My estop is trigger happy


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Thread: My estop is trigger happy

  1. #1

    Default My estop is trigger happy

    A few weeks ago I bought an EMCO mill that had been retrofitted with Gecko 320x drivers, an Ethernet SmoothStepper, Globe servos, and Mach3. Everything worked fine on it for a few days while I was experimenting with moving everything manually. On Friday, I wanted to try a simple test program and once I loaded the G code it seems like everything crapped out. My problem seems to cycle between a few different behaviors.

    1. There is an external switch to energize the servos. Sometimes I will press the switch, and when I release the switch the estop will trip immediately. If I hold the switch in, I can jog the motors.

    2. If the estop doesn't trip immediately, I can jog the motors for perhaps 10 seconds before the estop will trip. It has tripped while I move the X or Y, or the Z with the X or Y.

    3. Finally, a few times the X motor simply won't turn when commanded to. Other times it will.

    Any advice on my problem would be appreciated.

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  2. #2
    Community Moderator Al_The_Man's Avatar
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    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    Schematic??
    Al.

    CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design

    “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
    Albert E.


  3. #3

    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    I don't have one right now. I can email the guy I bought it from to see if he ever put one together, but I doubt it.



  4. #4
    Registered mikkojay's Avatar
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    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    Hi Norm and AL, This is Mike, the original owner of the F1.
    I will attach the "block" diagram that I had put together. This unfortunately does not go down to a wire by wire level, but the machine uses HEDS encoders and Gecko G320x drives.
    In your most recent email, you mentioned changing wires around, etc. I would strongly recommend reverting the wiring back to the way it was exactly when you got it from me so we may troubleshoot it from there. The machine worked for three years, so I know the wiring is not all of a sudden incorrect.

    The probe diagram shows how I used a transistor to allow the use of a single input for the z-axis touch off plate and a normally-closed touch probe. This is not likely anything to do with your issue, but I thought I'd add the diagram since I dug it up.

    In your first email to me, you mentioned that you first encountered issues with scale, i.e.
    When I tell it to move .001", it will move around .01", but the DRO will still say that it moved .001"
    I then asked if you had gone into the motor configuration screens and changed anything. I never got an answer back on that question, but I can assure you that if those settings were altered drastically, Mach could be telling the machine to move in ways it cannot, and this could trip the Gecko's error condition.

    Speaking of the error state as it relates to the Geckos:
    All 3 drives, X-Y-Z have their reset pins tied together. If one drive faults, the other two are told, "STOP!" That is how when you click the yellow button after powering up the machine, this provides +5v to pin 5 (Err/Reset) on each G320x to enable them.
    If the servos all "lock up", i.e. become energized and sit there locked and humming, this means that the motors are getting power and the drives and encoders are talking to each other happily. Knowing if this is true or not will give a better starting point.

    I guess at this point, I have these 3 main points/questions:
    1) Please put all the motor wiring back exactly as it was originally
    2) Did you change any motor settings, i.e. can you please provide a screen shot of the motor config screens for both the X and the Y settings?
    3) Please confirm that the trim pot settings on the motor drives were not changed. These must be carefully tuned and could cause damage or faults if adjusted incorrectly.

    Please let me know and we can go from there.

    Thanks, Mike

    My estop is trigger happy-f1_retro-jpgMy estop is trigger happy-probeinvert-png

    Expensive tools can be cheaper than professional therapy


  5. #5

    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    Glad you found the thread, Mike.

    I have not taken the connector I showed you apart.

    I have not changed the trim pot settings intentionally, as i do not know how to. If you describe the process, I can tell you if I have been near there and know to stay away.

    I do not have wifi connected the the computer, but cell phone shots should suffice.

    X Axis

    Y Axis

    If you are looking for a different screen than the motor tuning one, let me know.

    Since my last email, I called Gecko's tech support. They recommended trying to swap the X axis drive with another one to rule the board out. I swapped the X and Y boards, leaving the wires in the connectors, but saw no change. The boards have been put back on their original axes.



  6. #6
    Registered mikkojay's Avatar
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    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    The main thing I was looking for with the X and Y was to see if they wound up being different somehow.
    They are the same, so that is good.

    When you swapped the connectors on the X and Y axis,
    1) Did the motors "lock up" when reset with the yellow button?
    2) If yes, could you move the Y axis by itself without any problems?

    If it were me, the next thing I would try would be to replace the encoder cable on the X axis. If you don't have any shielded 4-conductor cable, you could sacrifice an old USB cable like this:
    My estop is trigger happy-tn_f1_-015-jpg
    99% of USB cables have the same color wires, so you could just be sure to swap the wires one-by-one to ensure you get the pinout correct.
    If I remember correctly, I soldered a male header row onto the encoder cable, so that it would mate with the ribbon cable coming out of the HEDS encoder.
    If you do not have an extra cable, or male header pins, I would be happy to box some up and send it to you.
    I looked at the picture you had sent of the connector that went to the encoder ribbon cable, and it did look quite crappy.
    I swear I had bought some of the "proper" 10 pin keyed, locking Molex connectors that were a match for those encoder ribbon connectors.
    Let me go ransack some more for those connectors- the more I think about all of the clues you have provided, that sounds like the most sensible thing to try.
    I'll let you know what I find.

    -Mike

    Expensive tools can be cheaper than professional therapy


  7. #7

    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    I am not sure what you mean by lock-up, but yes, the Y axis moved perfectly fine.

    USB cables I have, headers I do not. My father might have some stuffed in a box, though.



  8. #8
    Registered mikkojay's Avatar
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    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    I found the connector I was looking for so I created you a new encoder cable. Here it is:
    My estop is trigger happy-encoder_cable-jpg
    I use the exact same servo on my other machine, so I was able to "borrow" the pinout from that one.
    The locking connector will ensure a nice tight connection. I have it in a Priority Mail box ready to send to you- please send me your addr to my mikkojay email address.
    Sorry for the troubles you are having I was hoping whomever took this one home would be rocking right out of the gate.

    -Mike

    Expensive tools can be cheaper than professional therapy


  9. #9

    Default Re: My estop is trigger happy

    Awesome, thanks. Just sent an email with my address.

    With how many potholes there were through Iowa, I'm not surprised that an issue came up, but it's odd that the mill worked fine for a few days first.



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