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Can't Jog

Discussion in 'Mach3' started by nate1001, Sep 29, 2010.

  1. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    I just got my phlatprinter hooked up. I installed mach3 and changed to the phlat skin. If I load gcode and run it, everything moves. But if I try to use the jog buttons, nothing. I have tried assigning hotkeys and hit the tab button to get the jog settings but I can't get anything moving. Any ideas?
    Thanks
     
  2. rcav8r

    rcav8r Moderator Staff Member

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    Hay Nate; Glad the old gal is running again.
    HUmmm. I think there was something in Mach I had to do to get it to jog for the first time. After that it always worked. I used the arrows on the keyboard to jog Shift+arrow to go full speed. Not exactly sure what I did it initialize the jog though.... I'm thinking it had something to do with the Tab key somehow. Let me think about it in case I remember before someone else chimes in.


    Did you do a calibration on it? If you used the numbers I sent, it SHOULD be calibrated, but better check just in case.
     
  3. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    Started clicking buttons in the jog screen that pops up with tab key. I can now jog but have another problem. X and y axis only move one direction. Z works fine. Tried changing direction high on and off no effect. So close but still so far away
     
  4. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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  5. rcav8r

    rcav8r Moderator Staff Member

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    Sounds like it may be a wiring issue... Check the tightness of the wiring connected to the board. Long shot as the Y is a direct connect, but also check the wiring block in the cabinet to make sure the wiring didn't come loose in transit.
     
  6. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    Those are the settings I have. I don't think anything is loose in the machine. It's either software or the s driver board. Z works fine. X and y only move one way. If I load g code it just keeps moving until the switch cuts in at the end of travel. I can move it back to the middle by hand and it just does the same thing again. The x axis continuously runs the same way. If I jog it either way it only moves one way.
     
  7. rcav8r

    rcav8r Moderator Staff Member

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    OK, can you move the gantry by hand with the board on? If so there is a disconnect somewhere. Same with manually rolling the X. With the board on, you shouldn't be able to move the gantry or X roller.
    If that isn't the case, try swapping the Y or X with the Z to see where the issue follows.

    Also if you are using a cut file from here, or one you made with in the bounds of the machine, and it was homed, then it shouldn't hit the limit switch. If that's the case it sounds like it is adding the right direction to the left direction inputs somehow.
     
  8. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    I hold the limit switch so I can center it again. They lockup as soon as power is applied. The gcode simulator window and axis position readouts show it moving normal(left right forward back) but the y and x always move the same way. (y right and x back)
     
  9. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    I just swapped y and z. Y now moves fine. So the direction on the x and y part of the driver board isn't working. Could it be a setting for the parallel port is blocking those pins?
     
  10. rcav8r

    rcav8r Moderator Staff Member

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    Could be the config of the LPT port. Mine is set to EPP+ECP
     
  11. kyyu

    kyyu Active Member

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  12. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    Well I reinstalled mach3 and now I'm back to square one. No movement. The screen doesn't show anything moving either with gcode or trying to jog. Is there a setting to enable movement?
     
  13. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    I have it back to moving with the jog. After installing I had to run the driver test and then restart my computer. I have tried 4 different computers and they all will make it move but only my laptop will drive all 3 axis in both directions. The 3 desktops only move x and y one way. I've tried epp, ecp, both, and standard in the bios. No change. I can't use the laptop as it keeps ticking when running
     
  14. rcav8r

    rcav8r Moderator Staff Member

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    I'm guessing you went over the thread KYYU posted with no luck.

    Did you purchase Mach, or are you using the demo? If you only have the demo you may be a great candidate for the new USB board... No Mach needed, and it uses a USB port which SHOULD work with any of your desktops.

    Mine worked out of the gate with no modifications needed. It also worked under Ubuntu, but I had problems getting things calibrated.

    I did try the USB demo software on an older laptop (Pmobile 800mhz, 1Gig RAM) and it runs, but VERY slowly, and I might as well forget about doing anything else on the laptop when it's running, even minimized. I see what he's doing by using diectX, but it is a resource hog. Mach runs great on my old PIII PC with 256 Meg of Ram running XP base install ( No service packs or updates). It is disconnected from my network for security reasons, so I have to use a USB stick to Xfer files.
     
  15. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    Yeah I read the other thread. I just measured the voltages. The laptop puts out about 3volts and the desktop I measured was 2.8volts. So the right signals are at the right pins. The weird thing is the z axis works at 2.8 but the others don't. Do boards usually operate on 2.8 volts? Could it be a bad board? Maybe the optos?
    Thanks for all the suggestions.
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    I don't see where you've stated what controller board you are running. If it's the Easy-CNC board, I believe it's supposed to have a 5V signal, as most boards do. Maybe 2.8V is enough to make the headlights work, but not enough to crank over the engine, so to speak.
    What board do you have, and what does the manual for it suggest for the signal voltage?
     
  17. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    It is an easy cnc 3 axis board. I don't see any specs as far as minimum voltage. Do most parallel ports put out 5v? Doesn't that voltage come from the driver board and not the port? I have a hot wire cnc machine that has a seperate 5 volt supply for the parallel port. From what I understand, the port either pulls to that voltage or ground. And then again I'm probably completely wrong. Any recommendations for a pci parallel card to try in one of the desktops?
     
  18. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    I'm not exactly sure why your having these problems and I don't have any ideas other than what has been shared but I can say that my parallel port does not put out 5v. Right now I can not remember what the voltage was when I checked a long time ago, but I remember it being lower than I thought it should be. That being said mine works fine.

    I hope you figure it out as I'm sure this is getting you frustrated by now.
     
  19. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Nate
    You can't use the parallel port for step direction with a 64 bit OS.
    If you are running XP any card with a NETMOS chipset works with Mach.
    What version of Mach are you running? We are using R2.6 you can download it here viewtopic.php?f=130&t=18&start=0

    Mark and Trish
     
  20. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    All the computers are xp 32 bit. I'm using the latest version of mach3 r3.042.040. I'm getting all the signals at the driver board but only at 2.8volts. The weird thing is the z axis direction works but the others don't. One computer is an old ibm pentium 3, one is a newer amd, one is a celeron and the laptop is also a pentium 3. It seems to me like it is the driver board. If the z step and direction work, and the x and y step work, shouldn't the x and y direction work also. All the pins are getting the same voltage level from the pc. Do the easycnc boards have a warranty?
    Thanks everyone for the replies
     
  21. TigerPilot

    TigerPilot Well-Known Member

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    Is that a Mach problem? Will it be OK to run a 64bit OS with Ubuntu?
     
  22. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Nate, I think it maybe the board as well
    I have tried R3 of Mach and run into many problems with it. If you could as a last ditch effort before sending the board back try to download and install this version of Mach 3 R2 that may help. viewtopic.php?f=130&t=18&start=0
    Let us know how it goes
    Thank you
    Mark and Trish
     
  23. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Yoram that is a mach problem, I have read that some of the guys with 64 were able to run a XP VM(virtual machine) and it worked! pretty scary but it does seem to work here's more to read http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index. ... ic=13849.0
    As for 64bit OS with Ubuntu not sure maybe one of the Linux guys will chime in to help you out here.
    Mark and Trish
     
  24. nate1001

    nate1001 Member

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    Tried mach3 r2 with same results. Only two more options. New parallel card or driver board
     
  25. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    One thing that came to mind is parallel cable length. If you have a really long one on there that can cause problems. Just an idea.
     

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