New Gecko G320X startup problems....

[pete from TN]

Hey guys, I just got the new G320X servo drive in the mail to replace the one I accidentally blew( thanks Mariss) I was not having any problems with my wiring or setup before just a hard crash and now I installed the new G320X and I cannot get it to work. I tried to run the X axis servo with the Y axis controls and it works fine so no problem with the motor or encoder. I hooked up the new G320X and set the dip switches to what I thought would work for my system. mostly default except for the ten siwtch. I set it for no delay.

I could not get the drive out of fault until I played with the motor a bit and when I moved the shaft the light went out allowing me to proceed to the next steps in the manual. Everything worked as shown until I got to step 6. Hooking up the motor. Once I hook up the motor I turn it on and back in fault. I tried to swap the motor outputs pos for neg and still no dice. I am using the US digital encoders and when I turn the power on in step 6 and I move the shaft by hand the motor kinda jumps but the drive stays in fault? I also noticed that I never really got the amber lights to work too much when I performed the Encoder test. It sure is nice to be able to test everything with this new drive and I am also glad for the safeties it has but I am kinda not having much luck with it right now. Any ideas guys? peace

Pete

[Mariss Freimanis]

Whose encoder are you using?

Mariss

[pete from TN]

as I said in the post I am using US digital encoders. I know over the phone with you I got advice for another one from digikey and I plan on getting those units soon but for now the money is just tight. Machine is working perfectly with the G320s just not the G320x? I am sure I am doing something wrong but not sure what...peace

[Mariss Freimanis]

You are doing nothing wrong. The USDigital encoder has difficulty outputting 5VDC because it has only 40 microamps of drive current for a logic '1'. The G320 has 1K pull-up resistors to +5VDC to help it out. The G320X has encoder fail detect so it can't "help out" the encoder. You can either:

1) Put pull-up resistors from CHA and CHB to ENC +5VDC, use that encoder and lose the encoder fail detect.

2) Change encoders or buy the USDigital cable driver and keep the encoder fail detect feature.

Mariss

[atvracer]

Mariss

i have the same US encoder i got it to work with pull up res but whats the other encoder are you talking about ? i would like to look at it

thanks
Atv

[jasko]

Hi
I will start from begging
My name is Jasmin from Bosnia and Herzegovina
I'm only person in this country who making cnc machine and I love cnc
there is my last cnc machine combined router and laser

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE4d6ggdGKk"]YouTube- Dizart cnc kamen
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3SYULx_QMQ"]YouTube- laser

If I forget problems with G230X now I using G340 and I'm happy with them
Only problem I have with them that I don't know how to connect all err so if one axes go to err all axes stop
with drivers I use before I just connect them together and everything is ok but Gecko don't work like this
Maybe this is explained somewhere but I don't know where so please if anybody can give me direction
thanks

[BobWarfield]

You are doing nothing wrong. The USDigital encoder has difficulty outputting 5VDC because it has only 40 microamps of drive current for a logic '1'. The G320 has 1K pull-up resistors to +5VDC to help it out. The G320X has encoder fail detect so it can't "help out" the encoder. You can either:

1) Put pull-up resistors from CHA and CHB to ENC +5VDC, use that encoder and lose the encoder fail detect.

2) Change encoders or buy the USDigital cable driver and keep the encoder fail detect feature.

Mariss

This would be a good note to add to your docs, Mariss. Lots of US Digital floating around since they're cheap. I would've hit the same problem if I upgraded.

I productively added the bypass cap to my HEDS encoders per your suggestion and that definitely cleaned up some problems I was experiencing. I tried to get the manufacturer (homeshopcnc) to add a note on his units or better add the bypass cap to the units he sells, but no dice.

Cheers,

BW

[Mariss Freimanis]

Bob,

We have had that information on our website since Aug 2009. Please go to www.geckodrive.com, click "Support", then click "Application Notes and Manuals" and from the list click "HEDS encoder modifications". Or, here's the direct link:

http://www.geckodrive.com/upload/UsingHEDSEncoders.pdf

Putting this in the G320X manual presents problems. We cannot single USDigital out as having incompatibility issues when it's used with the G320X. It wouldn't be fair to them because there are plenty of other open collector or quasi-open collector encoders out there like the USDigital E5S series encoders. This application note covers those issues and shows the corrections necessary to make the encoder compatible.

Rant: My gripe is this information was made available when the G320X was released. Application Notes are the first place I go if I'm having problems with a vendor's product like a MOSFET or an integrated circuit and I assumed most people would do the same. I think a mangled aphorism that applies here is "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think.":-)

Mariss

[BobWarfield]

Mariss, there I have to disagree on your rant.

The customer is always right, and never to be berated as a horse or otherwise. They generally don't think that's cute or funny, particularly if they're in the middle of having a problem.

It's up to the vendor to figure out how to get them the information, or face the consequences if they don't find it of either higher support costs or worse having them complain. If one person has a problem, others will too.

In particular, when one of the most commonly used encoders has a problem with your new pride and joy, you have to work way too hard to reflect that problem back on the encoder and not have it reflect on your drive. Even if you're right, you're wrong, if you know what I mean.

It ain't fair, but business often isn't. FWIW, I am in the Customer Service software business.

Cheers,

BW

[Mariss Freimanis]

Bob,

I appreciate that. The horse thing; it's my favorite mangled saying right now and I thought I would share it. That's all.

It's up to the vendor to provide all information. It's up to the user to find from what's provided to get what he needs. We are back to dehydrated equine cognition again.

Mariss

[jasko]

hi
Bob thanks you again for help with Geckos err signals
Problem with G320x can be solved with just one line in manual:
"G320X work perfectly with this encoders: .......
If you using any others you have to visit this page ........"
After this horses go to the water alone
Last month I paid more then 1000 USD to Gecko drive .Is this make me a horse ?

[jasko]

Mariss
please dot get me wrong but people who building machines a 90 % mechanical and they now how connect a wires following a schematic and that's all
They don't need to know about process happening in drivers to be good machine builders and if they using your drivers you suppose to make this es simple es possible to them
Also there people who use Gecko and don't speak English so connection description on manual is not enough
Like Mr. Duncan from CNC4PC in description of his Master control board sad:
"No more guessing. You can SEE
all your signals. Save valuable
time and brainpower for CNCing."
Jasmin