I totally agree with you, Tony, as I am in the same boat!

My machine is running at:

X - 45ipm
Y - 22ipm
Z - 15ipm

I have no idea what the actual voltage values are because I have not checked them with a meter. Nothing gets hot and I am not missing any steps. I don't have the fastest machine on the block, but it's still MUCH faster than the old way!

Since mine was the first "consumer-built" machine, I built it exactly per the instructions and did not incorporate any of the fantastic mods that others here have offered up. Because of that, to change out the steppers would be a major PITA. I have a complete new set of motors, but will most likely use them on another machine rather than risk messing up a good thing.

BTW, I love that signature line, Tony! It makes me laugh every time I read it!

 

My problem is when doing a dry run (no dremel) my "X" will seem like its skipping a step / belt notch. This is only when a file is being run, when just jogging the roller ("X") its all ok. I do notice its at a certain spot on the file and I've tried two files. Just certain spots it will do this..Any ideas?
Thanks

 

Blind, my PP also "seems" notchy on the X as if it's missing a step, but when I measure the final product, everything is accurate. If your machine has been properly calibrated, you might try making a test file with a line on the X axis that runs exactly 42" (the approximate max length on the X axis). Process the file and then measure the cut to make certain that it's the proper length.

You may not be missing any steps at all (like mine) and it may just be the way the motor reacts to the gear ratio on the X. Perhaps even try cutting that same line using different speed percentages (using the machine speed over-ride on the lower right side of the Mach3 skin). I even thought of changing my X from 1/8th step to 1/4 step (at the card) on the X only to relieve that notchy sound, but again, mine's accurate so I haven't messed with it.

Just my thoughts...

 

Thanks "CRASH", will give it a try today....

 

WEll I recied my "direct replacement" motor from Circuitspecialties. I think I'm worse off now than I was with the original motor before it blew up.
Anway, specs say .4 amp per phase. Accoring to the directions for the controller, it says vref = 2*amps, and since this is a 6 wire motor, you take half of that so I am at 0. 4v for vref. I also took down the phase to .8 (twice vref just like my other axises)
Anway the stepper was really singing until I backed the vref to .40 even .41 will make it sing. I can move the Y axis fine at a whopping 5 IPM ( I got 12 with the old stepper, and before I really cleaned the rods/threads) before it skips steps. After I move it, it chatters slightly until I blip the jog.
Motor and heat sink are stone cold after about 1/2 hour of fiddeling.
I went and re-swapped the X and Y axis. Problem follows the stepper.
FWIW, I can move the Y axis VERY easly by hand, and the issue is there no matter where along the axis the Y/Z gantry is.

Do I have ANOTHER bad stepper, or do I not have the new one tuned right, or....?

 

rcav8r, I also got the same steppers for Christmas (Nema 23) but I not had a chance to hook them up so I am watching this thread.
Can you show some shots of how yours are hooked up (wire colors ect)
Did you get the Nema 23 version? I thought I saw that someone else also bought the Nema 23 from Circuitspecialties but I can't remember who and what results they had with them.
Mark

 

Yep, I got the Nema 23 . I'll let you know the wire color mapping when I get home. Against all odds, I actually hooked it up right on the first shot

Anyway after my previous past last night I went down and ran the PhlatPrinter again. I held the Y/Z gantry trying to stop it while it was moving at 5ipm. The thing nearly moved the cabinet across the work bench before it lost steps. If I go to 7ipm without holding the gantry, it skips like crazy. Not sure what to make of that.

My game plan for tonight is to remove the gantry and run just the rod. If that goes well that will tell me the stepper is OK. I do have a 1/4 bushing at the far end. I'll remove that, re-install the gantry, and run. If that goes well I'll keep that for now. If not I'll look at the T-Nut on the gantry. Maybe it isn't square, and is out of alignment as others have shown in other threads.

 

Sounds good rcav8r I am looking forward to your report, it is a very strange thing that is happening when you move you setting up to 7 from 5 I can't see with such a low speed why this would be happening.
Mark

 

Yea, me either. And the fact that at 5ipm I can hold on to the gantry trying to stop it, and it actually moves the cabinet across the bench really confuses me. It misses a few steps but keeps going. It doesn't even miss the steps until just before it moves the cabinet.
At 7 it misses most of the steps without me touching the gantry.
I guess I was being a little Naive thinking just plopping in the new motor would solve the issue.

Re the old stepper. When I twisted the phase wires together, one phase made it almost impossible to turn ( normal), but the other phase was like the wires weren't even touching. Also I took apart the old stepper. Ever other coil was discolored, and it really stunk.

 

Goody :roll:

 

Got home and took out the stepper. Ran it with NOTHING connected, and I get a whopping 7IPM without any missed stepps. It also squeals just stilling there. If I bump it all the way up to 8 ipm, it misses about 1 step per revolution (real rough guess). Anything about 10 IPM it misses more than not.

I also changed the acceleration with no change. I did change the phase voltage ( the other pot), and the lower voltage I went the more it squealed at rest. All the way up is where it squeals the least. No change in missed steps.
Next step is to change the steps from 8. Maybe this stepper just won't work with the board.

 

rcav8r, Man that really stinks, I think Franl ordered the next size up NEMA 23's that have a hight torque I wonder how he is making out with them?
rcav8r did you get a chance to snap a pic of your wiring setup. I want to check it with mind and see what I come up with. Thanks
Mark

 

No Pic on the wiring. I had about 20 minutes from bringing my daughter home from swim practice, and the start of the hockey game. I'll sneak down at the break and snap a pic.

I did find a thread from FRank, but I was a bit confisued, so I posted a question. It sounded like he had/has the same motor we do.

 

Ok no worries no need to rush I have mine sitting here in the box and I really hate to take apart this working PP if these do not seem like they will do the job.
I found that thread where you asjed Frank and I am looking for that answer too when he post.
Mark

 

OK here's what I got for wiring. Surprisingly I got it right on the first try. I did try moving the wires around thinking this was the cause of the issue, but that just made it worse.

Red------- A
Green --- A -
Motor BLue----- B Board
Yellow---- B -

White and black are unused.

 

rcav8r, Thanks for the wire layout, same unused common colors as the easy-cnc steppers.
I have to ask, did you turn the power off while you were switching the wires around or taking them out?
We have had problems in the past where this has caused the drive chip to burn out.
Mark

 

Yep... NO power when swapping wires.

HUm, the forum got rid of the spaces I had to better show the layout, but at least you got the idea.

I even swapped axises and the issue follows the stepper ever time.

These motors have a higher inch ounce rating than the stock, but I don't see how. The resistance on the coils is MUCH higher, and since power is volts * amps.... (and since resistance is up, and voltage is the same, then current has to be down)

I just ran a test cut, of same various size circles. Although it was painfully slow (5ipm to be safe) , the cuts were accurate. That is the circles were circles, and you can't tell where the cuts started or stopped.

Not knowing much about steppers, I think these ones ( from Circuit Specialists) are even below the stock ones.

 

I forget all the electronic theory I learned long ago, but I was thinking of it this way.... Motors we use have a KV which is based on the number of winds. The more winds the higher the resistance.The higher KV motors have less DC resistance, and spin smaller props fast, where a lower KV has higher DC resistance, and spin larger props slowly; right? (or do I have that backwards?)
Yes inductance plays a part here, but that is made up of more than just the number of winds. How it is wound, and the material it is wound around also plays a parts as does the frequency of the AC.
Anyway I haven't had a chance to try and stall one of the stock motors, but in an earlier post I mentioned that I tried to stop the Y axis using the Circuit Specialists stepper when it was running at about 5IPM. It was able to pull the cabinet across my bench. It lost a few steps, but only just before the cabinet started to move, and it didn't miss all that many steps.... Therefore I am assuming it has a lot of torque.
Now when I bumped the speed to 7IPM ( about a 50% increase in speed, and therefore less torque) It misses steps just trying to move the Y gantry. With nothing at all attached to the Stepper it misses way more steps at 10IPM than when I tried to stop it at 5IPM.

 

These are 6 wire motors, 3 per phase. From reading the sheet on the EasyCNC board, you do not use the middle wire for each phase; only the two outer ones.

As torque and speed appear to be inverse to each other with steppers ( that's my understanding anyway) then having a lot of torque would mean less top end ( Try starting your car in 5th gear, or running on the highway in 1st).

But I would agree missing steps at 7IPM is rather anemic at best. I'm thinking the design of the EasyCNC board is limiting this due to the motor design.... Purely a guess on my part though.