new to this stuff. steppers twitch but don't turn.

[Banana Jack]

i don't even know where to start because this is my first machine, first time using these and in fact any electronics. so i'm gonna ask you guys for help diagnosing the problem.

I'm using emc2, with a hobbycnc pro driver board and these steppers. oh, and a 12v 11.5A power supply. I plugged everything up, and run stepconf wizard to set up my machine settings; i get to the part where i set up each axis, so i go to "test this axis" and try to jog the motor. i click jog, the motor twitches. i click jog again, it twitches again. i try to make it move x amount of inches, and click go. motor twitches again. after ten seconds, the motor stops humming and does not respond to any input at all. same thing for all three motors. if i cycle the power, it goes back to working again, but if i give it an input then wait ten seconds, it shuts down on me again. i finish stepconf anyways and open emc, and try to jog from there. same response.

i don't know what to do, i don't even know where to start. i'm also hoping it's not my parallel port cable that i got off ebay, because i haven't left feedback yet and i don't want to until this works, because if the cord is bad i won't be able to return it after leaving feedback.

[CarveOne]

Originally Posted by Banana Jack i don't even know where to start because this is my first machine, first time using these and in fact any electronics. so i'm gonna ask you guys for help diagnosing the problem. I'm using emc2, with a hobbycnc pro driver board and these steppers. oh, and a 12v 11.5A power supply. I plugged everything up, and run stepconf wizard to set up my machine settings; i get to the part where i set up each axis, so i go to "test this axis" and try to jog the motor. i click jog, the motor twitches. i click jog again, it twitches again. i try to make it move x amount of inches, and click go. motor twitches again. after ten seconds, the motor stops humming and does not respond to any input at all. same thing for all three motors. if i cycle the power, it goes back to working again, but if i give it an input then wait ten seconds, it shuts down on me again. i finish stepconf anyways and open emc, and try to jog from there. same response. i don't know what to do, i don't even know where to start. i'm also hoping it's not my parallel port cable that i got off ebay, because i haven't left feedback yet and i don't want to until this works, because if the cord is bad i won't be able to return it after leaving feedback.

12vdc is the minimum voltage recommended for your board, and it may not be enough to run the motors. 24vdc is recommended by Hobbycnc, and it can handle up to 42vdc. 12v is way to low for the motors to have any serious amount of torque. If your machine has any drag at all in the rolling mechanism due to misalignment it may be enough that the motors won't overcome it and move a little. If you can find a way to power it with a 24v power supply do it and see if it helps. You could have a configuration problem in Stepconf wizard. Check the parallel cable with an ohmmeter to be sure all 25 wires are connected from one end to the other and each pin goes to the same pin at the other end. If the cable came from Hobbycnc it is probably the correct cable. If you are running EMC2 from a laptop computer it won't run the driver board. You need a desktop computer with a parallel port that puts out 0v/5v logic levels. Laptops are most likely to put out 0v/3.3v.

CarveOne

[Banana Jack]

yeah, this power supply is only temporary, i was planning on upgrading as soon as i have money again. i was just using it for testing purposes, to make sure everything works ok, and maybe do a few test cuts. but that comes after the machine itself is finished. I forgot to mention - this was an electronics-only test, 'cause the machine is still in the works. so i don't think it's any lack of torque.

the cable i got from some random company on ebay. i'm also using a desktop so that's not the issue.

[CarveOne]

Not having a machine sure eliminates any binding related problems.

One down, 100 other causes to go... I started in CNC with EMC2 but I haven't used it in a year, though two of my computers still have it installed.

I'll have to fire one of them up to have a look at my configuration settings in stepconf wizard. I can do that tomorrow. Meanwhile, take a look at what you can find on the EMC2 wiki site.

If it all sounds like geekspeak to you, then you know as much as I do. Seriously, it should at least run the motors if the reset isn't triggered.

CarveOne