Replacing Advanced Motion Controls "brush type 12A8 with "Axcent" amplifier

When you first power up your machine, the drive should be disabled. (the motors should turn freely by hand and create no movement on their own.) At this time pin #9 on the AB15A100 should not be pulled to ground. (Assuming SW1-5 OFF)

When you first start Linuxcnc they should still be disabled.

When you take Linuxcnc out of E-stop, (press F1), motors should still be disabled

When you press the Machine ON button (press F2), now the drive should become enabled (pin #9 on the AB15A100 should now be pulled to ground) motors should now be powered, and may run away or do something, or maybe not do anything. But there should probably be some resistance to turning them by hand. If this isn't the case then you need to fix what's going on with your drive enable signal.

At all times when Linuxcnc is running the DROs should be tracking the position of the motors.

Once all of the above are true, at this point you will be ready to start trying to tune the servo, which may include having to reverse the direction of the encoder feedback either to the drive, Linuxcnc or both.

When Linuxcnc is running with machine off (F2 not pressed),
the Hal pin "hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.analogena" should be false.
When the machine is on (F2 pressed), then "hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.analogena" should be true.

When "hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.analogena" is false, the drive enable pin (7i77 TB5, pin2 to pin1) should be open (no connection). When "hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.analogena" is true connecting a positive voltage on pin2 should pass through to pin1. If pin2 to pin1 is either always open or (more likely) always closed, then you have damaged that enable chip, probably by connecting a positive voltage to pin1 relative to pin2.

Todd, Many, many thanks! I have set SW1-5 OFF, only (SW-1-6 is on). When first powered up machine and release e-stop. The motors turn freely by hand and create no movement on their own. DRO works, (F1 still down); press F1 (up now)- no change, DRO works; Press F2 motor may move or oscillate, if apply hand pressure to stop motion of motor and Joint following error will appear.

I have read your next reply and will work that in the morning.

As per Todd's 2nd post: " If pin2 to pin1 is either always open or (more likely) always closed, then you have damaged that enable chip, probably by connecting a positive voltage to pin1 relative to pin2."

This is a new 7i77 card, unless I am not following completely or worse.

many thanks

Todd, many thanks. I tracked the address you provided, included in the "show", found the brown/red circle changed as per your suggestion to yellow in the Hal configuration tab.

From your last description it sounds like the enable is working correctly. Now you need to work on confirming the correct encoder feedback direction for the drive, tune the drive, and then tune the pid loop in linuxcnc.

Todd, Many thanks! The direction of DRO is from operator's POV is the x axis DRO is positive when table moves to the left, and y axis DRO is positive when table moves closer/toward the operator (the operator in out in front of machine). From machine POV table is moving positive DRO when its going away from column of mill in y axis, and table moving to right for the x axis. I believe this is correct. Currently red LEDs are ON when the drives are powered up, looks to be blinking ever so slightly. I tried to adj POT (on x axis only) starting full CCW, did not help with oscillating, started with full CCW, oscillating when powered up, but only after F2 is down, will display "joint following error" if allowed to run.

Many thanks!

I removed leads from TB3 2 (/QAO) & 5 (/QBO) & (7 & 8 nothing was there anyway), because the encoder end had nothing hooked up on that end & the ground (at encoder) was the cable shield.