Problem- No steps from parallel port

[PRC]

I am trying to test run a stepper motor using EMC2 but am having no luck. I at first thought that it was my stepper controller or interface board (cheap with little documentation from Hong Kong). So I brought a scope meter home from work and found that no steps were comming from the interface board. so i started measuring the output from the port. I found that when i changed direction i could see the direction output change but bo steps. So I tried using different pins with the same result.

I thought that I must of stuffed up the timing values so I tried the Gecko configuration. No success.

I then updated emc, hal and the realtime kernal. still no success.

I then found some C software to write to the port directly. And I could produce steps which would drive the stepper slowly so it looks like the hardware all works.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[acondit]

Originally Posted by PRC I am trying to test run a stepper motor using EMC2 but am having no luck. I at first thought that it was my stepper controller or interface board (cheap with little documentation from Hong Kong). So I brought a scope meter home from work and found that no steps were comming from the interface board. so i started measuring the output from the port. I found that when i changed direction i could see the direction output change but bo steps. So I tried using different pins with the same result. I thought that I must of stuffed up the timing values so I tried the Gecko configuration. No success. I then updated emc, hal and the realtime kernal. still no success. I then found some C software to write to the port directly. And I could produce steps which would drive the stepper slowly so it looks like the hardware all works. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

It could be something very simple.

Did you install emc2 from liveCD? What version?

Have you tried stepconf?

Timing is sometimes critical. Using drivers that basically don't provide adequate information regarding their timing requirements is maddening.

Alan

[PRC]

I did a fresh install on thursday from a Live CD. The live CD was downloaded last year and its volume name is emc2buntu8.04

Current version of EMC/Axis is 2.2.8 from the "about" message box.

I have been using stepconf to do the configuration as a mill.

The fact that I don't get any steps from the PC port (measured on the back of the PC) I think excludes the timing details of my stepper driver board from the problem.

I suspect that the latency of the PC will need to be improved for reliable operation but this should not stop any steps being output should it?

Peter

[acondit]

Do you get motion when testing the axis in stepconf? If not you don't have something setup correctly. Look at the parallel port address that you are using. See if there is an enable required for the driver, and that it is being set properly.

Alan

[mc-motorsports]

Yes, if the computer is brand new or you've never used the parallel port before, go into BIOS and make sure the port is enabled and double check the port address matches your controller.
MC

[BruceHanson]

I have the same problem.
I can run my BOB, KL-5056 Driver and motor through the parallel port running Mach3 but on an install of Ubuntu 6.06 and EMC 2.2 I get nothing at all. The fact that I have no issues on the same computer with Mach3 really frustrates me. I am a HUGE Linux fan and really need to get EMC2 working so I can trash the Windows XP install along with the download of Mach3 and get my 2 CNC machines running. I have looked all through the threads and I cannot find any configuration settings that work for my driver. One posting said to use 1200 1200 500 500 but when I test the axis I get a dead stick. It is terrible that it works in Mach 3 and not EMC2.

[PRC]

I have had some success.

I started by Reinstalling linux from my emc2 live CD.
Rechecked all my wiring and connections.

Changed my bios so the parallel port settings are EPP rather than CPP (don't ask me what it means).

Changed all my timings to very long times (50000) in stepconf wizard.

And it would not drive in stepconf wizard.

But it runs the stepper when you run gcode from emc2. My stepper is happily running on the desktop now.

Next step will to be to try and optimise the settings.
But that is a Job for another day.

Peter

[acondit]

Another thing to try, is in stepconf, invert the step signal. Some work on high transition but I can't say that all do.

Alan

[pminmo]

How are you measuring the parallel port to make sure you have no step pulses? Postscript, I see you have it working now, sorry...

[PRC]

Inverting the step signal in stepconf worked. Now can drive the steppers from stepconf and use more sensable timings.

Peter