Cause of G203v error?

[groc426]

I'm racking my brain trying to figure out why my G203vs are faulting for my cnc router setup. Currently I have no motors connected to my drives while testing them out. I'm using a PMDX-126 (PMDX.COM - Products for CNC and motion control applications) breakout board, a 70vdc 1500w (2 large capacitors (10000uF x2)) unregulated power supply, and Mach3 to drive all four G203vs. The G203vs are all connected to a large heatsink.

While running my g-code program one or sometimes a couple of the G203vs will give fault, indicated by the red led (while still having a green or yellow light on too). This fault seems to occur in the same area in my g-code (tested on multiple different g-code programs, so its just not one program). Its difficult to nail down exactly which line(s) may be causing the fault. The strange part to this is usually I have to run the program from the beginning for it to fault, not just the area where the fault seems to happen, otherwise it will blow threw it with no problem. The red led light will hold until power is no longer applied to the drives. I also have nothing connected to the motor disable input.

The G203v manual states 4 things can cause a fault:
1) During power-on reset for 1 second when power is first applied to the G203V.
2) While the DISABLE input is active.
3) When there is a short-circuit on any motor output. Momentarily activate the DISABLE input to reset.
4) During over-temperature shutdown. The LED automatically resets when the drive temperature drops.

Number 1 and 2 aren't a concern. Number 4 shouldn't be a concern because they are attached to a large heatsink and they are all cool to the touch. Number 3 is my largest concern, but I have no motors connected at the moment.

Could not having the motors connected while testing be a cause of a fault?
Could a setting in Mach3 (motor output pin low/high active) set incorrectly cause the fault?

I sent the drives back to Geckodrives (great service!) to have them tested and they all came back saying they were fine. I just don't meet any of the criteria above for the drives to fault, so something else has to be causing it. Anyone know of any other possibilities? I've been working on this for many months now and feel like I'm just running in circles at this point.

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[billcat]

2) While the DISABLE input is active.

Hmmm...interesting, I came here to look for advice because I had the same problem. Well almost. I have been using my router for maybe a couple years now, and had the red led fault error present itself mid job just the other day for the first time. I only have one g203v (on x), y and z use g251x. Sheer luck that the nature of the job had the tool clear of the work when it threw the error, and I caught it and EPO'd before any disaster to the bit or work piece. I had my drive mounted to a large finned heatsink, with TWO fans cooling it,(one push, one pull) so I really don't suspect it was overheating, although I am running the drive at max current(7amp).
But I swapped out the drive for a G201x I had on hand without further thought because I was skeptical about continuing to use the drive, even though I repowered and finished the job with the 203v. Since, I've only run one small job with the new g201x drive, and the axis ran worlds smoother, which was another surprise. Now the G201x has the dip switch setting for NEMA34 motors, which is what I am using on x, so I have speculated that this has something to do with the smoother motion, but I really don't know.

I hope you get some info here, I'm not really able to help, just chiming in what seems a similar issue. I wonder if you(we) are getting noise on the disable pin...perhaps placing a jumper between ground and disable would resolve your problem, just speculating here though, not sure if its safe or advisable??

Anxious for input on this myself...good luck!

[ger21]

I've been working on this for many months now and feel like I'm just running in circles at this point.

Have you ever had motors connected?

[groc426]

Thank you both! Gerry, I have connected the motors and ran it and had the same experience/issue. They will run for a while, but eventually fault. I "borrowed" a computer from work with a parallel port and just started using it today instead of my Ethernet SmoothStepper. It's still too early to tell if this was absolutely the issue, but this has been the longest consecutive times I've been able to run cuts without it faulting (about 5 hours worth of misc g-code). I'm extremely hopeful this is my problem. So the new question is why would an ESS do this?

[JerryBurks]

Really weird... I have been running my CNC with 203V on all axes for 3+ years now and never had trouble with the stepper drives.

But tonight I ran a simple v-carve and suddenly the z-axis drive dropped out. Red LED, no motor power and as the other poster wrote, fortunately it happened while the bit was up. I thought I had a broken cable or a connector fell out but nothing to see. So I returned to x/y zero, turned the machine off and then on again and the error was gone. Started the same program from the beginning and it finished without a hitch. WTF? I hate problems that go away without understandable root cause. I don't know if that is going to happen again tomorrow or in 5 years .