PicStep V4

[Reanimator]

Hi Guys,

made the new V4.0 PCB today- sofar no probs:-)
Same making the Primo optoboard.

But here comes the Trouble. Where do i get the 5V for the Pic?
The V4.0 PCB seems to get it from the Breakoutbord and the Breakoutboard seems to get the 5V for the Optos from the Driver?

Some one made the same exprience?

There is no conection from +5V on the Breakoutport to the Axis-Connection. But the Driver wants on Pin1 +5V.

Can some one explane it to me?

THX so far

Bishop

[Reanimator]

Sofar found Out the 2 Boards are at the moment not 100% compatiple.

1.
Both Boards (Primo 3 Axis Opto) and (PicStepV4) have pullups at the Direction and step line! 10k at Picstep and 3k3 at Priomo's Board. You have to remove the 10K's on Picstep or the 3k3 on Primos! Otherwise RB0/1 on the Pic dont go 100% High or low!!

2.
There is no +5V Connection for feeting the Pic16f628 or the Ops on Primos Board!

3. Parallelout Pinsetup on the 3Axis Optooutboard is divrend than the 4 Axis Outputboad! 2=xStep 3=xDir 5=yStep 6=yDir 8=zStep 9=zDir

4. You have to Switch the ribboncable on one Side. Otherwise the Pins are not 1 on 1 swicht! Be carefull because of the +5V (if extern feet- see point 2)

Found out all the thinks but still the Boards are not walking. Mabey someone got some Ideears.

THX for all Input!!

Bishop

[pminmo]

I missed this post. Ok, bishop yes you are correct the connector is 180 degrees out on the version 4 board. I originally noted that on my website, but somehow I lost the note. I think I need to make an intermediate webpage on the interface issues. The pullups together 3.3K and 10K are probably ok, it depends on the Opto Isolator selected but pull the 10K's to start. I haven't looked at the V4 board thoroughly, but if it doesn't have a 5V output available , kinda make the opto isolator implementation more costly. You will need an isolated 5V source to power the pic boards and and the opto outputs. I'll look into this further and post later today.

Phil

[pminmo]

Bishop, what opto isolators did you use? Have you tested the pictep boards by themselves? Looks to me like you have identified the compatability issues. Now we need to figure out why it's not working.

Phil

[Reanimator]

First Thx for your Answers. By the sorry for the bad english, its my second langue.

To the Optos there are the 4 Pin PC817 and fully compatiple to the PC847 e.g. four PC817 are one PC847 that you told in some thread that can be used.


here are some pics of the setup (mabey the help:-)
http://www.illumilights.de/images/stepper/CIMG0740.jpg
http://www.illumilights.de/images/stepper/CIMG0742.jpg
http://www.illumilights.de/images/stepper/CIMG0744.jpg

The missing 7805 on my board is of because i got an stabilzed Input of 5Volt

[pminmo]

Lets go through some logical steps please respond to each numbered question with your results. Give me as much info as you can, remember I'm troubleshooting in the blind. :-)
First the obvious:
1. Check for 5V and ground on the pics?
2. Closely look at your solder joints?
3. Did your remember to program the PIC?
4. Check to make sure your software is correctly setup?
5. Check to see if you are getting a full swing on the outputs of the opto isolators. Do that by using a parallel port toggling program to set a port pin high then low and measure the corresponding output of the opto isolator to make sure the low state is less than .7VDC in the low state and 3.5VDC or higher in the high state? Do this with the PCIStep board hooked up.
6. Does the enable (brake ) go to the enabled state?
7. Independently of the interface board do the picstep boards work manually with a simple switch to emulate enable, direction and clock?

Phil

[Reanimator]

1. Check for 5V and ground on the pics?
OK

2. Closely look at your solder joints?
what i can see OK

3. Did your remember to program the PIC?
Yes programmd it 2 Times - And it works like in the simulator corect

4. Check to make sure your software is correctly setup?
Curently i'm using Mach1 with manual moving the X/Y/Z Axis.
Outputport are:
2 = Step X
3 = Dir X
5 = Step Y
6 = Dir Y
8 = Step Z
9 = Dir Z

5. Check to see if you are getting a full swing on the outputs of the opto isolators.
Yes for Direction Line clean 0V +5V Output of The Opts and input on RB0 on the Pic'sside.
No for the Stepline, but i think its because of a Pulse. I got only a TTL Line Checker so i think its to fast. maby i get an Osz. on Weekand to check the Pulse

6. Does the enable (brake ) go to the enabled state?
Yes it does! checked it by manuanly connected the Pin with Ground. Brake goes on enable. Without geting the PiN to Ground the Brake is of (e.g. normal State)

7. Independently of the interface board do the picstep boards work manually with a simple switch to emulate enable, direction and clock?
Can you explane this a little more closely? I think the Step line is a fast Pulse of high and low?

Thanx again for your Replys and Help!!

Bishop

[pminmo]

7. Independently of the interface board do the picstep boards work manually with a simple switch to emulate enable, direction and clock?
Can you explane this a little more closely? I think the Step line is a fast Pulse of high and low?

What we will work towards is breaking the problem down by seperating what we know works and what doesn't. Since the motor isn't working lets start with the driver board (Picstep):

With just the picstep board, 5Vdc source, motor power supply and motor. Using the 3 control signals, enable, dir, clock (step). You can test with the enable and dir in a steady state condition and roughly simulate the clock (step) signal. See attached picture. While opening and closing the step switch may give multiple steps on a working board, it lets us know if the board is roughly working or not. The other question, if it doesn't step, is the motor shaft easy to turn or is there power that holds it in position when trying to spin it by hand?

[Reanimator]

Well got the stepper going to step:-)

2 thinks that i was wrong!

1. the 3k3 resistors on your board are to low to pull the line clean to +5V!
I dried it now with the 10K pullups on the driverboard, and then it switcht clean.

2. Made a bade mistake with the Brakeline(Enableline). I was thinkin, if the Line is in OFF-State stepping would working:-(
but its the opposide because, if its ON, it only takes the stepp and the direction signal. So this was a bad misstake from my side.

By the Way, do you got the eagle-files from the Board?
I want to do some redesigning? Would be nice.

s.bishop@gmx.net

THX alot for you god Help.

Bishop

[pminmo]

Glad to hear you got it working. If everything is running on the low side, i.e. pc output voltage and transfer characteristics, 3.3K only give you a 2.6V swing. 6.8K would suffice. The TLP624 opto isolator series is bith faster and has a higher minimum transfer characteristic. Any chance of pictures?

I don't have eagle files on the picstep, but do on the opto board, do you want those?

Phil

[Reanimator]

Hi Phil,

right now i'm using the PC817 optos from NEC.
As i can see in the Datasheet the are faster than the TLP624? Maby i'm wrong. Just posting here the Datasheets.





For the Eagles(your Optoboard) i would be glad if you can send it to Me.
s.bishop@gmx.net

What do You mean about Pictures? Pictures of the Board? The Optos?
Just tell me and i will Post them :-)

Greats
Bishop

[Ito-Brazil]

What´s the fastest/cheapest OPTOs ? I mean i´m using 4N25 optos. Cheap but not so fast: down to 22 kHz (if my brain is not wrong)
I know some optos are really fast and cheap too. Toshiba has a TLP521 (4 legs) opto. Is that good? heare in brazil it costs US$ 0.50, like 4N25.

Thanks guys , you are great!