Please help, I need some addvise

Arseye is right I'll never forget this adventure.

Hopefully that is a typo

Oops,

Arceye, (Please note I found the “C” key this time)
I owe you an apology, absolutely a typo. (This is embarrassing).
I'm a hunt and peck typist, I usually catch this sort of thing but one gets by me now and then. I'm Sorry.

I have moved the limit wires Todd suggested and I am ready to do the configuration.
Is the Step Configuration Wizard the best tool to use in my situation or am I missing something.

If the wizard is best, I have a couple questions on the “Parallel Port Settings” page. (Just for starters).
I get step and direction for X,Y, but I need some help on the following.

1- Shall I leave “Estop” on pin one?
Is estop triggered by the emergence stop button on my control panel, or is it something else?
If it is the stop button, I will need to make certain that it is wired properly, please confirm if you can.

2- Anaheim Automation calls for “Outputs off” (motor control as I understand it) to be placed on pin 5, I do not see anything like that on the drop down list for pin 5, What shall I do here?

3- Z axis, another parallel port controls this axis, how do I assign port/pin locations for this axis?

4- I don't need spindle control at this time, but I do plan on installing a freq. spindle soon, I planed on setting these to “unused” for now. Is that appropriate?

5- I see were limits are able to be called up on pins 10,11,12,13, and 15, Anaheim Auto. calls the limits “high and low”, I assume Linuxcnc uses “minimum and maximum”, is that correct?

By the time we are done here you folks can publish a book and call it:
“How to locate parallel ports and configure linuxcnc for an idiot”.
(I think Dummies is trade marked, it doesn’t capture the subject in this case accurately either.)

Thanks again.

The website is being difficult today!

allenwg2005 wrote:

Is the Step Configuration Wizard the best tool to use in my situation or am I missing something.

If the wizard is best, I have a couple questions on the “Parallel Port Settings” page. (Just for starters).
I get step and direction for X,Y, but I need some help on the following.

1- Shall I leave “Estop” on pin one?
Is estop triggered by the emergence stop button on my control panel, or is it something else?
If it is the stop button, I will need to make certain that it is wired properly, please confirm if you can.

2- Anaheim Automation calls for “Outputs off” (motor control as I understand it) to be placed on pin 5, I do not see anything like that on the drop down list for pin 5, What shall I do here?

3- Z axis, another parallel port controls this axis, how do I assign port/pin locations for this axis?

4- I don't need spindle control at this time, but I do plan on installing a freq. spindle soon, I planed on setting these to “unused” for now. Is that appropriate?

5- I see were limits are able to be called up on pins 10,11,12,13, and 15, Anaheim Auto. calls the limits “high and low”, I assume Linuxcnc uses “minimum and maximum”, is that correct?
.

Stepconfig is a verry simple option that should get you at least a functioning config to start from.

1st If your machine has an e-stop system, you will need to investigate how it worked before. I doubt that it would have had an input or output from the old software. LinuxCNC can use both an input and an output for e-stop related functions. The one that Stepconfig is putting on pin 1 is an output signal to what ever is controlling the e-stop hardware. You are going to need to decide how you would like this to work. In the mean time it isn't necessary to get the machine functional.

2nd The Anaheim Automation drive disable is not necessary, None of our machines using these drives have anything connected to them. if you are using them it is simple to use a not command on the parallel port output pin to reverse the polarity of the drive enable signal if need be.

3rd In Stepconfig the page where you enter the first basic machine information (including your step timings that should be 15000 for all of them) there is a place to enter the LPT address, then check boxes for a 2nd and 3rd LPT ports and thier addresses. If you entered that info then after you fill in the page for your 1st port, click next and it brings up the page for your 2nd port...

4th Yes.

5th Yes.

The site is cantankerous today isn't it

OK,

“Basic Machine Information”
I checked off the address boxes and put in the addresses.

“Parallel Port Setup”
I have kicked estop to the curb until later, I went with “Amplified Enabled” on pin 5 and 9 for now.
(AA said this is “motor control", (open) motor current on, (pulled) motor current off). There words.
I may have to omit or invert these pins later.

I have X and Y “Minimum Limit + home and “Max limit” set, pins 10,11,12,13.

When I left “Parallel Port Setup” it went right to “X axis Configuration”, I was looking forward to the additional page for my Z axis pin allocation. No joy! Shot.

I went on to configure X and did the “Test this axis”, it did it's thing, YES!!!!!
Nice smooth movement, a real pleasure to watch.
I followed with Y, this one didn't work, at this point it needs to be mentioned that the fellow who sold me the machine put it in moth balls because the machine had a problem (some 8 years ago) and near as he could recall the Y axis had an issue and did not respond.
So I think that this may be why this isn't working.
Now what is interesting is while it will not move when I click OK to close the test window I do hear the motor thump, it may be the wiring for step/movement is damaged.
I'll work on that.

Z has no port assignment so it's a dead stick.

Any advise on this Z port issue going forward?

Andy,

This is the problem with me and email, (writing of any kind).
I have such a hard time explaining things. On matter how hard I try.
It's a good thing this is in English, who knows what kind of mess I would make here.

Let me try again, I have the “Z Axis configuration” window, I just didn't get the window Todd was sharing. I probably miss understood him. I thought I would have a chance to set pins for Z, then configure it after that.

I will see if I can manage these file changes.

Thanks