SX3 Stopped Working

[mikemill]

My SX3 has a problem,on removing back panel I see two drivers with bright red flashing led's one with dull red flashing led and fourth axis no led's at all, could it be the power supply? anyone got any ideas?

Thanks
Mike

[iGG1e]

Have you checked the 48V level on the power connectors to the drives?

[mikemill]

Yes but it is pulsing, thats what I think is causing the led's to flash!!

Thanks
Mike

[iGG1e]

Pulsing isn't good. You might want to try measuring it with just one axis driver at a time to see if one of them is the problem.

[mikemill]

Unpluging power to drivers changes puse rate, swoping supply plugs to dead driver lights up led so it has to be power supply issue, do you know if there is somthing like a reset on PSU

Mike

[iGG1e]

If it is acting like you say, the only solution is to replace it. Very inconvenient over the Christmas period!

I have considered sourcing a replacement ready for when mine decides to kick the bucket. Given that it seems to be a generic unbranded Chinese unit (some one feel free to correct me if it is in fact a top quality known brand), I expect it to not last that long.

[neilw20]

Generic drivers they maybe but mine have been perfectly reliable with much use over the last 18 months.
When electronic things die prematurely, they were either built with a fault or a loose connection has caused the problem.
My experience with ALL of the CONNECTORS in the SX3, is loose screws, and faulty crimps at the steppers. All connections must be very secure so that they don't fail.
Disconnect all but one axis, (remove the power and data lead from the modules).
Get one axis going, or try the next. You have enough parts by substitution to find the culprit.
Could be power supply. ie. Can't get any axis working.
Faulty driver dragging down the power supply. Identify faulty driver.
Faulty driver damaging signals on data cables.
Faulty Stepper wiring.
As you jog all of the lights change by varying amounts.
The stepper manual from syil.cn website explains connections adequately.
You just have to trouble shoot, and while you are at it put a hinge on the back panel, so you don't damage any more wires.
CHECK for ALL loose screws, and bad crimps.
Get one axis going, then using that driver,stepper and data cable, power cable to fault find the other two.

[iGG1e]

Funnily enough one of the things that has given me the least concern are the axis drivers. As you say the connections are a weak point. Besides badly crimped ferrules, one pin in the flat white interconnection cable to the front panel proved troublesome as it didn't latch properly and got pushed back up in the connector housing as it was mated to the PCB header. It was difficult to spot and would sometimes make contact, but other times it caused the display to error.

Mike sounds to have had his mill a while, so something could've finally worked loose. From his last post it does appear that the PSU is the likely candidate.

[mikemill]

I ftted new PSU and have continious power ZYX axis ok, fourth axis no fuction no led's on driver, so assumed failed driver. New driver arrived and connected, no power agian, traced problem back to power plug to fourth axis as I connect turns off PSU like a short!! checked connections, put meter on plug and got 48v could not find any short, then used plug from Z axis to 4th and it works, disconnected 4th power plug from PSU, now PSU not working when I turn on, green led flashes then nothing, cheked input but only 55V AC is this correct? So I am confused and back to square one, HELP!!!

Mike

[iGG1e]

I think the general recommendation is to not hot plug the drivers in and out. Power off and connect/disconnect. Think a few have been fried doing this and would possibly explain why it died if there was a dodgy connection to it.

In terms of the 55VAC, it should either be 110 or 240VAC depending on your mains supply. With another issue on the controller board some people over here we forced to run a transformer to supply it with 110VAC instead of 240VAC. Either way 55VAC is not going to power the PSU. Have you, carefully, tested the supply to the PSU without it being connect?

[mikemill]

When I aquired the fouth axis rotary table I connected the power lead to the spare terminals marked S on PSU assuming that was their purpose, as there were no instructions ( typical Syil) and all worked fine for the last eighteen months. When I recieved repacement PSU I connected up as origional set up, but connecting fourth axis to S terminals ( they are 48V) shut down PSU and thats where confusion lay as using Z axis plug to 4th worked but not to S terminal. Hugh at Syil UK put me right and suggested shareing one of the three other terminals and all is working again.
Out of interest does anyone know what S terminals are for, or why would using them shut down PSU.

Mike

[neilw20]

The S terminals are for REMOTE SENSING and SHOULD NOT BE CONNECTED, (unless you have a real need, and know how to use them).

The remote sense terminals connect internally in the power supply to the -Ve and +Ve terminals via a resistor.
If you try to draw power (more than 100mw or so) out of these terminals you will fry some parts in the power supply, and it may not work any more, or you may just damage the remote sensing, in which case some smoke comes out once, then the load you had connected to the S terminals won't work.

Read The Friendly (or !%#^#*) Manual.

Documentation on these power supplies is available if you search for it.

Just hooking up wires to TRYsomething often leads to the smoke getting out, which is hard to get back in.

If you are not sure, never TRY something. ASK and you will usually receive.

A knowledgeable person can probably repair the supply.

The purpose of the remote sensing is to compensate for voltage drop in the power leads supply the load.

In a typical CNC application, their use is not required.
If a terminal is not documented, do not use it, until you find out what it is for.

Most component modules, these days, are generic, and often have undocumented connections.