PathPilot + Mesa 7i76e + DYN4 Servo Drive - Spindle not working

No watchdog errors, and I still get 0v on TB4 pin 2 with the wire removed. 

If you have a moment, could you check the wiring schematic DMM gave me that I attached to the reply just before your last?  I'd found an error in their TB3<->JP5 portion which they corrected, and it's possible they screwed something up elsewhere.

Also, I have another 7i76e connected to another computer running PP using the same config as my mill, and have powered it up with 24v according to the 7i76_Anschluss pdf, and 10v for TB4. Nothing else is connected to the 7i76e. I used halcmd to set hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.spinena <== spindle-enable to TRUE, but still can't get a voltage on TB4 pin 2. Is it possible to test the analog spindle output without it being connected to a drive? If so, what do I need to do?

Thank you.
 

Yes, to test the analog output, without a drive
you connect 10-12v between TB4 pins 3 (+) and 1 (-)
You run LinuxCNC and make sure the enable is true,
and that output value scaling and limits make sense, say:

setp hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.spinena true
setp hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.spinout 5000
setp hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.scalemax 5000
setp hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.minlim 0
setp hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.maxlim 5000

And you measure the output between TB4 pin2 (+) and TB4 pin 1(-)

The board is set up as you described. I set hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.spinena TRUE, issued an M3 S5000 command, ran halcmd with "halcmd show all | grep hm2_7i76e.0.7i76 > dump", then checked the variables you listed and got output identical to what you listed.

This is a virgin 7i76e purchased from Mesa a couple months ago, and I get the same results as my other 7i76e. Could the tormachspindle cancer be queering things up? I tried to remove it completely, but PP complains that commanded spindle speeds are out of the range of 0-0.

If you don't have any further suggestions I'll chop out all the tormachspindle stuff I can while still being able to start PP.

Thanks. I really appreciate your help.

yodaddy wrote:

The board is set up as you described. I set hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.spinena TRUE, issued an M3 S5000 command, ran halcmd with "halcmd show all | grep hm2_7i76e.0.7i76 > dump", then checked the variables you listed and got output identical to what you listed.

Try doing it outside your config, using the simplest possible config. 

I ended up doing a LinuxCNC install and whipping up a configuration with pncconf that worked first time, and the spindle is responding as it should. Now, just have to figure out what Tormach is doing to dick with the spindle control and I'll be golden.

I've never used halrun, but will do as you described just to get a feel of it.

Thank you Andy!

For anyone interested, I solved my problem by going to Probe Basic. PathPilot has been a never ending shitshow for the 7 years I used it on non-Tormach machines, and I'm happy to be done with it.

However, switching to Probe Basic I had spindle issues of a different kind. The 7i76e TB4 spindle control worked as it should, but my servo spindle wouldn't respond. I narrowed the problem down to an issue with signaling between the DYN4 JP4 pin 15 (ENA) and the 7i76e TB4 Pin 6 (ENA+). Upon googling it I found this thread from 2015 that sufficiently explains the issue and remedies - forum.linuxcnc.org/30-cnc-machines/29044...z-a-cnc-5x10?start=0

For now I just disconnected the wire from the 7i76e TB4 Pin 6 to get up and running, and I am thoroughly enjoying the Probe Basic experience!

Thanks to all who offered help.