Hi
I had just finished up with cutting some 1/32 ply and the machine was a little off for the last cut so I just got done calibrating.

I notice when I jog the x axis The motor kinda just jogs back and forward quickly-about 1/2 second forward, then back and forward again at the same rate. The software thinks everything is moving fine accordig to the axis display but the machine is not "following along" like the software says it is.

Also The y axis just moves the wrong direction when I jog and will not stop unless I press the stop icon on the cnc software.

I believe I calibrated OK-seemed calibrate fine.

I did notice before I calibrated the x axis stopped momentarily before continuing to move during jogging.

 

Maybe it's connections, I'll check them. But working fine one moment then acting up on a bad connection? I'll make sure it's all connected then recheck and get back to post.

I've also had that "motor not stopping when jogging" thing come up before, then go away after turning the machine off and on again and rebooting the cnc software.

 

This might occure if USB connection is lost. Today this happened to me. Reason was electrical interferance when I turned spindle on. I don't have EMC filter installed jet.

 

went to the machine turned on and jogged. x axis working fine now. z axis still doing the "no stopping thing" i'll check any interference Kroko. maybe the power supply location? this problem seems to come and go,so i'll check different times of the day. machine is at a business location with other businesses around so maybe there is some odd thing happening. Also will check spindle but spindle is not running when this happens. Anyway motors seem to be fine but they are getting wacky signals I guess.

 

Check your settings file. It may have corrupted data in it.
In the settings file check the steps/unit under the axis 1 tab.
for example, my settings are X=439.740 y=420.779 z=399.141

Your settings may be a little different than mine.
I accidentally typed 4397.40 for my x-axis calibration and got some very
interesting twitches and stutters. :questions: :nervous:

Try reloading the settings file that Mark gave you on the CD-ROM.
If the problem persists you may have a bad motor driver board.

Also check and make sure you have the proper voltage and drive current
set correctly for the stepper motor driver board. you may have to little
current or voltage driving the motors.

Call Mark and get help from him. He knows the proper settings
for the pp. He can get your problem figured out quick.

Hope this helps.
GHB

 

I sometimes get the problem with the runaway jog that won't stop unless I hit the stop button. Sometimes I have to exit the software to get it to stop.
Check your connections first, especially at the driver board. Also when it malfunctions, the the temps on the driverboard heat sinks of the failing axis.
My old problem I had in the past with my steppers unlocking is back. This time it is the y axis only. Machine runs fine for a few hours then all the sudden, the y axis can't stay accurate within a 1/2" then it eventually gives out all together. Stepper starts squealing then the board overhears. Last time replacing with all new steppers fixed the problem. This time I just bought one new stepper for the y axis. Now I am going to try a different brand of driver board altogether. I am just not having any luck with this machine. Sometimes I wonder if it's just me? I run my machine a lot and it makes me think that maybe others would run into the same issue if they ran there's alot also?

 

Thanks for the info dhc8guru and thunder hawk.

Yes, this issue comes and goes. Sounds like I had a similar thing happen dhc8guru. I ran about 6 sheets of ply through the machine with no problem, then it got wacky with accuracy on the 7th and I shut it down. About a week later I turned it on again and recalibrated. It was off on the x and y about 3/16th. After I calibrated this thing happened with the steppers acting out. Turned it off and later turned it on again with now only the z acting up with runaway. I'll recheck connections and heat sinks etc. Also look at my voltage settings and stepper settings. Seems like the machine needs to "rest" if it stays on too long. I remember Mark mentioning in a video about stepper overheat if they are just sitting there and not moving. I may shut her down in between cuts and let a cool down happen.

 

Well I sure don't know why, but the machine again jogs perfectly. I was getting some quirky noises from the z motor when it was not stopping. I rebooted the cnc controller software. Turned the machine off and on etc. Now everything good. Why? Beats me! The only hint I'm getting was a light blue background for a short moment in the z axis position indicator, indicating something was wrong I guess? Heat sinks seemed all normal on the controller board. Calibration settings looked normal according to what was posted.

Move forward from here and see how it cuts and cross my fingers.

 

Naw, this stuff is all happening with the vac off and the tool motor off. Just jogging. Rebooting alot seems to clear it, for awhile............

 

Make sure you have the latest video card drivers also

 

"runaway jog" might also be driver related. Some other device can cause USB to not function correctly.
In one case it was driver for wireless mouse. Problem was solved by removing mouse.
in other it was driver for NI DAQ. NI DAQ was uninstalled. Some time later windows were reinstalled and DAQ card worked without problems.

 

Troubleshooting USB connections:
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/proven-pointers-for-troubleshooting-usb-connections/5031760

 

Thanks for the info. I just tried running a cut file yesterday and it was totally whacked. Started out fine, then after a few seconds the x-axis ran back and forward several times and the z axis was all over the place. The machine is not "following along" like the cncusb controller software display thinks it is.

I'll do the fundamental stuff first. Begin by changing out the connection cord from the pc to the usb controller. The one that came with the machine was bad so I used one at work. Seemed to work then.

Then I may swap out a pc if that does not do anything. I have enough of a tech person at work to help I think.

Could this have been something that can progressively get worse? Seemed like this has recently been a problem after weeks of smooth operation. I'll report later after the connection is swapped out.

 

OK, this is nuts. I ran the same cut file again today as yesterday's disaster. No changes to anything. Cut perfectly.
Maybe I was tilting my head the wrong way?
I'm at a loss.
Is there anything that can explain this inconsisitency?

 

Here is the latest. I'm attaching some pix and files to see if anyone sees an issue I did wrong.

Cutting 1/8 lite ply, very soft and light. Found a 1/16th bit and Rocklear-very nice!
Settings are at 25 ips and I have a Bosch Colt set at 5.

I set my wood on top of foam and use masking tape to hold it down.

Cut fine it seemed, some parts off a bit. then about 1/2 way done started to glitch. X axis suddenly toggles back and forward, then its toast.

I'll do the new settings file soon, but in the meantime there is some major problem. I sure don't know. What seems to happen frequently is a glitch in the x. There is a quick back and forward of the x that seems to occur randomly.

I'm tapped out, need help! Attached files 30k_8th lite ply-1.cnc (94.5 KB)Â 30k_8th lite ply.skp (642.2 KB)Â

 

Thanks Mark. I will do all of that and let you know. - Doug

 

dcampbell, I found that 25ipm is WAY TOO FAST. Use the multipass and cut with at least three passes at about 10ipm. Once you did that and the cutting comes out good you can increase the ipm.

 

When I cut wood, MDF and other woods, not lite ply, at anything higher than 10imp I get similar problem as dcampbell, shows in the pictures, but not as bad. I had just cut some 3/4" bass wood at 10imp with no problem at first few pieces and then it started to drift. I cut it in about 31 passes