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    Default Bought a used desktop machine...can't make it work! Help!

    I bought a used "Masters CNC" router machine from someone that said she had inherited it after her father passed. Supposedly 6 months ago it worked fine. Now i need help making it work.

    It has 3 ea. NEMA 23 6 wire steppers and an unknown break out board. I threw some pics in so that if anyone knows about the board they could give me a hint. The only marks that could ID it that I see say "CNC Unipolar"

    I'm using Mach 3 to control the router. (or rather trying to)

    It powers up fine. The motors engage and hold after power up. It just doesn't seem to want to communicate with the comp. Any suggestions? I've checked my port settings to the parallel and they match. I also can't seem to find out how to change the motor parameters in Mach 3 for the 6 wire.Bought a used desktop machine...can't make it work!  Help!-100_3134-2-jpg

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    Hmmm...this may have just became a moot point. I had the machine on and was trying to get it to go and the Z axis ic chip started smoking...so evidently I need to get a new b.o.b. or controller!



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    Quote Originally Posted by eodjeep2000 View Post
    Hmmm...this may have just became a moot point. I had the machine on and was trying to get it to go and the Z axis ic chip started smoking...so evidently I need to get a new b.o.b. or controller!
    I'm not certain, but that looks like a hobbycnc board, Hobbycnc.com for more info and pics to compair. A replacement ic is available at their site.

    John



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    Woodspinner,

    Thanks for the reply! It certainly does look like a very similar board. It's the same concept and may just be an older version that is in my controller. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth repairing (I'm not sure if the IC chip is the only fault) or just getting a new one. Mostly I'd like to get this thing going so that I can cut parts for a larger table.



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    Quote Originally Posted by eodjeep2000 View Post
    Woodspinner,

    Thanks for the reply! It certainly does look like a very similar board. It's the same concept and may just be an older version that is in my controller. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth repairing (I'm not sure if the IC chip is the only fault) or just getting a new one. Mostly I'd like to get this thing going so that I can cut parts for a larger table.
    usually thats all that goes, if you have a motor conection fault, or disconnect a motor before all voltage has disappated in the controller.



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    Mach doesnt care how many wires your stepper has, that is an issue the BOB deals with. Have you ever configured Mach successfully on any machine? Not trying to offfend, there are many settings within Mach that have to be correct for movement to occur. It is not the HCNC Pro board but could be one the others.



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    I'm not offended at all!!!

    This is my first machine set-up. I've dealt a little with a CNC plasma table in the past but it's been a long time. I've never really used Mach 3 before.

    I did try to go through the users manual and I also watched the set-up video. One of my issues is that I have no idea which pins on the parallel port control what so I couldn't know how to set that up.

    Any suggestions are welcome.



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    Quote Originally Posted by eodjeep2000 View Post
    I'm not offended at all!!!

    This is my first machine set-up. I've dealt a little with a CNC plasma table in the past but it's been a long time. I've never really used Mach 3 before.

    I did try to go through the users manual and I also watched the set-up video. One of my issues is that I have no idea which pins on the parallel port control what so I couldn't know how to set that up.

    Any suggestions are welcome.
    the pins are listed on the board, in the pic of it you posted, I can read it xdir -2, xstep-3, ydir-4, ystep-5, zdir-6, zstep-7......

    Last edited by WoodSpinner; 10-29-2011 at 07:09 PM. Reason: correction


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    Don't I feel like a raging dumba$$!

    Oddly enough though that's what I guessed they would be and what I put into Mach 3.



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    Quote Originally Posted by eodjeep2000 View Post
    Don't I feel like a raging dumba$$!

    Oddly enough though that's what I guessed they would be and what I put into Mach 3.
    perhaps you missed setting each to the port they are on, should be port 1, goes on the same line with the pins but in another colum.



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    Quote Originally Posted by WoodSpinner View Post
    perhaps you missed setting each to the port they are on, should be port 1, goes on the same line with the pins but in another colum.
    here is a copy of my setup, unzip the file and place it in your mach folder, then use the "mach loader" and select "normal" profile, it should simplify things a bit, if it doesnt do anything either the board fried or its something entirely different and now I'll shut up.

    Attached Files Attached Files


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    Geeesh...

    Don't shut up...you're the main person helping me! I'll give the file a shot!

    Thanks!

    p.s. If this doesn't work I'm dumping the Hobby CNC board, I didn't really care for Dave's (very courteous) brush off I quoted in my other post.



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    Quote Originally Posted by eodjeep2000 View Post
    Geeesh...

    Don't shut up...you're the main person helping me! I'll give the file a shot!

    Thanks!

    p.s. If this doesn't work I'm dumping the Hobby CNC board, I didn't really care for Dave's (very courteous) brush off I quoted in my other post.
    yeah, he can be curt. I would be hard pressed to find a better"cheap" board, the 6560s blow chunks, linistepper I know nothing about, but if you can afford it, I'd suggest a gecko 540...

    oh, and that looks like the pro board...just the board, as its not fully populated, not refering just to the a axis components.



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    The file seemed to be working wonderfully...for about a sec and a half. Then that pesky z axis chip got all smokey and gave a big "pop". I'll try to just replace the chip first.

    Thanks a ton for the file...I need to open it up and look for the changes!

    Is there a way to just kill power to the z axis so that I can work on the rest without the detonations?



    edit: my forensic determination is that the previous owner got a little sloppy on the soldering...

    Last edited by eodjeep2000; 10-29-2011 at 08:20 PM. Reason: added content


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    Quote Originally Posted by eodjeep2000 View Post
    The file seemed to be working wonderfully...for about a sec and a half. Then that pesky z axis chip got all smokey and gave a big "pop". I'll try to just replace the chip first.

    Thanks a ton!

    Is there a way to just kill power to the z axis so that I can work on the rest without the detonations?



    edit: my forensic determination is that the previous owner got a little sloppy on the soldering...
    you should be able to disable the z by removing the wires to the motor...

    Make absolutely positive that the board has disapated all power before messing with ANY motor wiring, put a volt meter on the power connections into the board and be certain there is 0 voltage there, I power mine down and go eat or something before working on it.

    I'm thinking either your board has bad soldering problems or a bad connection to that motor on z, in checking connections remember that someone else may have torqued the motor wire connections down so firmly that they broke the solder connections to the terminals.

    john



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    You can also disable the Z from within Mach but I would disconnect the actual Z stepper too. I second the G540. It is a wonderful product. It was stated that your board is a HCNC Pro, if it is, it looks nothing at all like mine. I second the difficulties with Dave or the support forum. They do assume I/we have more electronics experience or understanding of the vocabulary. Most of us experienced the same set up issues you are going thru now. There are quite a few settings within Mach. Funny thing is after getting my machine all connected, properly wired and set up within Mach, I still didnt know how to command my machine to move thru Gcode so I couldnt verify machine operation. The steppers would lock upon powering but no hotkeys had been assigned and I didnt know what the MDI (manual data input) was. Finally someone said, have you put anything in the MDI line? I said no. In case you dont know either, find the MDI box, write G1 X1 F1. This will command the machine to move at the commanded speed of (F1) 1 unit (dont know if you are in mm or inch) per minute to the location of X1. In my case it all worked at that moment, not correctly necessarily but it moved. Then it was a matter of calibration.



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    Quote Originally Posted by WoodSpinner View Post
    you should be able to disable the z by removing the wires to the motor...

    Make absolutely positive that the board has disapated all power before messing with ANY motor wiring, put a volt meter on the power connections into the board and be certain there is 0 voltage there, I power mine down and go eat or something before working on it.

    I'm thinking either your board has bad soldering problems or a bad connection to that motor on z, in checking connections remember that someone else may have torqued the motor wire connections down so firmly that they broke the solder connections to the terminals.

    john
    I disconnect mine all of the time after less than a minute after powering down. I use the same controller on my lathe and mill.



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    I have a very similar board that is made by Xylotex (they no longer make them).

    A few things

    The Driver chips really need a heat-sink.

    The driver current also needs to be set properly.

    Ensure all the connections to the motor are secure
    I have lost a driver IC before from a bad connection.



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Bought a used desktop machine...can't make it work!  Help!

Bought a used desktop machine...can't make it work!  Help!