Fresh start with 7i96s and CL86T

I bought  a kit from stepper online that came with closed-loop steppers and CL86T drivers.  I've got LinuxCNC installed on an Orange Pi 5, and attached to a Mesa 7i96s.    I don't have mesaflash installed.
So, out of the box, should the Mesa 7i96s be able to control the CL86T drivers using the default settings in PncConf?

I'm getting closer. I have to break the system down and bring the board into the office to get an internet connection. But, I got mesaflash installed. It is giving me a good report on the 7i96s. But so far, all I've been able to get out of it is a nasty motor vibration that I can't stop in the axis test panel for PncConf, and then the FPGA/INIT light goes red.

I would just make a trial configuration with pncconf and run that

think I hit on hit on a major problem.

Stepperonline has a blurb on their website about the closed loop controllers. Power them up, then force them to turn, and they should return to the starting position. Well, mine complain, making noise as if they're trying to return. But never move back.
I've got a message into their tech support.

Can you use the stepperonline tuning software (need a Win PC) to make sure you've got them wired properly?  I had a problem with the CL86Y series in that the encoder signals in the manual didn't match the cable colors.  The DB9 intermediate cables that go between the motor and the drive have the right colors... but the actual motor cables have different colors inside the connectors.

I'd suggest a bench test using the tuning software before trying to diagnose an LCNC/Mesa issue.

Also note that the following error alarm settings are usually set extremely loose from the factory - like 1000 counts on a 1000/line encoder.  Results in 1/4 turn of movement before they fault out - bad for precision.

I didn't get the control cable, but I've not been able to find a com port on the drivers.
I've powered the motors, and forced the shaft to turn. It's supposed to return. It just vibrates and whines.
I connected two motors. A+ to A+, etc. Turning the the shaft of one caused the other shaft to turn.
I created pulses manually, by touching a piece of wire between the +5V and the Pul+. The shaft would jerk, but not turn. Then I would get the shaking, like encoder knew the position was wrong, but couldn't fix it.
My motors came with DB15 connectors for the encoder. And I've verified every connection point (ignoring colors) in multiple ways, all the way to the driver connectors.

echristley wrote:

I didn't get the control cable, but I've not been able to find a com port on the drivers.

 

[if you already know this, apologies]

The control 'cable' is two pieces: you need a USB to serial adapter cable, and a serial to RJ45 cable.  The USB to serial isn't just a cable; inside is a signal converter board that requires driver software be installed in your windows PC.
USB to serial:
www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Converter-Prolifi...B-DB9P/dp/B00IDSM6BW
Serial to RJ45:
www.amazon.com/RS232-Serial-Female-Ether...onsole/dp/B01MF9FC36

I didn't check the connector genders, but you get the idea.

Until the USB to serial cable drivers are installed and the cable plugged in, the tuning software won't/can't find a COM port.

You may also need a crossover adapter between the serial adapter and the serial-to-RJ45 cable.
www.amazon.com/Adapter-Changer-Coupler-C...ansfer/dp/B07KVDW8MB

Once you've got those two (or three) things connected to the Win PC you shoudl be able to use the tuning & settings software.
 

No. You misunderstand me.
There is no RJ-45 connector on the driver, unless there is some sort of clever cover I can't find.