Ignorant, new, dumb, and really frustrated........

Maybe somebody can give me a direction to go here. As the topic stated I'm feeling stooooopid.
On (more than) a whim, I purchased a shopmaster patriot. I had been looking at wanting to learn milling, turning and cnc and it just worked out that I could swing it this way. I got the machine without the cnc equipment completely installed. Mainly because I figured I could do it and I didn't really want the XP Dell that I would have paid for with a full install. I (after a few snags) finally got the machine up and running using an old machine I had with Debian Linux installed with LinuxCNC. Everything except me worked great and I am/was learning. Then I go out to the shop one evening and I don't have any response on my X-axis. After some serious frustration, I powered everthing down, swapped my x and y and my steppers both work but I get ZERO on the x-axis still. The machine is using a Gecko540 to run the steppers. I called Gecko......tech suggests swapping the drivers to possibly get things working for the weekend and to send the board in. Swapping the drivers did diddly and I shipped the board back. They billed me for repairing two drivers because I opened the board and therefore the damage is my fault (again, not a happy camper). I paid the invoice and the board comes back and I still have no x-axis.

Shopmaster tells me they are sure it is my computer. Any thoughts on where LinuxCNC would fail to give me an x axis output BUT show the x-axis working on the computer screen?

Also, this is all new to me, so any suggestions on a good alternative to the gecko? At this point I am ready to wait the rest of the year out and send Shopmaster the whole thing back and eat the money I've spent on tooling and the freight both ways.

Hi

I powered everthing down, swapped my x and y and my steppers both work but I get ZERO on the x-axis still.

Don't quite understand that one, you say both steppers work and that X doesn't. Presumably you mean the X stepper works when powered by the Y driver, but neither work when powered by the X driver?

If everything did work and suddenly stopped, aside from a board failure, the biggest possibility is wiring.

You need to do a thorough elimination process, to get exactly what does not work.
(All these swaps must be done powered down / mains off and preferably having grounded the DC + output to discharge any residuals from capacitors etc)

The main block of connections are computer to BOB, BOB to driver and driver to stepper.

Working backwards, try all steppers attached to the Y driver and jog Y, if they all work (as it appears you have done) the steppers are OK

Then disconnect the input to the X driver and plug in the input from the Y driver to X and jog Y. If the stepper moves, the X driver is OK etc
If the input works on Y and on Z but not X, looks like the X driver. ( is there anything different about it compared to the others in terms of dip switches or connections?)
The Geckos need an enable signal, is there one?

If you get beyond the drivers, it really must be wiring between the computer and the X driver.

I have no idea what sort of connectors and cables you have, but it is all too easy for a wire to part, pin to not quite make contact etc etc
Check everything from the parport D25 plug (check that the card is seated properly if you are using a PCI parport card) downwards.

regards

Ok, the gecko unit is an enclosed breakout and driver combo. I've swaped db25 cables and the parallel port is on the motherboard. Is there anyway a setting in linuxcnc could fail to send to the x axis but y and z still function? I Doubt this but have to ask. I have reloaded the default sample configuration that worked and still nothing. I think the board is still bad and I am unimpressed with gecko as a company. If theses assumptions are correct. Can someone suggest a good replacement for the gecko? I have nema34 steppers and a 50v power supply. Easy on what's left of the budget would be great. 4 axis minimum.

going to bump this once to see if I can get more input on a replacement for the gecko. I will see what I can find on the board you suggested to replace the 540 board. I'm also going to see if I'm smart enough to swap the a/x in the software like you suggested. That would at least get me making chips again.

going to bump this once to see if I can get more input on a replacement for the gecko

I personally use Leadshine type drivers, one per axis. They are just plug, set and forget in my experience
The last ones I bought were probably these ones
www.motioncontrolproducts.co.uk/products...microstepping-drive/

The problem with 'all-in-one' drivers, is all eggs in one basket when anything goes wrong

If you have a 4 axis driver and a 3 axis machine, then first do what JT suggested and use the A axis inputs.
That will conclusively show whether the X axis driver is U/S

If you have problems then post your hal and ini files.
It will simply be a question of swapping the parport pins across, so that the X axis signals are coming in on pins that the 540 has hardwired for the A axis

regards

I have the individual Gecko Drives... using 3 of the G320 servo drives on my big mill, the G201 on my A-axis, and three G203 (Older model) on another CNC X/Y table. I saw the combo units... but wouldn't want one because if one module fails... you are done. Having individual components, you can swap them out to troubleshoot, etc.

On your LinuxCNC setup, you have certain pins defined to drive the equipment... for each stepper driver there is a STEP and a DIRECTION signal. If you have any friends with electronics background... start off looking at the pin you have assigned for the X-Axis STEP output. When you have an X-Axis movement... a series of pulses should be comming out of the pin... if they are... then the PC is good, and the issue is with the driver. If not... then either your cable is bad, or the printer port is messed up.

If you have another computer with a parallel port... you could install LinuxCNC on it (dual boot) and use it to test out the machine. If that works... then you have proven the PC bad. If not... then you know you have an issue with the Geckodrive and/or a connection to the drive.

The 540 has 4 outputs... X, Y, Z, and A. If you swap the cables from your X and Y on the 520 board... and the X-Axis (physical device) still doesn't move... then the Geckodrive is not at fault. If you have them swapped, and now the Y-axis won't move... then the X-driver is not working properly.

I'm going to presume that the X-Axis won't move even if the cables are swapped... if that is the case... check the wire harness for damage, verify all the connectors are attached, etc. Also... see if you can rotate the shaft by hand... it is possible that something obstructed it... ir even possible that the coupler came loose... the stepper could be spinning and not driving the device.

If the cables are swapped and now the X-Axis moves... but the Y-Axis does not... then the X-Axis driver is non-operational. Connect it as follows...

X Axis to A driver (Move X to A)
Y Axis to Y driver (No Change)
Z Axis to Z driver (No Change)
No connection to the X driver. (Old Connection, suspected bad.)

Then run the STEPCONFIG program and select "Existing Machine", select your current setup.
Go through the settings and write them down... then configure the settings so that what used to be the A-AXIS pins are now the X-Axis pins... and leave the old X-Axis pins set to UNUSED.

This will cause the X-Axis signals to be routed to the G520 "A-Axis" output plug... and everything should function well. The only thing you will need to verify is that the steps per rotation, etc are set properly. Usually the A-Axis is used for a rotation control... so it might have like 1800 steps per rotation where the X-Axis might be 200 normally. If you tell the X-Axis to move 1 inch and it goes like 6 inches for example... then this will need adjusting.

If you get stuck... go to PLACES and find the HOME FOLDER --> linuxcnc --> configs folder.

Copy everything in there to a thumbdrive and ZIP it... attach it to this post and I'll make the changes and put it back here for you... you will be able to copy it back and it will be done. (I've configured so many now that I don't even need coffee.)

Jerry

My understanding was that I would configure the software to send the x-axis commands via the a-axis and then physically swap my x-axis stepper to the a-axis output. I even think I sort of understand how that configuration works. The problem is life and work haven't been cooperating lately with my desire to "play". I spent my time off taking the daughter I didn't get to spend any holiday time with back to the airport so she can be back at college. I worked something along the lines of 150 hours in seven days to celebrate the Christmas holiday. The good news is the switch to fifteen days on and six days off became official with the new year and I go on days off Wednesday. The only machine I have Linux loaded on is in the shop. Temps are well below freezing and I haven't had enough time out there to justify turning on a heater. That changes when I get home tomorrow!!!

On a different tact, I was really hoping for more feedback on ALTERNATIVES to the Gecko. Breakout board and stepper driver suggestions or suggestions on where to shop for a replacement. Anyone have any quality experiences or great results with any economy equipment? I see equipment at all price levels and I just don't understand the difference in PRICE. I understand the parameters and when we get to larger steppers and higher amps and voltages the cost differences make sense, BUT I'm looking for what I think is on the upper end of small for a CNC setup. I have Nema 34 steppers, but I'm setup with a max amperage of 3.5. On the other hand, I have a 50V max power supply...... Most of what I see in less than 5 amps are less than the 50V I have for power. I see a LOT of 36V max stuff in the operating range I have.