Topics

1

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Slaved Axis setup replacing Richauto with PMDX126 and Mach4

« on: October 21, 2018, 09:55:58 PM »

I've recently gotten my new CNC router and had every intention of replacing the Richauto DSP controller with a PMDX126/ESS/Mach4 mostly because I understand Mach4 much better and am used to it.  This had the added benefit of getting rid of a 24v standalone PSU in the electronics cabinet and simply driving it all off the 220v mains.  The PMDX126 makes all that quite simply so thanks for the nice board.

This machine has 4 Leadshine DMA860H connected to 4 Nema 34 steppers.  X and Z axis were pretty straight forward for the migration but the Y axis is the gantry with a typical Y1 and Y2 motor config.  The way the Richauto was connected up was with a single +5v, Step, Dir connector to the Y1 driver and the Y2 driver simply daisy chained from the Y1 driver.

I've replicated everything on the PMDX126 with the Y outputs on pins 3,4 and it certainly seems to work just fine (so Mach is only aware of the 3 motors, no slave setup in the software).

I've read another post with a somewhat similar question but different Leadshine drivers and there was some concern about the necessary current of the output signal pins.  Is this something I should simply wire to include the Y2 drive as a slave or is the daisy chain a good solution.  Seems like a sound way to keep the 2 drivers in sync but I've not run the machine for any duration and have just tested things so far, just trying to avoid future head scratching.

To be honest, I'd never even considered doing a daisy chain setup so got me thinking for sure.

Mike

2

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / PMDX 407 config save

« on: June 23, 2018, 04:19:59 PM »

I've got a 407 working nicely with my VFD but when I exit Mach4, I have to go reconfigure the plugin.  Any hints on how to fix this?

Mike

3

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Different types of probe connections (NO vs NC)

« on: December 08, 2016, 06:47:37 PM »

Figured I'd start a new thread on this but I have a touch probe that works relatively well as far as I can tell (other than it has to go fast enough but that's another story).  That probe has NC contacts but my other probe for setting Z is NO (simple touch plate) so switching back and forth is a bit of a pain.  I was thinking of various ways to get around that other than going into mach4 and setting the input to either active high or low depending on the probe being used.  Only thing I can think of is a small transistor based circuit but figured I'd ask here before I break out my breadboard and start tinkering.

Mike

4

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / PMDX 424 not detected

« on: December 03, 2016, 03:00:20 PM »

This happened while I unplugged all my motors/limits, etc from my controller to label things.  Plugged things back in and not it's not detecting the 424.  Tried the reinstall of the com port driver and such but still no luck.  I've read through the logs and other than it can't seem to find the 424, nothing leaps out at me. 

I'm on Windows 10, no new software from last night when it worked to today.  The lights on the 424 look normal to me (flashing green and solid red).  The com3 port shows up as connected when I turn on the 424.  I did even unplug all the ports except the power and estop signals as well as the cat5 cable to the pmdx179 and still the same result. 

I did go through several reboots just to ensure that windows 10 hadn't gotten stuck.

Here is the profile with the debug turned on.  Hope you can see something I can't.

Mike

5

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / PMDX 407 with VFD Forward/Reverse

« on: December 03, 2016, 12:40:10 PM »

I've got the PMDX 407 on a PMDX 424 and have the VFD working great in forward mode (and I've tested it in reverse) but I want to be able to do both.  I've read through the manuals and the relays on the 424 are referenced as the way to do that but for the life of me I can't get my head around exactly how that would be wired up.  My VFD is a Huan Yang model so it has the FWD/REV terminals in the VFD.

Mike

6

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / PMDX-179 Error code light

« on: November 27, 2016, 12:39:51 AM »

I've got a PMDX179 attached to a PMDX424 and almost all of it works but the Error code light keeps flashing about once/sec.  All the other lights behave as I expect them to but kind of concerns me that an error might be going on that I've not been aware of as yet.

Mike

7

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Mach4 and probing

« on: November 13, 2016, 10:38:32 PM »

I've got a probe setup that does x,y,z probing and connected it up to a pmdx 424.  On the machine diagnostics I see the probe signal working just fine but when I go to use it I periodically (more often that not) get a message saying "Can't transition from MDI RUNNING to STOP".  The probing I'm using is from the Mach4 4.2.0.3124 of the touch menu on the main screen form.  I figured that since the 424 is involved in probing I'd ask here first.

Mike

8

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Mach4 and probing

« on: November 13, 2016, 09:16:42 PM »

I've got a probe setup that does x,y,z probing and connected it up to a pmdx 424.  On the machine diagnostics I see the probe signal working just fine but when I go to use it I periodically (more often that not) get a message saying "Can't transition from MDI RUNNING to STOP".  The probing I'm using is from the Mach4 4.2.0.3124 of the touch menu on the main screen form.  I figured that since the 424 is involved in probing I'd ask here first.

Mike

9

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / pmdx 424 and pmdx 407 speed control

« on: October 30, 2016, 11:35:00 PM »

Apparently I'm either tired or missing something (probably both) but i've got the following setup:

pmdx424 (works great)
pmdx 407 (just installed)
huanyang VFD
Standard 1.5HP 3PH motor

The VFD/motor will function find using the control panel on the VFD for changing speed and for/rev so the wiring at least is a known good.

I've just installed the 407 and started the config of the VFD and gotten the run portion of the 407 working now and it starts up at the min speed setup in parameter 072 in the VFD.

The speed setup has me stumped.  I've wired A-GND to ACM, A-Out to VI.

A-Ref has me stumped, when I connect it to the +10v terminal on the VFD, the spindle starts up at a VERY high speed.  When it's just disconnected, the system starts at the min speed setup in parameter 072 as well as when I connect it to VO on the VFD.

As far as how I have things in mach4 and the plugin setup it's as follows:

Plugin spindle has the 407 selected as the output and nothing else checked.

Mach4 has the setup 0 selected with some reasonable smallish numbers (min of 500 and max of 3000 RPM setup).

I've got a standalone index setup with a hall effect sensor which works and displays accurately.

I'm a bit stumped on how to troubleshot the setup so any help would be appreciated.  I'm attaching some pics of the wiring and terminals for reference (pics were taken with the white wire attached although I wound up disconnecting it).

Mike

10

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / PMDX 424 USB header shield ground

« on: August 29, 2016, 11:18:45 AM »

I've got a PMDX 424 with the USB header mounted to my controller enclosure which is made of AL.  It seems that if the usb plug touches the enclosure which is earth grounded, when I start Mach4 it seems to detect the 424 but then says it's lost communication after mach4 has fully come up.  Not the normal warning you'd get if the 424 was simply powered off during mach4 startup.  Any ideas?

Mike

11

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / PMDX 424 with mix of servo's and stepper

« on: July 26, 2016, 10:07:10 PM »

I've got my X, Y, Z axis all working great with the 424 and Gecko G320's.  I'm adding an A axis that's based on a Nema 23 motor and a Gecko 203V drive.  I get power to the motor just fine and it locks into position but when I go to move the axis nothing is happening.  I'm fairly certain the wiring from the 424 to the 203v is correct (it's 3 wires and I have them color coded so unless I became color blind, it's correct).  Is there some setting I'm missing in the plugin setup (or is this possible to mix servo's and steppers). 

I did some basic troubleshooting and even tried a different stepper motor which behaved the same.  The pmdx diag screen says it's outputting step/dir signals so I'm a bit mystified on what's going on.  Any help would be appreciated.

Mike

12

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / PMDX 424 and outputs

« on: July 14, 2016, 11:52:50 AM »

I've gotten my 424 working with my servos and such and am in the process of getting outputs working.  Specifically trying to get a pneumatic switch for my coolant functional but it requires 12v and the outputs are all 5v.  What device would take the 5v outputs from the 424 and send the 12v to the switch (I've also got a power switch for the mill itself so I can turn the thing on and it's 12v as well.

Mike

13

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Rebuilding a old setup

« on: May 15, 2016, 12:28:01 AM »

So I moved about 10 years ago and my CNC mill sat in a pile and I'm just getting around to reviving it.

My setup for the controller was Mach2, Sound logic controller/breakout and gecko 320 drives.  The system when it was functioning worked quite well but i've lost the original setup of Mach2 and just don't want to fool with the old software/hardware.

I've been looking at the PMDX424 with Mach4 and keeping the drives.  I rather like the usb connection of the newer hardware and have a good computer to run it off of.  Just wanting to make sure I'm not skipping ahead of myself on what I'm thinking should work.

Mike