Can't jog

[greybeard]

No, it's not my age that's the problem, it's my machine.
I've set up turbo on my desktop, and can open the programme in dos ok.
At present it doesn't recognise my mouse, even though another dos based cnc programme does(Supercam), but I'm assuming that's another problem to be sorted out later.
(The Supercam prog works ok and successfully drives the m/c.)
A friend has sent me a config.ini file based on my m/c setup, and that is in the file ok, and seems to have set the step size/limits/ etc., as expected.
However, the keyboard arrow keys produce no effect whatever.

I've printed out the whole 97+ pages of the manual, and read it numerous times, but can find no clue there.

Any suggestions welcomed.

John

[ger21]

Are you running it under XP in a DOS window?

[greybeard]

Hi Jerry.
No, I boot up in dos.
I've got win98se as my installed os on this desktop, but know of the timer issues with windows, so I boot direct to dos
John

[Bubba]

John,
Ok, easy one first. To use the mouse, you have to have something like mouse.com in your autoexec.bat file. Having said that be sure NEVER to use the mouse when the machine is moving as it will generate an interrupt and mess up the pulse flow.

Have you double checked the ini file to be sure it references the correct parallel port? By anychance, is the ini file named anything other than turbocnc.ini? Also, is it in the same directory as turbocnc.exe?

Another stupid question, have you verified the pinout on the port is properly connected to your drivers? Are you using a bob or direct wiring to the parallel port?

As the movie says, "Need Input":})

[greybeard]

Originally Posted by Bubba John, Ok, easy one first. To use the mouse, you have to have something like mouse.com in your autoexec.bat file. Having said that be sure NEVER to use the mouse when the machine is moving as it will generate an interrupt and mess up the pulse flow.

Hi Bubba.
I've tried to follow the instructions in the manual re getting the mouse.com in, and all the other things for booting directly into dos, but a few things didn't seem to go as planned, so I've put that particular problem on hold, and put everything back to starting position.

Originally Posted by Bubba ........Have you double checked the ini file to be sure it references the correct parallel port? By anychance, is the ini file named anything other than turbocnc.ini? Also, is it in the same directory as turbocnc.exe?

Yes, that's AOK.

Originally Posted by Bubba ....... Another stupid question, have you verified the pinout on the port is properly connected to your drivers? Are you using a bob or direct wiring to the parallel port?

The controller I'm using is an EMC-XYYZB built for the SuperCam setup, and works ok using their own software designed to run directly from the printer port, but with minimum G code support.
Since I wanted to move on from 2.5D to 3D, I decided to give the turbo prog a look.

Symptom Update.

Re-booting, I now notice that the xyz coordinates in the status window do follow the keyboard input of using the arrow keys, with or without the ALT key.
However, no corresponding movement of the motors.
I also see that if I try to change the jog increment using the ALT + (1-8),
there is no effect in the setup/jog mode.
I assumed that pressing Alt + 5 would change the Active Axis entry to [5] X, but it has no effect.

Is this right ?
Regards
John

[greybeard]

By the way, I'm only planning to use the mouse for the set up, and until I find my way around the prog.
Only too aware of the dust in the workshop

[Bubba]

John,
sent you a PM and we will see what we can figure out.

Also, its not the dust that is the primary problem but a "feature" in the program. Also, what version are you using?

[greybeard]

Update.
My comment about the lack of response in the setup/jog mode is my lack of understanding, not a software problem
It works as designed, but still no effect on the motors.
John

[greybeard]

Bubba,
I've just noticed that the ini prog I have installed has major differences in the true/false settings for the step/dir pin entries compared with the ini file as supplied with the 4.01 download.
This would seem to indicate a likely cause of the problems I have.
Any thoughts ?
John

[Bubba]

John,
Just walked in the door and will be looking into it in a few minutes!

[greybeard]

Bubba, thanks for the PM's.
You were right in your gut feeling. I loaded the original ini file, then used the config I/O lines to enable the drives on pin 14 of the printer port.
Sure enough, the jogging then worked, albeit on the wrong axis, because I hadn't yet reconfigured them.
So I went back to notepad and edited the config file to give it my pin arrangement, but then it didn't jog.
So back to the original file again, but now that doesn't work either, so I'm now going quietly mad.

I've checked each time that the ports have been reset after I've made any alteration, and I can see that the enabling has appeared in the config file as a new entry, but I'm darned if I can see what I'm not doing this time that I did before.

After a meal, I'll delete all the various turbcnc.ini files(old/prev etc) and copy the original one from my original download, and start again.
At least I know it's possible to move my m/c with turbo, I just have to keep trying
John

[Bubba]

After you reset the ports etc, you may have to "Enable Drive" from the setup menu as shown below. I also looked in my testing ini file and this is added as a separate enity.

[DRIVE_ENABLE_1_(OUTPUT)]
Enabled=True
Pin=14
PortAddress=$378
ActiveHigh=NO