Any suggestions for me to try and get motion back? If the machine was working before the ESS and the ESS is talking to the compter any suggetions what to check. thanks
First a correction: I mis-spoke (mis-typed?) in my initial response. Figure 11 in the PMDX-122 manual shows ENCODERS connected to board #2, not motors. The jumper settings shows on board #2 make pins 2-9 inputs to the PC. If motors were connected to board #2 then jumper JP5 on board #2 would need to be installed in the "OUT" position.
Now we get into the "20 questions" game:
(1) Do you have the PMDX-122 jumpers configured as in Figure 11 in the PMDX-122 User's Manual? If not, please tell me how the jumpers are set on both of the PMDX-122 boards. You can refer to the PMDX-122 boards as "#1" and "#2" where "#1" is the board that is connected to the ESS port 1, and "#2" is connected to ESS port 2.
(2) If you DO have the PMDX-122 jumpers set as in Figure 11, please verify that the PMDX-122 shown as "#2" is indeed connected to the ESS port 2.
(3) Just to clarify for me, which PMDX-122 do you have the motors connected to (using the same board references as in question 1 above).
(4) Do your ribbon cables have keys on the connectors (a bump in the center of one of the long edges that makes it so you cannot plug the cable in backwards)? If not, most ribbon cables have a red stripe on the edge that is pin 1. On the ESS boards, pin 1 on ports 1 & 2 are on the left-hand side of the connectors when the ethernet connecter is facing to the right. On the PMDX-122 boards, pin 1 is on the edge closest to the EStop connector.
(5) When you enable Mach3 (click on the "Reset" button so that it stops flashing and turns green), do both PMDX-122 boards have their "Outputs Enabled" LEDs turned on?
(6) In your Mach3 configuration, which port are the motor step and direction signals assigned to?
(7) Do any of your non-motor inputs or outputs work? EStop? Limit switches? Can you cause the relay on either of the PMDX-122 boards to engage?
(8) Jog one of the motors forward, then look at the LEDs on the PMDX-122 for the step/dir that are connected to that motor. Note if they are on or off. Then jog that motor in the reverse direction. Look at the LEDs again. One of them should have changed from on to off, or from off to on. If so, that signal is what Mach3 is driving as the direction signal. Verify that that is connected to the DIR input on your motor driver. If you see no difference then we will have to dig deeper into your configuration.
OK, so that was only 8 questions so far. I'm sure there will be more.
Bob