Reply with QuoteReference marker is usually required to be found within a distance, 20mm for example. You may need to rotate the encoder on the motor by trial and error to find Zero, or perhaps adjust a parameter.Originally Posted by Hery255
Encoder index marker problem/bypass
Hi everybody,
I am trying to solve a problem with old TM6. I we had some problems with Yaskawa driver and system itself. Yaskawa was repaired and unfortunately some guy reinstalled whole Windows from his machine. Everything works, machine moves, measures, spins, but when I try to calibrate, it makes 3 cycles over limit switches and then pops two messages - "Axis calibration failed. X (and Z) Axis encoder index mark not detected. Check encoder connections.".
I checked encoders - they are fine, I tried completely new motor with encoder (same type), with no change. I checked with an oscilloscope outputs from Yaskawa to PCI card - they ARE there!. I tried admin input card tool - pciquad (window with 4 encoder reading, it says those windows get red when index mark is detected), but when I spin the motor, numbers (propably steps from "zero" point) are shown correctly, but no red - index mark detection. I tried switching phase A and C(= index) and counter increase by 2 with every turn so again checked signal from Yaskawa is OK.
Does anybody have an idea how to get rid of it? Is there some configuration for a PCI card (Vigilant brand) to set up in system? Or is there a way to bypass that index marker check so the machine will use ony HW limit switches?
Thank you very much in advance!
Hery255
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Reference marker is usually required to be found within a distance, 20mm for example. You may need to rotate the encoder on the motor by trial and error to find Zero, or perhaps adjust a parameter.
Re: Encoder index marker problem/bypass
I tried to increase that sensing distance to 20mm (pitch = 10mm => 2 rotates) and played with position of a limit switch to move distance between HW switch and zero marker of encoder, without success.
Do you know how or where to adjust that parameter?
Last edited by Hery255; 03-31-2023 at 05:42 PM.
Re: Encoder index marker problem/bypass
For completness:
Encoders are incremental, I also tested presence of index marker in Yaskawa by using program SigmaWin on my laptop, where I was able to move motor to position of that index marker.
System runs on Windows 2000 and OpenCNC (by MDSI) with WinMax.
Last edited by Hery255; 03-31-2023 at 05:41 PM.
You are probably right about it being an incremental encoder, but it will only have one reference marker pulse for one turn. So that marker needs to be found within the 3 turns you mentioned, before the alarm.
I don't know about a distance parameter, but you may find a grid shift value you can adjust.
Re: Encoder index marker problem/bypass
Oh, you are right, I forgot to better describe that, when it is calibrating, it moves both axes to their HW limit switches, when they are both pressed it makes 2 shaft turns back (on both axes) and repeat whole process twice. On the last press of both switches, it immedeately stops and both alarms pops up. I was trying to find any config of the distance it moves back from limit switches, but without any luck. Does somebody know where to find that?
Re: Encoder index marker problem/bypass
Sounds stupid, but is your machine cold? I.e. the physical temperature!
I get these issues intermittantly, used to be on the X axis now it's on the Z. Tried everything in the config - sensing distance, speed etc etc.
The only thing that works reliably is pointing a fan heater at the Yaskawa drives for a while, or running the axes backwards and forwards a good 10 or 20 times to warm up the drives,
Give it a go!
