Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue
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						01 Nov 2015 18:52				#64574
		by cr750
	
	
		
			
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue was created by cr750			
			
				Hi,
I've had a BDI install running for several years without issue, until the hdd died in my Pentium III CNC machine.
I use the k-179 driver boards.
I decided to move to a newer machine, HP core 2 Duo desktop.
I've installed Wheezy/LinuxCNC 2.7.
I've installed/made ParallelPortTest and checked that the step/direction pins of the parallel port work as expected, and that the stepper motors work as expected (they do!).
The StepperConfWizard test procedure does not give me the results I expected.
When I "test an axis", the stepper steps (pulses) about every 5 seconds, but the jog buttons do nothing.
I'm at a loss as to know where to go from here.
Help please.
Phill.
					I've had a BDI install running for several years without issue, until the hdd died in my Pentium III CNC machine.
I use the k-179 driver boards.
I decided to move to a newer machine, HP core 2 Duo desktop.
I've installed Wheezy/LinuxCNC 2.7.
I've installed/made ParallelPortTest and checked that the step/direction pins of the parallel port work as expected, and that the stepper motors work as expected (they do!).
The StepperConfWizard test procedure does not give me the results I expected.
When I "test an axis", the stepper steps (pulses) about every 5 seconds, but the jog buttons do nothing.
I'm at a loss as to know where to go from here.
Help please.
Phill.
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						01 Nov 2015 18:59				#64576
		by BigJohnT
	
	
		
			
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by BigJohnT on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			
				If you have an enable on the drives the Stepconf Wizard will not enable your drives in the test this axis. When you run the configuration does it work?
JT
					JT
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						01 Nov 2015 19:07				#64578
		by cr750
	
	
		
			
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by cr750 on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			
				Hi JT,
The steppers work fine from ParallelPortTest, which is not part of the LinuxCNC distribution. The driver boards are set for "external" control, ie driven from the parallel port.
When I run the default gcode (or gcode I have run in my previous system) I do not get any steps from the steppers.
Regards,
Phill
					The steppers work fine from ParallelPortTest, which is not part of the LinuxCNC distribution. The driver boards are set for "external" control, ie driven from the parallel port.
When I run the default gcode (or gcode I have run in my previous system) I do not get any steps from the steppers.
Regards,
Phill
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						01 Nov 2015 19:10				#64579
		by BigJohnT
	
	
		
			
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by BigJohnT on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			
				That sounds like you have configured something wrong in the Stepconf Wizard.
JT
					JT
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						01 Nov 2015 20:01		 -  01 Nov 2015 20:03		#64580
		by cncbasher
	
	
		
			
	
	
			 		
													
	
				Replied by cncbasher on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			
				post your config files as an archive to your post ,
coming from an old version to the latest , their are few differences ,
but overall it should be easy to sort out
what breakout board are you using ?
when setting up your steps did you take into consideration the number of microstepping your drives are set to
					coming from an old version to the latest , their are few differences ,
but overall it should be easy to sort out
what breakout board are you using ?
when setting up your steps did you take into consideration the number of microstepping your drives are set to
		Last edit: 01 Nov 2015 20:03  by cncbasher.			
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						02 Nov 2015 18:01		 -  02 Nov 2015 18:06		#64606
		by cr750
	
	
		
			
				
No breakout board. The parallel port is connected directly to the K-179 stepper driver boards.
I've set the microstep to "1". I was hoping that would eliminate micro steps and just use the full steps.
My old drive is not quite as bad as I expected. I've recovers my old config files.
I've uploaded my EMC config files for reference and my LinuxCNC config files as well.
					
	
	
	
			 		
													
	
				Replied by cr750 on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			post your config files as an archive to your post ,
what breakout board are you using ?
when setting up your steps did you take into consideration the number of microstepping your drives are set to
No breakout board. The parallel port is connected directly to the K-179 stepper driver boards.
I've set the microstep to "1". I was hoping that would eliminate micro steps and just use the full steps.
My old drive is not quite as bad as I expected. I've recovers my old config files.
I've uploaded my EMC config files for reference and my LinuxCNC config files as well.
		Last edit: 02 Nov 2015 18:06  by cr750.		Reason: improved clarity	
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						02 Nov 2015 18:05				#64607
		by cr750
	
	
		
			
				
					
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by cr750 on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			Yes, I'm pretty sure my problem is in the stepper config.That sounds like you have configured something wrong in the Stepconf Wizard.
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						02 Nov 2015 19:57				#64612
		by andypugh
	
	
		
			
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by andypugh on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			
				This is a bit of a surprise in the HAL file:  "source sim_hardware.hal"
What appears in that file?
It isn't usual to call a HAL file from a HAL file any more, typically you add a second HAL file to the INI instead.
Do the driver boards require any sort of enable signal? I don't see any listed.
					What appears in that file?
It isn't usual to call a HAL file from a HAL file any more, typically you add a second HAL file to the INI instead.
Do the driver boards require any sort of enable signal? I don't see any listed.
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						03 Nov 2015 04:06				#64644
		by cr750
	
	
		
			
				
The driver boards only require Step and Dir inputs.
The content of the sim_hardware.hal is included below. I have commented the line in phill_mill.hal to see if that helps. I'll test later today.
			
					
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by cr750 on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			This is a bit of a surprise in the HAL file: "source sim_hardware.hal"
What appears in that file?
It isn't usual to call a HAL file from a HAL file any more, typically you add a second HAL file to the INI instead.
Do the driver boards require any sort of enable signal? I don't see any listed.
The driver boards only require Step and Dir inputs.
The content of the sim_hardware.hal is included below. I have commented the line in phill_mill.hal to see if that helps. I'll test later today.
# This file sets up simulated limits/home/spindle encoder hardware.
# This is a generated file do not edit.
loadrt sim_axis_hardware names=sim-hardware
net Xjoint-pos-fb      axis.0.joint-pos-fb      sim-hardware.Xcurrent-pos
net Yjoint-pos-fb      axis.1.joint-pos-fb      sim-hardware.Ycurrent-pos
net Zjoint-pos-fb      axis.2.joint-pos-fb      sim-hardware.Zcurrent-pos
setp sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-upper 1000
setp sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-lower [AXIS_0]MAX_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Xminsw-upper [AXIS_0]MIN_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Xminsw-lower -1000
setp sim-hardware.Xhomesw-pos [AXIS_0]HOME_OFFSET
setp sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-upper 1000
setp sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-lower [AXIS_1]MAX_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Yminsw-upper [AXIS_1]MIN_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Yminsw-lower -1000
setp sim-hardware.Yhomesw-pos [AXIS_1]HOME_OFFSET
setp sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-upper 1000
setp sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-lower [AXIS_2]MAX_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Zminsw-upper [AXIS_2]MIN_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Zminsw-lower -1000
setp sim-hardware.Zhomesw-pos [AXIS_2]HOME_OFFSET
net fake-xstep           => parport.0.pin-02-out-fake
net fake-xdir            => parport.0.pin-03-out-fake
net fake-ystep           => parport.0.pin-04-out-fake
net fake-ydir            => parport.0.pin-05-out-fake
net fake-zstep           => parport.0.pin-06-out-fake
net fake-zdir            => parport.0.pin-07-out-fake
net fake-all-home          sim-hardware.homesw-all
net fake-all-limit         sim-hardware.limitsw-all
net fake-all-limit-home    sim-hardware.limitsw-homesw-all
net fake-both-x            sim-hardware.Xbothsw-out
net fake-max-x             sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-out
net fake-min-x             sim-hardware.Xminsw-out
net fake-both-y            sim-hardware.Ybothsw-out
net fake-max-y             sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-out
net fake-min-y             sim-hardware.Yminsw-out
net fake-both-z            sim-hardware.Zbothsw-out
net fake-max-z             sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-out
net fake-min-z             sim-hardware.Zminsw-out
net fake-both-a            sim-hardware.Abothsw-out
net fake-max-a             sim-hardware.Amaxsw-out
net fake-min-a             sim-hardware.Aminsw-out
net fake-home-x            sim-hardware.Xhomesw-out
net fake-home-y            sim-hardware.Yhomesw-out
net fake-home-z            sim-hardware.Zhomesw-out
net fake-home-a            sim-hardware.Ahomesw-out
net fake-both-home-x       sim-hardware.Xbothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-x        sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-x        sim-hardware.Xminsw-homesw-out
net fake-both-home-y       sim-hardware.Ybothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-y        sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-y        sim-hardware.Yminsw-homesw-out
net fake-both-home-z       sim-hardware.Zbothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-z        sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-z        sim-hardware.Zminsw-homesw-out
net fake-both-home-a       sim-hardware.Abothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-a        sim-hardware.Amaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-a        sim-hardware.Aminsw-homesw-outPlease Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
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						03 Nov 2015 15:19				#64665
		by cr750
	
	
		
			
	
			
			 		
													
	
				Replied by cr750 on topic Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue			
			
				Still no joy.
As I indicated in my first post, when I run the wizard and "test" the axis, I get an uncommanded step every 5 seconds. Every 5 seconds while the axis test is running.
Does the "axis test" reverse direction automatically? (could I have the step and dir pins reversed?)
					As I indicated in my first post, when I run the wizard and "test" the axis, I get an uncommanded step every 5 seconds. Every 5 seconds while the axis test is running.
Does the "axis test" reverse direction automatically? (could I have the step and dir pins reversed?)
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