LinuxCNC terminates at startup after adding input pins with pnCConf for mesa7i76

Hi,

I'm new to LinuxCNC, and I've run into the first problem I could not find the answer to in this or other forums...

We're building a pretty standard cnc machine with tandem axis, and using a mesa 7i76e card for the real time stuff.
I'm running Debian Buster/10 now and have the ethernet connection and communication running (finally  )
The configuration I was planning to use to get started still causes linuxCNC to terminate, only now with the message that a pin does not exist, so I started from scratch with the pnCConf.
I can add the main X, Y, Z and tandem Y2 axis, and change the mode for the mesa board. LinuxCNC can start this configuration and we can jog the axes. However, as soon as I add a (hypothetical) home switch, the configuration won't start anymore (linuxCNC terminated with an error). (We haven't gotten round to installing the home switches yet)

The error I get is: pin "hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.input-08-not" does not exist. 
Any other input or output pin gives the same result.

I'd add the error report, but I can't find the temp folder it's supposed to have been written to... (and copy paste doesn't work either).

Any ideas as to what's going wrong? (or how I can provide more useful info...) I feel like I'm overseeing something simple...

I followed this tutorial to get started: rainydayprojects.ch/linuxcnc/mesa-7i76e. Maybe I need to flash one of the other available firmware files?

Well, you have an invalid pin name and should be an easy fix
Here is what I would do.
1. Always Start linuxcnc from the command line while building your config as errors will be printed in  the terminal
2. The error should tell you the line number.
3. When things happen like this, I always edit the hal file (I use Geany) and comment out the line with the error on it.
4. Continue to comment out any further lines with errors
5. Once Linuxcnc opens, I then run halshow and review the pin name I want to use and write it down and check my spelling.

You can also open a second terminal window and type halcmd show pin 7i76e and it will print all the pin names. This lets you copy and paste the correct pin name. If you have installed different firmware, revert to the default bit file.

If you have a standard 7i76e and nothing else, there is no need to install a different bit file (firmware)

Do you have feild power connected properly? Field power id required for all pins to be created.

Hi rodw,

Thanks for the pointers.
I reverted to the default bit file (7i76e_7i76x1d.bit), and later ticked the "Use INI substitution for Mesa board names" in pncconf, but neither solved the problem simply.
I found the halshow, so I'll try to review the pin names manually.

Will editing the configuration with pncconf later undo or cause conflicts with such manual changes?

cmorley wrote:

Do you have feild power connected properly? Field power id required for all pins to be created.

Hi cmorley,

Thanks for the hint!
On closer inspection the problem seems to be isolated to TB5 and TB6, and I haven't done anything with the field power on the board yet, so that is probably what I missed.

Connecting field power solved the problem. 
Thanks for the help!