Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
Hi to all on the forum. I've been reading loads on this forum as I've been building my CNC router but only joined tonight. My basic structure is more or less built but today I had a weird issue that I can't find an answer to anywhere.
Last weekend I wired all 3 steppers & sat them on my desk. They all worked fine using arrow keys in mach3's motor tuning. I attached the Y motor to the ball screw, but not the gantry, & that worked fine with the arrow keys. This weekend I also attached the X stepper to the gantry with the Z slide attached but now the arrow keys only worked in one direction. In the other direction, the down key just pulsed power for varying lengths of time. I panicked & thought I had a broken motor/driver or my X ballscrew was naff. None of those were the problem, X ballscrew & Z axis moved freely but when I tried the Y axis that worked last week, it was now doing the same as the X. On the down arrow, it just got intermittent power. After much head scratching & general panic, I thought of trying the tab button & using jog there. It all worked fine. Throughout this, the Z axis stepper motor sitting on the desk still worked fine.
If anyone has any ideas why the down arrow key is behaving like this on my X & Y, I'd really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks
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Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
X axis and y axis only one direction running ok ? Your running mach3 parallel port running or usb via running ? Dir pin config problem send your settings I solve this problem (i running 8 years running mach 3 )Originally Posted by arckivio
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Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
You either have a loose wire somewhere, or the drive isn't seeing the appropriate voltage change on the dir pin.
It really has nothing to do with the arrow keys.
Gerry
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Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
Morning. Yes, using mach3 on a windows xp parallel port. I will check the pins when I go to my workshop today but they were fine last week. They seem to be working ok in one direction & stuttering in the other. If I hold the button down, it would start & then stop but I thought I might be stressing something so I stopped doing that. Thanks balammk
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
Morning. I did check all wiring to make sure I hadn't screwed down on just plastic. I also tried using a plug in power supply for the 5v, in case my comp usb was knackered but that made no difference. I do have another bob so I will try that one today & check I have the pins set correctly, Thanks ger21
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
I actually have a video of my X that I took while using the tab jog buttons & the mouse.
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
They seem to be working ok in one direction & stuttering in the other.
The sign imho of a very dodgy connection on the Dir line - somewhere. The direction the motion is OK for is where the Dir line is in its default state. The other direction requires the Dir line to be pulled 'up', and the poor connection is struggling with this. It may be of course that the 'default' state is Hi and you have to pull the line down for the other direction. No matter, it is still likely to be a poor connection.
Cheers
Roger
I'm about to enter my little corner of paradise and I will re wire those connections and check the settings. Thanks
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
The plot thickens!!!
Today it also started acting weird using the mouse in tab jog. I shut down mach3 & opened a folder containing cnc & mach3 videos. I played a mach3 artsoft video & the comp turned down my volume. one step at a time & it was displayed on the player that it was doing so. I shut down the video & my comp started randomly selecting items in that folder & asking me to confirm delete, including mach3. A friend then showed up & he used the number keys on num lock pad as arrow keys & it worked beautifully! Obviously my comp is at fault here. It's a brand new install of xp & pulse measurements are better than in the artsoft video's. I did mess about with this comp at home before I took it to my workshop so maybe picked up a virus. The keyboard is new but arrow keys could be broken. Although that doesn't explain all the other random stuff my comp did. Comp at home & online eset virus scan in progress with threats found.
I want to thank you all for helping a newcomer, it's much appreciated. Maybe I'll be able to help newbies one day. Give it 20 years
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
online eset virus scan in progress with threats found
Errrrr - Oh Dear. Sympathy.
Yes, a clean computer is needed. This is why my CNC computer is NEVER connected to the internet. Better note that firewalls and virus scanners can interfere with Mach as well. I have serious protection on my desk machine and transfer all files via scanned USB keys.
Cheers
Roger
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
Very good advice!
Re: Mach3 intermittent arrow keys???
Update to this thread is that I got rid of a trojan on the computer but made no difference. Today I had to keep re installing the driver to that keyboard or it wouldn't work, then I could hear the steppers clicking as the keyboard sent stray krystrokes all over the place & did other weird stuff too. Soon will be in the bin. Getting rid of that trojan has changed mach3 & I will start another thread about that. Thanks to everyone
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