Moving from EMC to LinuxCNC - Stepper Driver Issue

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01 Nov 2015 18:52 #64574 by cr750
Hi,
I've had a BDI install running for several years without issue, until the hdd died in my Pentium III CNC machine.
I use the k-179 driver boards.
I decided to move to a newer machine, HP core 2 Duo desktop.
I've installed Wheezy/LinuxCNC 2.7.
I've installed/made ParallelPortTest and checked that the step/direction pins of the parallel port work as expected, and that the stepper motors work as expected (they do!).

The StepperConfWizard test procedure does not give me the results I expected.
When I "test an axis", the stepper steps (pulses) about every 5 seconds, but the jog buttons do nothing.

I'm at a loss as to know where to go from here.

Help please.
Phill.

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01 Nov 2015 18:59 #64576 by BigJohnT
If you have an enable on the drives the Stepconf Wizard will not enable your drives in the test this axis. When you run the configuration does it work?

JT

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01 Nov 2015 19:07 #64578 by cr750
Hi JT,

The steppers work fine from ParallelPortTest, which is not part of the LinuxCNC distribution. The driver boards are set for "external" control, ie driven from the parallel port.
When I run the default gcode (or gcode I have run in my previous system) I do not get any steps from the steppers.

Regards,
Phill

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01 Nov 2015 19:10 #64579 by BigJohnT
That sounds like you have configured something wrong in the Stepconf Wizard.

JT

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01 Nov 2015 20:01 - 01 Nov 2015 20:03 #64580 by cncbasher
post your config files as an archive to your post ,

coming from an old version to the latest , their are few differences ,
but overall it should be easy to sort out

what breakout board are you using ?
when setting up your steps did you take into consideration the number of microstepping your drives are set to
Last edit: 01 Nov 2015 20:03 by cncbasher.

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02 Nov 2015 18:01 - 02 Nov 2015 18:06 #64606 by cr750

post your config files as an archive to your post ,
what breakout board are you using ?
when setting up your steps did you take into consideration the number of microstepping your drives are set to


No breakout board. The parallel port is connected directly to the K-179 stepper driver boards.
I've set the microstep to "1". I was hoping that would eliminate micro steps and just use the full steps.
My old drive is not quite as bad as I expected. I've recovers my old config files.
I've uploaded my EMC config files for reference and my LinuxCNC config files as well.
Attachments:
Last edit: 02 Nov 2015 18:06 by cr750. Reason: improved clarity

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02 Nov 2015 18:05 #64607 by cr750

That sounds like you have configured something wrong in the Stepconf Wizard.

Yes, I'm pretty sure my problem is in the stepper config.

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02 Nov 2015 19:57 #64612 by andypugh
This is a bit of a surprise in the HAL file: "source sim_hardware.hal"

What appears in that file?
It isn't usual to call a HAL file from a HAL file any more, typically you add a second HAL file to the INI instead.

Do the driver boards require any sort of enable signal? I don't see any listed.

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03 Nov 2015 04:06 #64644 by cr750

This is a bit of a surprise in the HAL file: "source sim_hardware.hal"

What appears in that file?
It isn't usual to call a HAL file from a HAL file any more, typically you add a second HAL file to the INI instead.

Do the driver boards require any sort of enable signal? I don't see any listed.


The driver boards only require Step and Dir inputs.
The content of the sim_hardware.hal is included below. I have commented the line in phill_mill.hal to see if that helps. I'll test later today.

# This file sets up simulated limits/home/spindle encoder hardware.
# This is a generated file do not edit.

loadrt sim_axis_hardware names=sim-hardware

net Xjoint-pos-fb      axis.0.joint-pos-fb      sim-hardware.Xcurrent-pos
net Yjoint-pos-fb      axis.1.joint-pos-fb      sim-hardware.Ycurrent-pos
net Zjoint-pos-fb      axis.2.joint-pos-fb      sim-hardware.Zcurrent-pos

setp sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-upper 1000
setp sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-lower [AXIS_0]MAX_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Xminsw-upper [AXIS_0]MIN_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Xminsw-lower -1000
setp sim-hardware.Xhomesw-pos [AXIS_0]HOME_OFFSET

setp sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-upper 1000
setp sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-lower [AXIS_1]MAX_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Yminsw-upper [AXIS_1]MIN_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Yminsw-lower -1000
setp sim-hardware.Yhomesw-pos [AXIS_1]HOME_OFFSET

setp sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-upper 1000
setp sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-lower [AXIS_2]MAX_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Zminsw-upper [AXIS_2]MIN_LIMIT
setp sim-hardware.Zminsw-lower -1000
setp sim-hardware.Zhomesw-pos [AXIS_2]HOME_OFFSET



net fake-xstep           => parport.0.pin-02-out-fake
net fake-xdir            => parport.0.pin-03-out-fake
net fake-ystep           => parport.0.pin-04-out-fake
net fake-ydir            => parport.0.pin-05-out-fake
net fake-zstep           => parport.0.pin-06-out-fake
net fake-zdir            => parport.0.pin-07-out-fake

net fake-all-home          sim-hardware.homesw-all
net fake-all-limit         sim-hardware.limitsw-all
net fake-all-limit-home    sim-hardware.limitsw-homesw-all
net fake-both-x            sim-hardware.Xbothsw-out
net fake-max-x             sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-out
net fake-min-x             sim-hardware.Xminsw-out
net fake-both-y            sim-hardware.Ybothsw-out
net fake-max-y             sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-out
net fake-min-y             sim-hardware.Yminsw-out
net fake-both-z            sim-hardware.Zbothsw-out
net fake-max-z             sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-out
net fake-min-z             sim-hardware.Zminsw-out
net fake-both-a            sim-hardware.Abothsw-out
net fake-max-a             sim-hardware.Amaxsw-out
net fake-min-a             sim-hardware.Aminsw-out
net fake-home-x            sim-hardware.Xhomesw-out
net fake-home-y            sim-hardware.Yhomesw-out
net fake-home-z            sim-hardware.Zhomesw-out
net fake-home-a            sim-hardware.Ahomesw-out
net fake-both-home-x       sim-hardware.Xbothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-x        sim-hardware.Xmaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-x        sim-hardware.Xminsw-homesw-out
net fake-both-home-y       sim-hardware.Ybothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-y        sim-hardware.Ymaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-y        sim-hardware.Yminsw-homesw-out
net fake-both-home-z       sim-hardware.Zbothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-z        sim-hardware.Zmaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-z        sim-hardware.Zminsw-homesw-out
net fake-both-home-a       sim-hardware.Abothsw-homesw-out
net fake-max-home-a        sim-hardware.Amaxsw-homesw-out
net fake-min-home-a        sim-hardware.Aminsw-homesw-out

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03 Nov 2015 15:19 #64665 by cr750
Still no joy.

As I indicated in my first post, when I run the wizard and "test" the axis, I get an uncommanded step every 5 seconds. Every 5 seconds while the axis test is running.
Does the "axis test" reverse direction automatically? (could I have the step and dir pins reversed?)

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