| Author | Message | ||||
     Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
First let me introduce myself I'm Tom from Nova Scotia, Canada. Built a 4' X 4' table that worked pretty well with the parallel port. Since then I got MaxStepper and I'm having a very difficult time getting things correct. I'm using an old Pentium 333MHZ computer Win98 with only KCam running. Nothing else installed. When I use the Jog buttons or a GOTO command I get the correct feed rates: 20IPM on X, 5IPM on y & Z. (Kinda slow I know but got to wait until I buy better motors and controller cards.) But when I try a GCode file I always get some odd feed rate like 11.7IPM even if I try only to move the X axis back and forth. I have read and reread the forums and I can't figure this out. So here's a couple of specific questions 1. On a GCode line that combined motion in two axis one with a feedrate of 20IPM and the other at 5IPM what should happen? 2. I have created an .ini file with the settings for my machine that is in the KCam folder. Is there some other ini file somewhere that needs to be deleted? 3. I'm running the latest .26 version of KCam and I assume the latest MaxStepper since I just got it. Is there a previous version that might work better in my situation? Thanks for any help anyone can offer. Got the weekend off and was hoping to get this straightened out and immediately ran into problems after my latest "fix". Hopefully someone has a better fix than I could come up with. Tom | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 144 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hi Tom, 1) When two axis are in motion together, the axis with the lesser distance to travel will run slower than the desired IPM rate. The Axis with the most distance to travel will run at the desired IPM rate. 2) You can create as many "ini" files as you like. They are meant to be a way of useing multiple CNC machines on one PC. They can be useful for other purposes as well, like different setups on a machine. You don't need to delete the default machine ini or any older ini files you created, unless you want to. 3) The latest version of KCam is .26 and the latest MaxStepper firmware is 4.0.3. I don't believe an older version will correct this. KCam will make determinations as to the max speed a move should be. Some things that effect these decisions are vector changes, distance, max IPMs per axis. It's possible one of these is affecting your rates or possibly a software bug. When cutting a complicated shape, the axis will not go the max speed unless it is a long straight cut where it can ramp down prior to a sharp turn. | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 145 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, Could you send me your ini file and an example G-Code for testing. | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Kelly, I sent those files to your email. In further tests running your Speed_Test_1 file on this forum I get the same speeds that are 58% of what my settings are. (11.7 IPM X axis instead of 20 IPM) even though the GCode file sets the speed to 150 IPM. | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 147 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, I think I found the problem in KCam. I will post a new version of KCam soon. Please let me know if this new version fixes your speed problem. Kelly | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Kelly, I look forward to it Tom | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Got it and it solved my speed problems. However when there are multiple motion commands on one line of GCode it tends to screw up. Judging from the sound it tries to run the x axis very very fast and of course it just stalls and then everything is off from then on. The X axis is on its own power supply. If I run the same file with every motion control on a separate line all is OK. I'm going to try to write a VB6 proggie that will accomplish this but if anyone knows of such a program I'd appreciate it. thanks Tom | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 149 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, Are you drilling or milling? Drilling is slower when only one axis is used at a time, but still gets it done. Milling usually needs the x and y to move simultainiously to perform a cut. Just curious. The X and y should work together unless a mechanical or Power Supply issue prevents them. | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
I'm milling. I've watched the displays and this is what happens: As long as there is only one motion command per line everything is fine. Then when it starts with two motion commands the first such line tries to run at 33.3 IPM instead of the 18 everything is set for and even if I put F18 multiple times in the GCode including just prior to the first line with multiple motions. The next lines then go at 18 IPM but by then it is too late as the X axis stalled on the attempt at 33 IPM and everything is screwed up. Just to be clear, I had none of these problems running the same machine with the parallel port. On my machine the X axis is the main one and so the X and Z work together during cuts. I have a table full of successful test projects done with the parallel port set up so I know my machine works. Any thoughts or suggestions? Tom | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 6 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Further to the above I tried adding this: ..... N016 G01 Y000.1455 N017 G01 X000.000 N018 G01 Y000.1805 N019 G01 X0 N020 G01 Y0 N021 G01 Z0 N022 F18.0 N023 M60 N024 F18.0 N025 G01 X0 G01 Y0 G01 Z0 N026 F18.0 N027 G01 X006.000 G01 Y000.2155 Hoping that the first 3 motion line (N25) would be the same as the previous three lines and the error in speed would not affect anything. Instead I now get the machine trying to drive at 180 or more IPM at the three motion line and beyond (N25). At this point I am totally baffled. Is there a file that needs to be saved or deleted or modified? Does the MaxStepper need to be reset every time? I have tried this and it doesn't change things. What am I missing? thanks Tom | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 154 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, KCam does NOT like the use of multiple G commands on the same line. It is not supported and I cannot predict the results. I know some processors allow it for compacting code, not KCam though. You should either use seperate lines or combine the commands like G01 x10 y1 z3.25. This will move all three axis at the same time to get to the location 10,1,3.25 N016 G01 Y000.1455 N017 G01 X000.000 N018 G01 Y000.1805 N019 G01 X0 N020 G01 Y0 N021 G01 Z0 N022 F18.0 N023 M60 N024 F18.0 N025 G01 X0 Y0 Z0 N026 F18.0 N027 G01 X006.000 Y000.2155 | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 7 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
OK I tried altering the GCode as your message above and still no luck. I tried on 3 different computers the best being a 2.8GHZ P4D Win XP 1Gig Ram. Same results on all... it goes berserk when it encounters multiple motions on one line. The MaxStepper shows ver 4.03 5/29/07 and shows "OK" in the bottom when running KCam. Just to be certain it wasn't a problem with my controller boards or something I rewired the thing for using the parallel port and now everything works fine except I had to set motor speeds slower. At this point it seems like I've narrowed it down to a MaxStepper problem and don't know what to do next. Could it be possible that I have a faulty MaxStepper chip? I have a PIC programmer if you think that may be of some help in diagnosing my problem. Sorry to be such a pain and thanks for all the help so far. Tom | ||||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 173 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hey Tom, do you have the invert x direction box checked in the MaxStepper setup window? You should have all 4 axis invert direction checked, then if your motors are running the wrong direction you need to reverse them at the driver. I think you have the early chip that had that problem. | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 8 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for that suggestion Stan. It didn't work though. I converted my controller back to MaxStepper and tried with the invert X,Y,Z&A all checked and it still did the same and then I tried with all un-checked and still the same. I'm into challenges like this but my head is getting sore from banging against the desk! What's next? | ||||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 174 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hey Tom, email me your machine set up file so I can take a look at it. Just click on my name for my email. | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 155 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, Would you post your current maxstepper machine ini file and the full code thats going berzerk? Kelly | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 9 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
Attached are my ini file and the test GCode I've been using. It does the same thing on any file that contains more than one motion per line.
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| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 10 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
In further test I discovered that things go wrong with multiple motions one one line of GCode only when there is an X motion included. If there is just a Y and a Z then it works fine. Can this be related to the fact that my X axis travels twice as fast as Y and Z? This cause no problem in any other way. Runs single motions just fine and the Parallel port set up works fine with the X axis going twice as fast. | ||||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 176 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hey Tom, what stepper drivers are you using? Did you try running all axis the same speed? I still think it's the settings for Max. The early version needed to be set just right or it would go where ever it felt like. Do you have a signal gnd from the driver to Max? I'm asking a bunch of ?'s because it's hard to figure out what's going on when I can't see it. | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 156 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, Why can't the Y and Z axis travel at 12 IPM like the X Axis? Kelly | ||||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 177 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
I take that back about the MaxStepper settings, I just checked my machine and it's showing the date 5/29/07 which is the newer Max chip that does work inverting the axis. | ||||
| Kelly Ullrich Moderator Username: Kellyu Post Number: 157 Registered: 02-2007 Rating: N/A |
Tom, Sorry it took so long to diagnose this issue. The problem appears to be in KCams Feed Rate optimizing subroutine. I was looking a a file KCam creates when processing gcode ("C:\KC_Program_Wire_Data.csv") and I saw an IPM of 32 for gcode line 38. After some investigation into KCams internal code, I found the cause and fixed it. I will post a new version on the web very soon. Thank you Stan for your efforts. Kelly | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 11 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
And I also thank you both for your help. Where would all of us be without friendly, knowledgeable help? I'm looking forward to the new version Tom | ||||
| Stan Gray Moderator Username: Stan Post Number: 178 Registered: 01-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hey guys, I downloaded and tested 28. I set my max speeds for y and z at 10ipm and x at 40 and it worked fine with Tom's gcode. I haven't tried it yet at the speeds I can run but will post something if I have trouble when I get a chance. | ||||
| Tom Aiken New member Username: Tom_aiken Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2007 Rating: N/A |
I also am using ver .28 and am very pleased to say that it works perfectly. I can run X at 18 IPM while Y & Z are only 6 IPM and not even a hiccup. Thanks Kelly! Tom |
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