LinuxCNC software

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21 Dec 2012 05:11 #27905 by Candice
LinuxCNC software was created by Candice
Hello!

I am having so much trouble with LinuxCNC!
I am trying to use the Zen Toolworks CNC carving machine to carve a block of wood. Everything is connected but there is NO movement! I am not even sure what I am supposed to do. I monkeyed around with the Stepconf Wizard as well as the Pncconf Wizard. I saved my mill but when I try to run the axis, nothing moves for any of them!

So my question to you is, how do I configure it? Perhaps I am not providing the correct parameters.
I looked online and attempted a few things, but it does not work! :( Yikes I say.

Does it matter where the axises are placed on the control board? Perhaps I have them in the wrong order.
Please check this for me:

control board:


bottom axis (one on the table): J7
AP: RED
AM: BLUE
BP: GREEN
BM: BLACK

x axis: J8
AP: RED
AM: BLUE
BP: GREEN
BM: BLACK

y axis: J9
AP: RED
AM: BLUE
BP: GREEN
BM: BLACK

Okay, so that is how I have it configured.
Now, I have the DB25 m-f cable connected to my computer.
Nothing is working - I do not even think it is recognizing the cable. :(
So how do I even check this? I did
sudo lshw -short
in the terminal, but I did not see anything remote to the DB connector.

see what displays:
/0/100                         bridge         82Q35 Express DRAM Controller
/0/100/1                       bridge         82Q35 Express PCI Express Root Por
/0/100/2                       display        82Q35 Express Integrated Graphics 
/0/100/2.1                     display        82Q35 Express Integrated Graphics 
/0/100/3                       communication  82Q35 Express MEI Controller
/0/100/3.2                     storage        82Q35 Express PT IDER Controller
/0/100/3.3                     communication  82Q35 Express Serial KT Controller
/0/100/1a                      bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Cont
/0/100/1a.1                    bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Cont
/0/100/1a.7                    bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Con
/0/100/1b                      multimedia     82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Cont
/0/100/1c                      bridge         82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express P
/0/100/1d                      bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Cont
/0/100/1d.1                    bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Cont
/0/100/1d.2                    bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Cont
/0/100/1d.7                    bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Con
/0/100/1e                      bridge         82801 PCI Bridge
/0/100/1f                      bridge         82801IO (ICH9DO) LPC Interface Con
/0/100/1f.2/1      /dev/cdrom  disk           CDRWDVD DH-48C2S
/0/100/1f.3                    bus            82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Control

nothing relating to the CMC printer. Is there some software I need to install? I did not see this advice on any of the support pages, so I am so flipped!

please help me!
I want to start making things especially since it is almost Christmas!

~Candy

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21 Dec 2012 07:07 #27906 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic LinuxCNC software

nothing relating to the CMC printer. Is there some software I need to install? I did not see this advice on any of the support pages,

Nothing in the system can identify the printer, so you won't see it as that.

Did you try the "Test Axis" button in Stepconf? Did that make anything move? (You want Stepconf, not PNCConf for that board)

As far as I can tell you have the motors wired correctly. Is there power to the board?

Do the motors become difficult to turn by hand when everything is powered up? (it's a good sign if they do)

That driver board doesn't look like any of the ones from Zen toolworks. Did it come with its own manual?

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21 Dec 2012 07:13 #27907 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic LinuxCNC software

Does it matter where the axises are placed on the control board?

Sorry, I forgot this part.
No, it doesn't really matter. When you get it moving, if moving X moves the Z axis (for example) then you can swap the connectors then, or reconfigure the parallel port setup in Stepconf to suit.

But it is _very_ important not to disconnect the motors when the driver board is powered up. That blows the chips on the those TB6560 boards. (Don't ask me how i know)

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21 Dec 2012 14:50 #27915 by Rick G
Replied by Rick G on topic LinuxCNC software
Hello,

If you have installed from the live CD at the upper left select Applications / cnc / Users Manual and Getting Started guides for information on getting started.

Then run the Latency test to see how well your computer will work with Emc2 / Linuxcnc.

Then run the Stepconf to create a configuration for your machine.
You will need to know your parallel port address and which pins on the parallel port control the inputs of your driver.
This information should come with the stepper driver board.

For testing you can try the default settings on many fields.

You could also try one of the sample configurations if it matches your machine.

Rick G

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21 Dec 2012 15:40 #27917 by cncbasher
Replied by cncbasher on topic LinuxCNC software
Post your hal and ini files as attachments , with these boards you also need to use the amplifier enable pin configured

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21 Dec 2012 15:42 - 21 Dec 2012 15:46 #27918 by cncbasher
Replied by cncbasher on topic LinuxCNC software
Post your hal and ini files as attachments , with these boards you also need to have the amplifier enable pin configured

perhaps you have already seen this :

wiki.zentoolworks.com/index.php/Linux_and_EMC2_Step_by_Step
Last edit: 21 Dec 2012 15:46 by cncbasher.

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22 Dec 2012 04:32 - 22 Dec 2012 04:39 #27929 by Candice
Replied by Candice on topic LinuxCNC software
Thanks for all your replies! I am so thankful that people are willing to help novice people.

@andypugh: I did not get anything in regards to a manual for the driver board. Everything that I ordered came with nothing! So it has been very challenging for me. I found a link that had a manual for a control board that had six wires and the guy ended up using Mach3 for XP. I am not interested in using XP. I want something cooler! :D Oh, and I know to def. not unplug anything when it is turned on. I read that somewhere. I do not want to fry a 90$ board! no siree!

Okay, I think the problem is that cable that I have...because it doesn't seem to do anything when I hit run for the Stepconf Wizard.

I purchased the following cables:
DB25 M-F Cable
and
DB25 to USB

When I connect the DB25 M-F cable...the lights go on the control board for a second - then they just turn off and it makes a noise.
When I connect the DB25 to USB, the lights stay on but it does nothing!

This is so very confusing.
Last edit: 22 Dec 2012 04:39 by Candice.

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22 Dec 2012 04:45 - 22 Dec 2012 04:55 #27930 by Candice
Replied by Candice on topic LinuxCNC software
@cncbasher

I tried the following link you gave me. I tested the axies and I had no movement for the X or Y axis.
I am not even sure what to do.

not sure if this is anything, but I see this on the driver board:
CLKA - P2
DIRA - P3
CLKB - P4
CLKC - P6
DIRC - P7
CLKD - P8
DIRD - P9
OUT1 - P1
OUT2 - P14
EN - 16
RLY - 17

not sure how this can be interpreted on the parallel port steup?
Last edit: 22 Dec 2012 04:55 by Candice.

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22 Dec 2012 05:03 #27931 by Rick G
Replied by Rick G on topic LinuxCNC software
Hello,

You will need to use a regular parallel port, not a usb to parallel cable.

Rick G

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22 Dec 2012 05:07 #27932 by Rick G
Replied by Rick G on topic LinuxCNC software
If your computer does not have a parallel port do you have an empty slot such as a pci slot to add a parallel printer port?

Do not forget you really need to run the latency test to see if the computer will work with linuxcnc.

Rick G

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