Pullin my hair out now! Z not working or missing steps

[sconklin]

I have an early version of a sidewinder cnc w/ mach 3
I just re set it up and am having one prob after another. My current problem is this. I went to run a simple 2.75 ring program( ran it at least 4 times the day before) after getting the machine going yesterday. The router is supposed to cut through 1/4" material and only cuts maybe a few thousanths before moving to the next outer circle.Mach 3 shows the correct depth per pass but the machine is not doing what mach thinks it is. I can see the z stepper motor trying to turn w no results. When I hit the stop button and move it up and down manually w/ the page up and down button it works fine.Can anyone help, hopefully its a simple fix, This machine is gonna put me in an early grave.

[ger21]

Try lowering the acceleration.

[sconklin]

Hi Ger
Thanks for the response. The g code written in cut 2d only calls for 1"/minute(very slow) or are you saying to alter it elsewhere?

[sconklin]

I went under motor tuning reset the steps per inch to 2000 from 8000? , the velocity reads 60 ,accel was 6 and I reset to 3.
I shut it down ,re started Mach 3 w/ the new settings and the Z screw only turns a tiny but on the plunges? Didnt help.

[sconklin]

Anybody have any ideas w/respect to settings? I am dead in the water. It was not doing this the day before. It just started out of the blue and I havnt touched the Z axis?

[Starleper1]

Are you by chance using the Gecko G540?

[sconklin]

No, I dont believe so. This is a 1 1/2 year old sidewinder cnc.

[Starleper1]

I had the same issue with my setup but i have the G540. I found a thread of an explainable reason that the G540 needs the "sherline mode" checked under general config. It opens the pulse width up to 40micro seconds. Maybe give that a try and see what happens.