Hello Ian, you didn't state which version of stepconf you are unsing. I spent months this winter and spring with pretty much the same behaviour you experienced, and it turned out to be a bug in stepconf, but only when using the "Test axis" feature. The problem was that the spaces between pulses were of unequal length so the motors danced 5/4 waltz. I graded up to the new release and the problem was gone, apparently stepconf got freshed up. All this troubleshooting took me about four months (since I sometimes have to earn some money, too) and almost all my nerves.
Here is what I wrote in April: "- I tried 4 different motherboards from 350 MHz Intel to 2.4 GHz AMD - I tried 3 newly installed harddisks with two different live CD's downloaded 2008 and 2009 - I tried running EMC from the live disks directly - I tried all this with two different driver boards - I tested all axis independently and in common - I made a LED test plug for the printer cable to visualize the timing with little sockets to access the signals with a scope probe - I changed the order of pulse and direction output at the pins of the parport - I commented all "reset" lines in .hal to switch off doublestep like I was told - I varied the parameters of steplen and stepspace in .hal up and down to extreme values - I had a friend (informatics expert) do all this again to exclude my person as the source of trouble (which is the most likely cause of computer problems) - I looked at the pulses at the parport with two different oscilloscopes and found that the pulses came rather irregularly (the old scope couldn't even trigger it). Note that I did all this with the "test axis" function of stepconf because this is a very convenient way to see the result of parameter variations immediately. Now, yesterday evening it occurred to me that stepconf apparently ignores settings in .hal and .ini files that I made with the editor when going beyond its apparent default limits. I made a micky mouse G-Code list and tested this with axis instead of stepconf, ad lo and behold! the problem was solved! (A little time jitter was still present but bearable)." Peter Blodow At 12:30 09.09.2009, you wrote: >Gentle folk, > >I am a newcomer to the world of CNC and EMC. I have a background in >computers and data communications. > >I have linux 6 and the associated EMC software. Connection to the >motor/driver is via the printer parallel port. > >I have been constructing the hardware side of a small router and have >commenced testing EMC, a commercial motor driver and one motor. > >I have used the "Step Config Wizard" to configure a configuration to >drive the motor. > >The specifications of the driver board appear more than capable of >driving the test motor which is extracted from an Epson printer. >The 12V supply is more than capable. >Wiring is correct, good heavy ground leads. >Pins 18-25 of the pc parallel port connected and used as ground. >Adjusted the motor currents over a range from low to high (for the >motor), problem still exists. >Adjusted the speed and accelleration rate in the "Step Config Wizard" >over a wide range, no change. >Tried a larger motor (current), not sure what happened but a driver >board went up in smoke. > >I have a number of issues but the main one would be inconsistent stepping. > >In the step config wizard I have gone down via "Port setup>Axis >config>test this axis" for one axis only. > >I select "Access test" and then click on the "jog" button. Observing via >an oscilloscope I see a varaible number of "step" pulses to the motor >driver. >Stepping with the "run" button from the same form also gives erratic >performance (some steps and then occassionally a "burst" of steps). > >I have looked for grounding/noise issues on the printer-driver, nothing. > >What should I get from a "click" on the jog button???? I would think ONE >step pulse. > >Any suggestions on how I can get a guaranteed single "step" pulse?? >Any suggestions what other issues I should consider? >Any other test mechanisms???? > >Thanks, Ian > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day >trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and focus on >what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with >Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july >_______________________________________________ >Emc-users mailing list >[email protected] >https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and focus on what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
