:51PM +0200, Peter blodow wrote: When you go through the pages to configure X, Y, Z etc., clicking on Continue has no effect unless you at least touched one (clicked into one) of the fill-in-boxes of that page. This behaviour is useless, and you can't make multiple mouseclicks to jump to the last pages quickly. Strange, I don't see this behavior. I am using gnome on dapper on this machine. However my button says Forward, not Continue, so I'm not entirely sure I'm testing the same thing. Can you give more information? I can leave the mouse over Forward and click it several times to move through the X-Y-Z-A pages. Chris -- 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. 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
There is a gnome bug where if you disable a button then enable it, you need to move the mouse off of the button then back on before it will accept clicks. Les Michał Geszkiewicz wrote: I read somewhere that this is GNOME bug not stepconf. Here on dapper I have same buggy behaviour regards Michael -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
If I run stepconf in 6.06 the Forward button works until I get to the X axis page then I have to move the mouse off the button then back on to get it to go to the next page. It was like that in 2.2 and is still the same in 2.3 beta and on 8.04. If you back up and go again it works as I expect it to work. It only affects the X, Y, Z, and A pages. John On 8 Apr 2009 at 13:52, Chris Radek wrote: On Wed, Apr 08, 2009 at 06:11:51PM +0200, Peter blodow wrote: When you go through the pages to configure X, Y, Z etc., clicking on Continue has no effect unless you at least touched one (clicked into one) of the fill-in-boxes of that page. This behaviour is useless, and you can't make multiple mouseclicks to jump to the last pages quickly. Strange, I don't see this behavior. I am using gnome on dapper on this machine. However my button says Forward, not Continue, so I'm not entirely sure I'm testing the same thing. Can you give more information? I can leave the mouse over Forward and click it several times to move through the X-Y-Z-A pages. Chris -- 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. 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
hay i have an idea how about you bend your dumb ass over and let me fuck you in it and then im going to make you suck it off From: Leslie Newell les.new...@fastmail.co.uk To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 1:56:47 PM Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf? There is a gnome bug where if you disable a button then enable it, you need to move the mouse off of the button then back on before it will accept clicks. Les Michał Geszkiewicz wrote: I read somewhere that this is GNOME bug not stepconf. Here on dapper I have same buggy behaviour regards Michael -- 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. 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Peter blodow wrote: P.S.: I am using hardy (so does Alex Joni) so it may be different from dapper. P.Blodow Hello Chris, since I am using the German version I don't exactly how the buttons are named. The way to leave the mouse over the button works only when going back. I tried the following in my Hardy laptop (in sim mode, which *shouldn't* matter): v2.2 branch - not sure how far past 2.2.8 this is, I imagine not too far v2.3 branch - the current beta is pretty close to this TRUNK - the latest For all three versions, I tried the standard XYZ mill, and also tried an XYZA mill. In all cases, including one where I pre-positioned the mouse cursor over the spot where the Forward button would appear, repeatedly clicking Forward would get me through all of the pages, up to the final screen where it changes to Apply (where I didn't apply the changes). I'm not sure what's causing the issues you are seeing, but I suspect it's not in stepconf. There may be some workaround, but I don't know. The long-standing bug mentioned before could be the culprit on the Dapper machines. I don't know what's causing it on your Hardy machines. Out of curiosity, did you directly install Hardy, or was this a dapper install that was later upgraded? - Steve -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Chris Morley wrote: The line: self.widgets.druid1.set_buttons_sensitive(1,0,1,1) in method: def update_pps(self, axis): seems to cause this behavior. (comment it out and the pages work as expected) Why I don't know - yet. Well, according to the Gnome Druid information herehttp://library.gnome.org/devel/libgnomeui/stable/GnomeDruid.html, the second number in that call is whether the next button is sensitive. When 0, the button is not sensitive. So I wonder if there's some problem with detecting whether the edit box contents are invalid, which should be the only time the forward button is inactive. This could have to do with localized versions only (though I tried 'LC_ALL=de stepconf', and that also worked) - Steve -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Chris, I see this too. Both on 228 dapper and now on beta2 hardy. When I first get to the X axis screen, I cannot press forward unless I first move my mouse into the main part of the window. Once I do this (I do not even have to click), the forward button becomes enabled. Then I can move back and forth with no problem. So it only happens to me if I start up and do not move the mouse into the content area before I press forward. I have to do this once for each axis. -Chuck- Chris Radek wrote: On Wed, Apr 08, 2009 at 06:11:51PM +0200, Peter blodow wrote: When you go through the pages to configure X, Y, Z etc., clicking on Continue has no effect unless you at least touched one (clicked into one) of the fill-in-boxes of that page. This behaviour is useless, and you can't make multiple mouseclicks to jump to the last pages quickly. Strange, I don't see this behavior. I am using gnome on dapper on this machine. However my button says Forward, not Continue, so I'm not entirely sure I'm testing the same thing. Can you give more information? I can leave the mouse over Forward and click it several times to move through the X-Y-Z-A pages. l The line: self.widgets.druid1.set_buttons_sensitive(1,0,1,1) in method: def update_pps(self, axis): seems to cause this behavior. (comment it out and the pages work as expected) Why I don't know - yet. Chris M _ Create a cool, new character for your Windows Live™ Messenger. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9656621 -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Chris Morley wrote: The line: self.widgets.druid1.set_buttons_sensitive(1,0,1,1) in method: def update_pps(self, axis): seems to cause this behavior. (comment it out and the pages work as expected) Why I don't know - yet. Well, according to the Gnome Druid information herehttp://library.gnome.org/devel/libgnomeui/stable/GnomeDruid.html, the second number in that call is whether the next button is sensitive. When 0, the button is not sensitive. So I wonder if there's some problem with detecting whether the edit box contents are invalid, which should be the only time the forward button is inactive. This could have to do with localized versions only (though I tried 'LC_ALL=de stepconf', and that also worked) - Steve I should mention that the forward button is not greyed out. Also I don't have to click anything else just move the pointer off the forward button and back on again (and click). also clicking back then forward will make it work properly for that axis page. I'll also mention that I upgraded from (originally) dapper to 8.04 so maybe that has something to do with it. _ Experience all of the new features, and Reconnect with your life. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9650730 -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Chris Morley wrote: For all three versions, I tried the standard XYZ mill, and also tried an XYZA mill. In all cases, including one where I pre-positioned the mouse cursor over the spot where the Forward button would appear, repeatedly clicking Forward would get me through all of the pages, up to the final screen where it changes to Apply (where I didn't apply the changes). I'm not sure what's causing the issues you are seeing, but I suspect it's not in stepconf. There may be some workaround, but I don't know. The long-standing bug mentioned before could be the culprit on the Dapper machines. I don't know what's causing it on your Hardy machines. Out of curiosity, did you directly install Hardy, or was this a dapper install that was later upgraded? - Steve Interesting stepconf has always stalled on each axis for me. I use 8.04 pretty sure 2.2.x did as well. In all of my testing, I started a new config - all I did was click forward on every page. If there's any error in the try block near that set_buttons_sensitive call (like zero division if you have accel, pitch, one of the gears ... set to 0, or if any of the value text entry areas has an invalid number, for example), then the forward button will be disabled. Could you and Peter try making a new config and see if it works correctly for you then? It's possible that it's settings/value dependent. - Steve -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
In all of my testing, I started a new config - all I did was click forward on every page. If there's any error in the try block near that set_buttons_sensitive call (like zero division if you have accel, pitch, one of the gears ... set to 0, or if any of the value text entry areas has an invalid number, for example), then the forward button will be disabled. Could you and Peter try making a new config and see if it works correctly for you then? It's possible that it's settings/value dependent. - Steve It was a new config, but new or existing - same behaivor. What you are talking about would make sense to me if the button was greyed out but it is not. _ Share photos with friends on Windows Live Messenger http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9650734 -- 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
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Hi Peter, Hello Gentlemen, this is mainly to the EMC developers. Since January I have tried to get my steppers run smoothly and evenly. I wrote several mails to the list on this problem, but received little echo. Now I seem to be near to the solution which might be of interest to the developing team. Any feedback is interesting to the developing team and to other users aswell. My steppers rattled and lost steps regardless of the conditions I gave them. I've changed almost everything in the setup to get the motors run correctly. Result: No cure for the problem of rattling steppers loosing steps (name of my former thread). snip lots of impressive testing Note that I did all this with the test axis function of stepconf because this is a very convenient way to see the result of parameter variations immediately. Well, that wasn't the intent of test axis, at least not for some parts of what you did. Stepconf is a helping tool that helps new users come up with a stepper configuration. By all means you don't have to use stepconf to run emc2. There are also (a lot) of sample configurations which you can adapt to your system, or you can always write a configuration up from scratch (this is probably a tedious task, and few people actually do it). Test axis is a way to test the numbers you entered and pins you selected in stepconf, to see if everything is set up right and the motors are moving. If you change a configuration (the ini and hal files) generated by stepconf, then there are some cave-eats: * you can't run stepconf again on that configuration, or your changes will be lost * if you run stepconf on that configuration, it won't pick up the changes you made to the ini and hal files, so you won't notice any improvements * if you change the .stepconf file, then stepconf will see the changes you've done, but it's probably hard/not really usefull to do so. The best way to go on about this is: 1. generate a new configuration with stepconf (or copy a sample config provided with emc2) 2. once the configuration is somehow working (and you are not satisfied with it), you can start changing things in the ini and hal files 3. tweak the config (also observe the results via halscope similar helpers - physical scope, etc) until it does what you want Maybe these things will need a better description in the User Manual. Can you check the docs for 2.3 and see if they represent the ideas presented above? Maybe you have some suggestions where we can improve things. (big warning signs, etc ;) I think the main warning sign should read: Stepconf is a helper program that (for some cases) generates a usefull configuration for emc2. If you're not lucky enough to be inside those general cases (maybe 80% of users should be), then you'd have to set up your configuration the traditional way (which implies reading and understanding a lot of things in the ini file). snip Seriously: After all my efforts I am inclined to exclude all other causes of the misbehaviour than stepconf. Is it really true that nobody ever reported problems with the test axis function of stepconf? Maybe it has been fixed in 2.3? I have the impression that it must be a minor bug when counting the pulses because there is a connection with the microstep feature. I haven't heard of people using test axis to test the functionality of an emc2 config. Using emc2 is so much more versatile (you can specify dwells, feed rates, etc). There have been some fixes for stepgen for 2.3 (for example it can generate non-double step configs, like the one you needed). I am aware that expositions now have caught all the attention of the gang. But when NAMES and EMC expo are over, please someone would have a look at this? NAMES is really unrelated to this topic. The EMC Fest, however, is a place for developers (and not only) to get together and look together at certain things that need improving. Most likely stepconf (or derivatives) will be looked at with that occasion. Regards, Alex -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Hello Alex, thank you for the thorough explanations. snip lots of impressive testing I did this for the reason of anger - I had intended doing great things with automatization of my machines and got stuck at the very first step, so I decided to get to the bottom of things eliminating every cause but stepconf. Note that I did all this with the test axis function of stepconf because this is a very convenient way to see the result of parameter variations immediately. Well, that wasn't the intent of test axis, at least not for some parts of what you did. Stepconf is a helping tool that helps new users come up with a stepper configuration. Still, the test function should not present a 5/4 beat, discouraging the beginner! By all means you don't have to use stepconf to run emc2. It was the first thing I tripped over after installation and it seemed an easy to use access to EMC2. There are also (a lot) of sample configurations which you can adapt to your system, Now that I have dealt a lot with EMC2 I begin to understand them. or you can always write a configuration up from scratch (this is probably a tedious task, and few people actually do it). I surely will, and if it's only for the effect of learning. Test axis is a way to test the numbers you entered and pins you selected in stepconf, to see if everything is set up right and the motors are moving. Moving all right, so I know the pins are functional, but the terrible performance let me, being unexperienced, think there must be errors or mistakes in what I did, so I didn't dare to go on. If you change a configuration (the ini and hal files) generated by stepconf, then there are some cave-eats: * you can't run stepconf again on that configuration, or your changes will be lost I found that in the manuals and somone told me on the mailing list in February. * if you run stepconf on that configuration, it won't pick up the changes you made to the ini and hal files, so you won't notice any improvements * if you change the .stepconf file, then stepconf will see the changes you've done, but it's probably hard/not really usefull to do so. I've learned this the hard way. The best way to go on about this is: 1. generate a new configuration with stepconf (or copy a sample config provided with emc2) 2. once the configuration is somehow working (and you are not satisfied with it), you can start changing things in the ini and hal files 3. tweak the config (also observe the results via halscope similar helpers - physical scope, etc) until it does what you want That were my plans from the beginning and that's what I'm going to do now, but I first wanted to have the stepper motors run smoothly. Maybe these things will need a better description in the User Manual. Could even better be on the entry mask of stepconf. There is an old german saying: By the time you have learned to operate the thing by trying, you'll understand the instructions manual, too. In January, I have printed about 5 cm of manuals, double sided, read across them a little and then started system installation. I guess now I'll be able to understand the terms of EMC2 and I'm going through the books once again, this time with more likely success. Can you check the docs for 2.3 and see if they represent the ideas presented above? Maybe you have some suggestions where we can improve things. (big warning signs, etc ;) I feel very honored by this proposal and will use part of my Easter vacation to do this. I think the main warning sign should read: Stepconf is a helper program that (for some cases) generates a usefull configuration for emc2. Put it on the entry mask! If you're not lucky enough to be inside those general cases (maybe 80% of users should be), then you'd have to set up your configuration the traditional way (which implies reading and understanding a lot of things in the ini file). This reading and understanding is what I intended (I don't want to earn money with my machinery). I was going to write my own software when my son told me about EMC2. Before this, I had good success with a very primitive setup: modified EAGLE files (with MS Word), read into Excel to take care of the scale factors and the trajectories and succession of the axis movements, back into Word for the command syntax, then read into a DOS-based demo program that came with the EMIS driver card, and the home made coordinate drilling machine produced a PCB board at the rate of a hole in about 3-5 seconds. With my other little table top mill, I made dozens of perfect gear wheels in just the same manner and then extended this to the large mill, milling a superb set of change gears for the lathe. I haven't heard of people using test axis to test the functionality of an emc2 config. I didn't even come to test the EMC functionality, but got stuck at the motor hookup. There have been some fixes for stepgen for 2.3 (for example it can generate non-double step configs, like the one you needed). I
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Peter, this is mainly to the EMC developers. I am not an EMC developer. I am a challenging user, just like most of us :-) Seriously: After all my efforts I am inclined to exclude all other causes of the misbehaviour than stepconf. Is it really true that nobody ever reported problems with the test axis function of stepconf? Maybe it has been fixed in 2.3? I have the impression that it must be a minor bug when counting the pulses because there is a connection with the microstep feature. Yes, I reported on this list that the step rates that were being used by the test axis function in stepconf is different from the step rate being used by Axis. I am not sure if this has been picked up. I did not look at the exact pulse width and pauses between the pulses. I could do this next week since I do have a logic analyzer that can be hooked up to my PC. You should however be aware that stepconf does indeed (as far as I know) not acknowledge any manual changed in the HAL files. I am aware that expositions now have caught all the attention of the gang. But when NAMES and EMC expo are over, please someone would have a look at this? I almost showed up in Names (Namur) in Belgium. It took me some time to realize this was a TLA and not the name of the city Thank you for the learning Wow, with your wife almost throwing out all your stuff that's very nice to write ;-) I will also start learning again. Somehow my stepper motors stall already at low speeds whereas I think they should be able to run faster - improper timing could be an explanation for this. Regards, Rob -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
I had a little different but LESS subtle issue with stepconf... My issue was that as I tried to tweak my settings to get each of the setting correct so that each axis will move the appropriate distances, about half the time the stepper would not move.. Yes would not move... No the motor was not stalling, just simply NO movement... If I were to exit, run Axis, I then could test the axis, and it moved I then would note how far it moved.. Go BACK into stepconf to tweak, then back to Axis to test.. VERY VERY inconvenient but I got it.. Robert I. Shell Senior Programmer Analyst - Channels and Integration Affinion Group, Global Information Systems Columbus Ohio Application Development Center Work: (614) 652-5257 Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 11:08:49 +0200 From: r...@myvoice.nl To: emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf? Peter, this is mainly to the EMC developers. I am not an EMC developer. I am a challenging user, just like most of us :-) Seriously: After all my efforts I am inclined to exclude all other causes of the misbehaviour than stepconf. Is it really true that nobody ever reported problems with the test axis function of stepconf? Maybe it has been fixed in 2.3? I have the impression that it must be a minor bug when counting the pulses because there is a connection with the microstep feature. Yes, I reported on this list that the step rates that were being used by the test axis function in stepconf is different from the step rate being used by Axis. I am not sure if this has been picked up. I did not look at the exact pulse width and pauses between the pulses. I could do this next week since I do have a logic analyzer that can be hooked up to my PC. You should however be aware that stepconf does indeed (as far as I know) not acknowledge any manual changed in the HAL files. I am aware that expositions now have caught all the attention of the gang. But when NAMES and EMC expo are over, please someone would have a look at this? I almost showed up in Names (Namur) in Belgium. It took me some time to realize this was a TLA and not the name of the city Thank you for the learning Wow, with your wife almost throwing out all your stuff that's very nice to write ;-) I will also start learning again. Somehow my stepper motors stall already at low speeds whereas I think they should be able to run faster - improper timing could be an explanation for this. Regards, Rob -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users _ Quick access to your favorite MSN content and Windows Live with Internet Explorer 8. http://ie8.msn.com/microsoft/internet-explorer-8/en-us/ie8.aspx?ocid=B037MSN55C0701A -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
Peter Thankyou so much for sharing your trials and discovery. Such knowledge will save a poor beginner like myself much precious sanity. Regards Cal Grandy Vermont USA Hello Gentlemen, this is mainly to the EMC developers. Since January I have tried to get my steppers run smoothly and evenly. I wrote several mails to the list on this problem, but received little echo. Now I seem to be near to the solution which might be of interest to the developing team. My steppers rattled and lost steps regardless of the conditions I gave them. I've changed almost everything in the setup to get the motors run correctly. Result: No cure for the problem of rattling steppers loosing steps (name of my former thread). - I tried 4 different motherboards from 350 MHz Intel to 2.4 GHz AMD - I tried 3 newly installed harddisks with two different live CD's downloaded 2008 and 2009 - I tried running EMC from the live disks directly - I tried all this with two different driver boards - I tested all axis independently and in common - I made a LED test plug for the printer cable to visualize the timing with little sockets to access the signals with a scope probe - I changed the order of pulse and direction output at the pins of the parport - I commented all reset lines in .hal to switch off doublestep like I was told - I varied the parameters of steplen and stepspace in .hal up and down to extreme values - I had a friend (informatics expert) do all this again to exclude my person as the source of trouble (which is the most likely cause of computer problems) - I looked at the pulses at the parport with two different oscilloscopes and found that the pulses came rather irregularly (the old scope couldn't even trigger it). Finally I noticed: only 3 successive pulses (5 us) came with a constant pause in between, the fourth pause was twice as long which caused the motors to dance a 5/4 waltz no matter what speed I chose. This could be influenced only by varying the microstep rate from half to 1/4 or 1/8 step. The longer pause seemed to appear then as the eighth or the sixteenth one correspondingly (hard to get a steady picture for counting them on the scope). To put it shortly: I found no solution and came to the conclusion that nobody in the world ever tried running steppers with EMC stepconf because I never heard anything about it and nobody answered to my mails about it. All this troubleshooting took me about two months since I sometimes have to earn some money, too, and almost all my nerves. Note that I did all this with the test axis function of stepconf because this is a very convenient way to see the result of parameter variations immediately. Now, yesterday evening it occurred to me that stepconf apparently ignores settings in .hal and .ini files that I made with the editor when going beyond its apparent default limits. I made a micky mouse G-Code list and tested this with axis instead of stepconf, ad lo and behold! the problem was solved! (A little time jitter was still present but bearable). I resisted my instant urge to dance on the table only because there was no space on any table. Can you imagine, by the way, what my house looks like meanwhile? My wife told me that if I wouldn't get all the equipment mentioned out of the way (I piled it up in 3 rooms), she would, which could become a serious case - wars originated from lesser causes.;-)) Seriously: After all my efforts I am inclined to exclude all other causes of the misbehaviour than stepconf. Is it really true that nobody ever reported problems with the test axis function of stepconf? Maybe it has been fixed in 2.3? I have the impression that it must be a minor bug when counting the pulses because there is a connection with the microstep feature. I am aware that expositions now have caught all the attention of the gang. But when NAMES and EMC expo are over, please someone would have a look at this? Thank you for the learning Peter Blodow -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
I don't have solutions for you other than to note that I have been able to use Stepconf (ver 2.2.8) to set up my gantry style router (48X24X4) with no problems. Using the test axis, I was able to troubleshoot a problematic X axis (leadscrew alignments). I can not run my machine at 90 ipm cuts with 120 ipm rapids. With more time, I am sure these rates could increase by tweaking the mechanical components. Only additional item is I did update the 2.2.8 from source back in mid february before doing this work. Don't know if this helps or hurts the discussion. Brian G -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Bug in stepconf?
On Thu, 2009-04-02 at 14:40 +0200, Peter blodow wrote: ... snip already at low speeds whereas I think they should be able to run faster - improper timing could be an explanation for this. My old stepper card does not recognize pulses below a certain length and below a certain time distance. Check these lengths. Greetings from Germany on a warm sunny spring day Peter Blodow I'm glad you're getting good weather there in Germany. We're starting our few weeks of warm weather with green foliage. Soon the grass lands will turn brown, which is still pretty, but I prefer green. I am not a developer,but... I think Stepconf is more convenient when you have data for the driver card from the manufacturer available. Otherwise, you end up doing what the manufacturer would need to do, which is test, and cut and try all the parameters to come up with the operating ranges for each parameter. Of course the stepper driver manufacturer is in a much better position to come up with this data. If you don't have the data, then you may be better off editing the config files by hand. I believe, one feature of Stepconf is that it starts fresh each time and overwrites the previous config file. If you want to save the previous file, just rename or copy it with a different name. I think this has been an issue, and may be enhanced in the future. What driver card are you using? Do you have a description and/or pictures of your setup? -- Kirk http://www.wallacecompany.com/machine_shop/ -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
