Need Help!- Mach 3 motor tuning

[nenetwork]

Hi, I've searched a few times on the forum but cannot find a solution.

My problem is I have just purchased a new CNC linear machine, I am using Nema23 motors but cannot get them to move any axis at all, even messing around in Motor Tuning on Mach 3 cannot get them to move at all, just low & high pitch noises.

Anyone point me in the right direction of how to calculate the figures I need for motor tuning?

Thanks in advance.

[ger21]

Start with very, very low numbers (10 veocity and 1 accel) )and see if you can get the motors to spin. If not, you have a problem somewhere.

[H.O]

Have you ran the Drivertest program to verify that the computer is up to the task of running Mach3? If yes, have you set up you Ports&Pins to match the hardware, ie the step and direction signals are going to the right place. If you aren't getting any pulses then check that the LPT-port adress set in Mach3 is matching the adress of the port in your computer. And lastly, you are using a proper LPT-port aren't you. Using a USB<->printer port will never ever work.

[nenetwork]

I had it running ok on another machine but this new machine is a lot heavier, I can get a noise from the motors but it just will not turn the threads.

The motors are wired in series and I've got the Vref at 3 & Pfd at 2.3, I'm not sure if moving the figures higher will make it work better.

[jalessi]

Nenetwork,

It sounds like the steppers are stalling.

How big and how heavy is the new machine?

What thread pitch are the lead screws?

What stepper drivers are you using?

What ounce or nm rating are the steppers?

More information is needed in order to help you.

Jeff...

[nenetwork]

Hi,

The motors are Nema23 and are 0.88NM

The machine is 20kg all together

The thread pitch is 3mm

The stepper driver is a bipolar 3 axis

Thank you for your help, as you can tell I'm not that clued up on the specs

[H.O]

Are you sure you haven't just reversed the step and direction signals? If so the motor would take a single step every second time you change direction. And to verify that the it's not just a matter of the motors being too small for this new machine disconnect them from the machine (mechanically) and see what happens.

[jalessi]

What brand stepper driver, how many amp output?

What voltage and amperage power supply?

Jeff...

[nenetwork]

First off I would like to thank you's for taking your time to help me.

The cnc board is a http://www.easy-cnc.com/3axisdriver.html and I cannot find the output amount

My Powersupply is

13.8v dc

current 3a continuos, 5a duty cycle & 7a surge


The motors run alright when not connected to the mounts.

Thanks.

[jalessi]

What is the stepper motor amperage spec?

Jeff...

[Crevice Reamer]

Originally Posted by nenetwork I had it running ok on another machine but this new machine is a lot heavier, I can get a noise from the motors but it just will not turn the threads. The motors are wired in series and I've got the Vref at 3 & Pfd at 2.3, I'm not sure if moving the figures higher will make it work better.

Your .88 Nm motors are 125 oz in. The NEW HEAVY machine weighs about 45 pounds total. (What machine was a lot lighter?) Those motors should be powerful enough to at least move such a little axis somewhat. The PSU voltage might be a little low though.

When the motors were running on the other machine, was it the same computer/Mach3/driver combo or what was it?

What exact motors are these? What exact driver board? What exact machine?

You ARE using a real parallel port from inside computer aren't you?

What about the cable between computer and driver. Is it the same cable as used on other machine? Is it a "straight thru" cable?

CR.

[marchantdice]

The minimum spec' motor is 2Nm
http://www.worldofcnc.com/products.asp?recnumber=194
or
Assembled with our Ballscrews you can use 1Nm motors...