Reply with QuoteYou didn't say. Have you already talked to Tormach? If not, that's your first step.
Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
Hello All,
I've been experiencing a strange and unusual issue with my PCNC 1100 for several months now. I thought I had the cause of the issue nailed down half a dozen times but none the less it rears its ugly head again from time to time. The issue is a simple one. Every now and then, and always at a tool change the driver for the X axis will stop responding. The LED turns red on the driver, but the machine keeps going. Basically, the driver is not responding at this point, the stepper is not moving, but the machine thinks its sill moving and it goes on machining. The machine will continue on with its program thinking its moving in X, Y and Z, but in actuality it's only moving in the Y and Z. This issue has no symptoms, no warning, it just happens. To bring the X Driver back you can either reset the machine, or remove power and reapply power to the driver and the X will come back online.
I'm posting this on the off chance that there is somebody else out there that is or has experienced this issue as I'm desperate to identify the cause. You can only imagine what happens when the machine thinks it's moving in the X but in actuality it's only moving in the Y and Z. Use your imagination, it's that ugly.
Similar Threads:
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
You didn't say. Have you already talked to Tormach? If not, that's your first step.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
When I have ghosts like these I chase down the wiring connections first and look for the obvious loose/mis-crimp and or backed off connections. The ribbon cable is quite easy to pull out and check for seating. Having only rarely found wiring issues in my Tormach mills (at the stepper motor connection) I tend to focus on the driver itself after sniffing for the obvious culprits. Just exchange the plugs on the X and Y drivers (NOTE perform this swap with the machine and controller powered OFF!) and see if the problem chases the driver, or stays with the axis itself.
More often than not my issues have chased the driver and when I tear the driver apart for post mortem I find fried capacitors and/or burnt traces (this definitely was an issue with the old non-leadshine drivers). The Leadshine drivers that you can source now from Tormach, or elsewhere, are pretty darn good and have pretty robust components that are coupled with a decent cooling design. The manual is pretty good at leading you through these basic diagnostic checks. Once you have exhausted those it's best to get on the phone with Tormach tech.
FYI- I currently keep 2 spare stepper drivers around, a spare parallel cable, a spare jog-shuttle controller, a spare limit switch and drawbar/TTS collet in my critical spares reserve shared between the 2 machines (each with 4th axis configuration). I also have a couple of the relevant fast blow fuses on hand, a purposefully minimally built spare controller (minus the MESA card) and an extra hard drive loaded with PP at the ready. That's the list of critical items I had determined made sense to have after 7 years of operational experience keeping these mills rolling.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
I have, they were no help at all.Originally Posted by GLCarlson
@Pickled, I have spare steppers and drivers, It's not either of them that is causing this issue. I've been through the wiring about as well as anyone could without rewiring the thing from scratch. I've swapped ribbon cables and power cables where possible. I even replaced the stepper wiring to no avail. The only constant is that it's confined to the X axis.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
PDB or manual change? Sounds like maybe some electrical noise is getting in and hanging up the stepper driver.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
PDB with auto tool changer.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
I have had issues with that back when I ran MACH, but none since switching to path pilot...
I am surprised Tormach was of no help, they are actually quite good with these things...
NOTE:As one wise professional something once stated, I am ignorant & childish, with a mindset comparable to 9/11 troofers and wackjob conspiracy theorists.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
Tormach branded this a communication error and insisted there was something wrong with one of the cables be it an lpt cable, or an internal ribbon cable. Unfortunately, thinking I had identified the issue half a dozen times didn't help much. Dealing with them was exacerbating and I finally gave up. I got the feeling they simply were not interested in assisting me with this issue. The fact that I can't duplicate the issue on demand further complicates things.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
I had a damaged wiring cover on my X axis, and inside a damaged wire (where the plasticized metal sleeve had unwound and started chafing the wires inside). It would exhibit a similar condition to what you're experiencing. Might be worth a quick inspection.
WW
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
Are you referring to the wires between the stepper motor and the machine run in flex conduit? If so, that was one of the first things I suspected as the conduit has been a but squished. Upon inspection I found the wires were undamaged but decided to replaced them anyway.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
Yes, those are the wires I'm referring to. Hmmm...will keep noodling.
WW
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
IIRC there's a bit in the ATC install about twisting the wire pairs to cut down on EMF, so you might look at the wires in the column to make sure they aren't running too close.
Re: Tormach PCNC 1100 V3 losing communication with driver on X axis
Going back to my original statement. No matter what you do it stays with the X stepper and screw. Even after you swapped the cables to the Y axis driver the problem manifests with the X axis mis-stepping/dropping out? Have you cleaned the contacts on your MESA card (at the PCI/PCI Express slot) as well as the ribbon cable/control board interface as well? I mean it sounds like you have already inspected/swapped all of the wiring between the stepper and the stepper driver, changed the driver out and even moved the stepper motors around. That's getting pretty far down the trouble shooting tree my man, and that definitely doesn't come without some nausea!
