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CNC Board ( was PS ) and dremel control Mk 1 or 1.5 problems

Discussion in 'Trouble Shooting - Support - Help Section' started by cptdragn, Aug 5, 2010.

  1. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    I had installed a inline router control http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html in order to control the speed of the dremel. I tried adjusting the dremel with the control but either I'm doing some thing wrong or I have a bad control unit because the dremel does not like it. I can run it at full power or just a bit less but any thing more and the dremel dies. I ended up taking it back out of the loop as I was concerned that I would burn up the dremel. Do I have a bad controller or is there other problems?

    On to the next problem

    I turned on the machine ( power to board ) and after a few min's I noticed some odd sounds coming from the machine. At first I thought them to be stepper motor wine but after a bit it stopped. I tryed to jog the Z axes and saw it move in mach but nothing happened at the machine. I also noticed at that time that the lights were off on my fan. I checked that I still had every thing plugged in and after assuring that was the case, Checked for power at the plug side of the power supply. showed that current was there. Checked for DC voltage at the board. No power.
    I noticed that if I left the power supply off for a few min's and then turned it on, I got just a second or two of the board and fans lighting up but then they died. While trying it with a volt meter on, i got a reading of 2.5 volts then 0 volts.
    I checked around on Ebay for a replacement and while I found them. They would be coming out of Hong Kong and I'm not in the mood to wait on the slow boat. I also noticed that amazon had them used and picked one up for about $14.82 shipped from California.
    What my question about this is, I have noticed that the MK II uses a 24 volt power supply or that one is recommended. Are we now using a 24 volt VS the 31 volt HP power supply and if so, Why?
    I just changed all my steppers over to the vexta steppers mark has. Will not the 31 volt PS run these motors and the board?
     
  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    That sounds like you have (had?) a loose connection of the power supply to the circuit board, Tony.
    My MK1.5 is still running with the original 31V PS with no problems, and I believe part of the reason they came with that supply was the great price, along with the fact it supplies sufficient amperage and voltage. If you are going to replace it, I would replace the PS with the same thing.
     
  3. kyyu

    kyyu Active Member

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    About the power supply voltage. I don't think the exact voltage matters, because they are probably chopping the input voltage to get the average voltage they want. Older drivers, I read, you had to use a resister to set the amps. Then the voltage would matter. Here is the recommended power supply rating, from the easy cnc manual:

    RECOMMENDED POWER SUPPLY:
    24VDC@7A
    MINIMUM POWER SUPPLY:
    12VDC@7A
    MAXIMUM POWER SUPPLY:
    32VDC@7A

    Did you get the Vref set right, if you got new steppers? Wasn't there something about the test posts, where you measure Vref, being missing on your board?

    -Kwok
     
  4. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    As for the Vref's, Billm thought there was none when he was helping me with my machine but he figured them out with some help from you guys here.
    I haven't gotten around to putting a meter on them ( I know, Should have and did mean too ) after I put in the new steppers. I simply went back to the original setup of the board and set all the Vref's to the 12:eek:o position. Being that I am getting 250 ipm cuts ( assuming the file code is set that high ) and the motors are staying just barely warm, I'm very happy with the way it is.
    As it is I was rather surprised that the power supply went out. Being that I had just plugged in the router controller I thought I have done something to the PS but mistake. turns out the way I have my PP set up, it has no effect on the PS for the board. They run off two plug ins. With each plug having its own connection to the power cable.


    Dorsal,

    I did end up replacing it with the same type. It is an HP and the ratings are the same but the model number is just a bit off. As for the connection. ??? no idea there. I get no power from the PS to the board. I checked both ends of the DC cable and other than what I noted above. I get nothing. I ended up just cutting the PS out and left the wires as they are so I can just splice in the new PS when it arrives which I hope is sooner than the message I got today

    " Dear Tony,

    muntherbigteck shipped the following item(s) in your order
    ##############, placed on August 04, 2010.

    Delivery Estimate: August 26, 2010

    This shipment will be delivered by USPS.

    You have been charged for the following items shipped today:

    HP 0950-4340 AC/DC Adapter Output: 31V 1450 mA LPS
    Sold by: muntherbigteck
    Condition: used - good
    Quantity: 1
    $9.90 each
    Item subtotal: $9.90

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Item Subtotal : $9.90
    Shipping & Handling : $4.99

    Total : $14.89 "
     
  5. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    Turns out it was not my PS after all. I have a board problem. I got the PS in checked that it worked and installed it. Flipped the switch and nothing happened. no fan lights, no board LEDs, nothing. Checked the PS and showed no power. Something said the check the old PS and it showed 31.0 volts. I'm like, Huh???
    Pulled apart the switch that I have rigged to turn power on and off to the board and it looks fine. Jump it for testing and still no power to the board. Take off the power to the board but leave the fans hooked up. Forget to swap PS's back and hit the switch to test. Fans light up. Again, I'm Huh??? hook everything back up, solder all wires and heat shrink them. Test it again and ....nothing

    Something says take new PS and test only the board. No steppers, no fans, nothing but the board. I do so and the board flashes the LEDs ( all of them ) real faintly. test the power supply output at the board and nothing. wait 5 min's and try again. same result. unplug board, wait 5 more and PS works again. 31 volts. ( turns out these PS's have a circuit breaker for shorting it out. Wait a bit and it resets itself. )

    So, I figure that the problem has to be the board. trouble is, I have no idea whats wrong with the board. Which chip have I blown out?

    I noticed that all this started right after I changed out the stepper motor to the Z axes. I hooked them up just like the paper said for the Y & X. those ran just fine. in fact, better than I had hoped.

    Still, I would have thought that if I have blown the Z axes chip, the board would still work for the other axes. That would have been a dead give away and I would not have thought it was the PS.

    At this point, I'm at a loss. Anyone have any ideas? Will this be some thing I can repair or will it need to be sent it for repairs?
     
  6. Jnida63

    Jnida63 Member

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    Did you wire the stepper motor up with power supplied to the board? It will short the board everytime from what I remember reading
     
  7. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    No, I did think to unplugged the board from the wall so that no power was going through it.
    I also did not attempt to do anything until I had everything back together.
     
  8. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Thank one sounds like more than a driver chip I am afraid. Please, feel free to send it to us and we'll take a look at it. We have some of the components and we would be happy to give it a shot. We may, however, have to send it in for repairs but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We'll send you an email with our address.

    Mark and Trish
     
  9. cptdragn

    cptdragn Member

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    I'll get it boxed up and headed your way this week.
    Thanks for looking at it.
     
  10. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    No problem we will do our best to get it fixed for you :)
    Mark and Trish
     
  11. frankrcfc

    frankrcfc New Member

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    Hey Tony. Sorry about your problems. These folks are fast at helping out. They have helped me get answers many times before. ;)
     
  12. theothers

    theothers Administrator Staff Member

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    Update, we received Tony's board and luckily, we replaced a driver chip and it works great! He should be up and cutting in no time!

    Mark and Trish
     

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