| Author | Message | ||
     bruce mauser New member Username: Brucetoo Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Well I just finished assembling my new max-stepper kit. Instructions were great all went well except – in getting the pins to all line up on the 40 pin I got the board turned end for end and put the 40 pin chip in backwards, saw it pretty quick when I checked voltage I saw only 3 volts and knew something was wrong. So is the chip strong enough to handle my stupidity. - People do call me fail safe if I can do it - it is fail-safe! I have put several microchip PICs in backwards, they got hot but didn’t totally die. Now as for what it is and isn’t doing --I get communication no COM errors but I have no response from trying to rapid traverse with the cnc arrows. The first time I click on a direction arrow I get a little clunk but no movement, anything I can check? I have tried both logic +/- . and double checked pulse and direction on my hook up, I have a scope and I checked - the oscillator is running, I do not see any thing on the pulse pins with the scope and the direction pins just stay high regardless which arrow I push, If you think I trashed it I can send it back and buy another chip. Everyone just knowes they can put together a simple kit - it is fun - but the designer might go for an assembled tested unit cause it saves him having to deal with dummies.Sorry for the hassel. | ||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 65 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
You naughty boy, don't beat yourself up,&hit happens. I thought I fried a Max on my 5x16 Fri., I started to test the spindle control after getting the plotter running great with Max and plugged the 3 1/2hp router into the same power cord as Max and when I fired up the router Max quit working. I brought it home thinking I needed to change the pic but decided to test it again and it was fine. | ||
| bruce mauser New member Username: Brucetoo Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the support, I would like to email directly but I get an error message. Any way I double checked on the scope – nothing on the step pins – the voltage on the direction pin does not change when pressing different direction arrows in manual or when I use the invert tab in set up - it is always 5 volts. The bottom bar gives my setup name and that max stepper in OK; the com gives 4 errors when first starting but after clearing them it keeps counting with no more errors and that we are connected. Are there any other tests I can do settings? I have tried all the different things in the manual' I know when all else fails RTFM but what now? | ||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 66 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hey Bruce, You'll have to wait for Kelly to answer. He designed and programed Max, I can help with set up but not chip questions. Sorry | ||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 28 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Check the Estop terminal. If you don't have a normally closed switch for it, use a jumper. Also, check the limit inputs to make sure they are not stopping it. The clunk you hear may be the enable pin engaging power to your motors. | ||
| bruce mauser New member Username: Brucetoo Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Well Kelly knows! It is/was the e-stop stopping everything, - must jump with a 5k resistor regardless how port and table is set! BUT stupidly is still winning. It steps but only one way. I disconnected ( took off ) all the resistors on the trace side- I thought something was holding the direction pins high. No matter what I change in the port / table setup both direction pins go high as soon as I click on any arrow any direction and stay high. I tried tying all limits low no change ; tie together to ground. I tried changing direction and pulse input leads; but then nothing works. I should change this post to;Setting up MAX STEPPER for dummies” Thank you all for your patience. One more symptom mistake? If I use single step it still – always - goes the same way left for x and forward for y regardless which arrow I press and it goes slowly - crawls; if single step isn’t selected it makes a neat;pa-zing; and goes about an inch TWICE! Real fast, is it Possessed? | ||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 67 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Try jumping E-stop with a wire jumper not a resistor. It's the same as wiring in a switch. | ||
| bruce mauser New member Username: Brucetoo Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
I changed the resistor to a straight jumper wire - no change in problems –max is still possessed. If the direction pin stays high it can only go one way and the display only counts one way regardless which direction arrow you push. By the way the aux display on port set up also seems to randomly go red and then go gray? Same with the limits, I have tried inverting the limits in software and tying to ground and inverting nothing I do seems to change anything, dumb question but you don’t have to turn off the computer when you make changes do you? I do hit the apply button and close the window. I’m still thinking I screwed something up, I have looked with my magnifying lens for solder bridges, I took off the resistors, the pads are far enough apart so it is difficult to actually bridge any pads. I will pay whatever for a new chip, as I sure don’t want to toss this thing. | ||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 68 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Sounds like KCam is screwy, your display should be going + or - when you jog. Have you tried jogging KCam with Max disconnected to see if KCam runs normal? I don't think there is any feedback from Max to KCam, so if the position displays aren't changing direction it could be something in KCam. Kelly is at a trade show for couple days and usaully doesn't have net access when at them. Email me your .ini file so I can take a look at it and see if I can see something wrong. It's to bad your having problems. I just installed Max on my 5'x16' router and the difference is awesome, it so smooth and fast. The contours are nice and clean instead of jerking around a arc. Send your set up file via my email. We'll figure it out. | ||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 31 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Bruce, Did you install the "Pull-up" resistors on MaxStepper? The Limit inputs are 5 volt TTL unless pullups are added. This may be why it is only going one directions. The Limit inputs may be floating around in an out of logic 1 or 0. | ||
| bruce mauser New member Username: Brucetoo Post Number: 7 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
First - I took out Kcam - I had more then one - and downloaded another copy, as you advised, and at least for now it seems to BE WORKING FINE! So I haven't screwed the chip, I was SURE I had. I have at different times tied the limits to ground and changed the port inputs. So I guess it was a corrupted copy of K-Cam. Now I will see if the direction Z command will drive a TIP122 Darlington to actuate my air cylinder as you and several people on the bulletin board have advised. |
