Step/Dir servos + Encoders = follow errors... and so much pain.....

Is there any Firmware changes I need to make to my Mesa card for this (do I need to recompile my HAL files and flash for instance?

If not, I'll pull down and build master this weekend and give it a test and let you know if I run into any bugs..

and thanks!

Yes, it needs new firmware for a couple of reasons:

1. The stepgen firmware needed some bug fixes and also you need
a pinout that brings out the stepgen index signal.
2. The firmware has a different stepgen revision to tell the driver
that it has the index (and probe) capability

Ok, So I will need to recompile my Bit file and re-flash the card.. No problem....

Are the updated source vhd files and such all published out to mesanet.com or should I be looking elseware for those? (being a noob my bit file was built off of customizations to the hostmot2 source found in that zip.. )

I don't see them in your merge to master, so I am not sure where to download those updates for the new bit file..

I will update the card zip files later today

Thanks

OK the firmware source has been updated,

This pinout file has an example of a stepgen index pin and
the stepgen version needed for the firmware to activate the
index (and probe) features

PIN_7I96_StepIDXD_51.vhd

Thanks,

I'll copy from there and re-apply my changes and build a new bit file..

Thanks!

To confirm (while I am comparing what actually changed in PIN_7i96_StepIDXD_51.vhd is StepGenTag, x"C2" on line 77 (instead of StepGenTag, x"02" found on line 77 in PIN_7i96D_51.vhd)

Along with updated (which is the important part)
hostmot2sp6.vhd
IDROMConst.vhd
hostmot2.vhd

files in the root.

Just wanted to confirm those details as I work on porting my custom vhd and when I looked at your referenced file I didn't see anything different than that compared to PIN_7i96D_51.vhd

The stepgen version changed (0xC2 means supports index and probe and step/dir swap)

Also you must of course have a pin for the stepgen index in the pin section

Also please refetch the firmware source, I missed one change in the index
capable stepgen firmware when DPLL is present that ended up disabling
the DPLL feature of the stepgen.

(I only noticed this because I plotted the following error)

Is the new StepGen Index Pin a HAL pin I need to worry about? When I look at PIN_7I96_StepIDXD_51 I don't see any thing that jumps out as a StepGen Index Pin.

As I understand the process its:
1) Update my StepGenTag on my 7i76's custom vhd to C2
2) Build using the new source files
- Specifically the following vhd's: kubstepgenzid, hostmot2sp6, IDROMConst, hostmot2, kubstepgenzi, kubstepgenz, kubstepgenzd
- but really just make sure I am using the new source hostmot2 folder and I'll catch those by default
3) Pull master from Mesaflash, build and flash my 7i76 with the new bit file
4) Pull master for Linuxcnc, build and install

After that its Hal update time. First to go from 2.8 to 2.9, then to incorporate these changes...

Oh and testing, lots of testing

Does that sound about right?