supermax YCM-40 to Mach3

[cwaugs]

That was the culprit. They are reading correctly now and I'm glad. Yes, I did get the cables from U.S. Digital the same time as the encoders. The plug self centers and will only plug in one way if that makes any sense.

lyfordln, The only thing I have for the Anilam is some wiring schematics that looks like some sort of block diagrams I believe, if that would help you. Wayne

[cwaugs]

Does Mach3 and the Viper settings have a large effect on each other? If so, which end does one start with? I need to be able to use Mach to run the motors correct? I have everything but the E-stop wired up but haven't switched the 140V on yet.

[Larken]

Typically set mach3 to the 45000 kernal.
Set your x,y,z steps/inch in Mach. (Use a step multiplier of 4 in the viper which makes resolution equal to the lines/turn.)
Set max inches/min about 200 to start.
Use the jog keys to tune vipers and get a feel for it.

[cwaugs]

Ah figured out the decimal numbers I converted from the hex output of the encoder readout on the Vipers. X axis is 30079 which would be the encoder output times 4 which would be right as the handle turns approximately 5.5 times in an inch, times 1.5 gear reduction, times encoder resolution (which in this case is 1000/motor revolution), times 4 which is the quad output of the encoder after processing all of the signal changes in the encoder electronics which gives the magnified resolution. I am documenting this so 5 years from now when I am building another one of these dudes I don't need to have to think so much to figure this out on my own since it seems to be so easy for the majority of the people doing this stuff that it is essentially undocumented anywhere I have searched. (And I have searched for hours) Anyhow, Hope this helps somebody someday! {
Now it's off to figure out how to adapt the output of the Viper E-stop output to the Campbell board. Thinking of just wiring it to a limit switch input and having it trigger the stop that way. It is just the opposite of the Gecko output that the Campbell board favors, and I hate to have to plaster yet another heat generating relay in there to do the job. Wayne

[Larken]

you could use a small 5V reed relay powered by the center oin on the error out
Is the Campbell board a NC circuit only ?

[cwaugs]

Yep NC only. You'd think that it'd be either option but like I said, it seems to favor the geckos in that aspect. I'll try the relay or maybe going to a spare limit switch input. Thanks much Sir! Wayne

[cwaugs]

Larry, The Z drive still flashes an error even when nothing has been moved.
I queried the drive and got these tow parameters. I reset the drive and got the same two when it did it again. Encoder error E-0003 and motor position M0000 SFFFC. This is with no motor power to the drive as I had to send an encoder for the X axis back because it was defective and haven't received a replacement yet.

[Larken]

Does it flash when the main power and 12V is on or only when the 12V is on ?
Do the yellow or red over-current LEDs in the middle of the board come on ?

[cwaugs]

I still am not ready to put main power to them yet as U.S. Digital is sending me a warranty unit yet. No, no other led's come on besides the green ones below the red error led's. As soon as I get the last encoder working, and finish the E-stop wiring, I'm gonna throw the juice to them. Looking forward to it. Thanks much, Wayne

[Larken]

Encoder error E-0003 and motor position M0000 SFFFC.

This shows the M000 (motor encoder) hasn't moved, but the S fffc shows the step/dir has recieved 3 pulses in the negative direction . This isn't enough to flash an error, so do a 'z' command to initialize the drive, incase some parameter is out of wack.

Larry

[cwaugs]

Thanks much, I'll try the "Z" command and see what happens. It seems that it coincides with when I change something in Mach. If I let it set there and do nothing, sometimes it will trip and sometimes it won't. Seems like it will trip more often when Mach is active. I just went through part of the XP optomization for Mach and now have lost communication with the BOB I.E. I can reset Mach and it don't care if there is a limit switch tripped or not. It don't care if the BOB is even powered up or not, it'll just run a part file like nothing is wrong. (Update... uninstalling and reinstalling mach took care of that issue, still don't know what happened there). Maybe the Campbell board is the culprit? The only thing that makes me think it is the drive though, is that I switched it with the Y axis drive and the it still acted the same. Wayne

[cwaugs]

Seems that "Z" command did the trick. Must have made some changes by mistake. I put power to the Y drive tonight and it has me wondering which way to go. I have the "p" up to about 1300 and it still don't do much of what I would call jerking back and forth. It "buzzes" sometimes but adjusting the loop time don't seem to make much difference. the trip works good when I force it. Mach will only jog it in one direction and extremely slow as in the outside of the hand wheel will move about 1/8" using the down arrow which is moving the DRO's in Mach a lot but only if I do the up arrow first which moves nothing, then hitting the down arrow will like I say move it 1/8". What is motor settings in Mach supposed to be set at? Maybe I have step/direction reversed. Hafta check tonight. I have read everything I could find on setup in general but it still seems to remain a mystery. To the many that have done it. Kudos to you, but to the rest like me, hang in there it will be worth it!

[cwaugs]

After checking the step and direction wiring again, everything is correct as far as I can tell. On the Y axis, I went up to about 1300 on the Proportional any more than that and the motor shakes back and forth until the drive trips. tried adjusting the loop to calm that down but it didn't seem to do much. Jogging the motor still doesn't do anything unless i push the Y+ button then the Y- it will turn the axis screw about 10 degrees. then I have to push the y+ then the Y- again to get it to move 10 deg again. it won't go in the opposite direction at all. Set the Mach3 motor tuning as high as it would let me for the 4500 kernel setting. The Z axes tuning started out oscillating at about P850 and wouldn't jog at all but continuing to tune it ended up blinking a slow red led error and wouldn't reset no matter what I tried. Even reset the drive to defaults won't do anything. I'm pulling my hair out as I go backwards at a rapid speed. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. U.S. digital has my X encoder strapped to the back of a slow turtle on the way here hopefully. I would think they'd kick in a little more shipping since it was a defect but then again I can't do anything but wait. Then I can try to run the X axis. It just seems like I'm missing something that I am doing wrong. the DC voltage is at 110V

[cwaugs]

Another update. The Y is doing the same as the Z drive. The range and error lights flash as soon as I power up the drive and then it triggers the e-stop and disables the drive. I find that unplugging the motor power wires will allow both of them to reset. I've tried going back to the default program but they do the same thing. Frustrating to say the least. Any suggestions would sure be great. Wayne

[Larken]

The range and error lights flash as soon as I power up the drive and then it triggers the e-stop and disables the drive. I find that unplugging the motor power wires will allow both of them to reset.

The yellow and red LED's in the middle of the board are current light for overcurrent. Does the red LED light for about 2 second and the drive trip out when you apply the main power ? Does it do this with the motor not connected ? (do you head a faint clicking sound from the board) ?

I have the "p" up to about 1300

Thats very high, but did you also set the 'd' to double that (2600) ?

Try the p at 400 and the d at 800 to start , until you get everything working safely.

[cwaugs]

It don't do it with the motors unplugged, but when the 110v dc power is applied to the drives with the motors plugged in, both lights in the middle of the drives immediately start flashing about 1 or 2 seconds, then the drives trip. Don't hear any click but then again, my ears are shot. Changed everything back to default and they still do the same thing. I received the replacement optical encoder part today for the X axis and installed it, and the motor actually moved about 1/2 turn which is something I had not seen yet. Kinda exciting. Evidently I had the wires switched to that motor. Switched them, and now the X drive is doing the same thing. I'm gonna go nuts if I can't get this thing running soon. I just can't put a finger on it, and I have gone through all of the wiring several times and can find nothing wrong. Wayne

[cwaugs]

Read the docs many times and it was stated that the "D" should be twice the "P" I simply didn't realize that the P and D were to be changed at the same time I was so wrapped up in trying to get the motor to oscillate with the P setting so I could set the L that I never got to the D setting. Maybe a "tuning for dummies" edition of the manual would be appropriate for the likes of me.

[cwaugs]

The new drives are totally different animals. On initial setup I would bump the handle and it oscillated back and forth until I adjusted the parameters to make it solid as a rock. I am pleased with how they are operating. However, I am still unable to get Mach to move any of the axes. Is there a way to make the drive itself (via software) move the motors without external input?as a way of confirming a mis-configured Mach3 or BOB?

[Larken]

The Step signal is closest to the green led, Direction near the 12volt plug. I have it wrong in the manual V1.6

No there is no command to move the motor on its own. In future versions i will add some motion commands.

Larry

[cwaugs]

IT'S ALIVE!!! I am just in from the shop and just figured out that the Viper manual had the step and direction switched! Step is closest to the green LED in other words the side of the board that has the encoder plug. I now have two axes moving and believe I have yet another encoder issue on the third axis as it just starts to turn when I power it up and switching the wires merely makes it turn in the opposite direction. Don't ya love it. I'm so pleased to be at least moving in the right direction. pun intended. I would also along with the manual correction, like to see the Hyperterminal return some descriptions that make sense as far as the letter that it returns being the same as the letter that is used to program it. They are so mixed up it takes a lot of playing around with to understand what is what. Is there also a way to read what the trip and range settings are? and one more thing, why can't I get the D setting to stay on my X drive? I type d450 hit enter, hit ? and it is there hit s to save it, then when I reset the drive it resets to d000? Thanks again for your time Larry