Messages

1

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / System Error 7 "Motion Underrun"

« on: June 21, 2024, 09:09:03 PM »

Hi

For years I didn't have any issues with the software and then about two years ago I started getting "System Error 7 "Motion Underrun" error but it only happened occasional and only when I was manually moving the spindle around, it didn't happen during a cutting procedure. I'm a weekend DIY guy so the CNC only gets used spasmodically. I the last few weeks I have this error occur during cutting operations. I tried increasing the buffer but that hasn't helped. Does anyone know how to overcome this issue?

David

2

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: Rebuild Problem

« on: February 11, 2018, 06:00:13 AM »

I guess I'll try this :)

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND UPDATING OLDER PLUGIN INSTALLS TO THIS VERSION AND RE-CREATE YOUR PROFILES STARTING FROM THE NEW COPIES OF SUPPLIED SAMPLES.

3

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Rebuild Problem

« on: February 11, 2018, 04:10:50 AM »

HI

The computer running my DIY CNC died yesterday but I have managed to access the data from it's C drive, and once that was done I thought it would be simple to get things going on a new (old really Smiley ) computer, but I was wrong!

I downloaded  the latest version of Mach4 and installed it on the new computer, I then downloaded the the latest version of the PMDX 424 plugin and installed it. I them retrieved my modified Profiles from the old :c drive and installed them into the new Mach4 Profiles folder. I updated the PMDX firmware as well.

When I opened my "DQ Working" profile the screen that loaded was not my old screen, all of the changes I had made were gone.  The machine configuration settings look ok. I could get the spindle to turn on but I could not get any of the axis's to move, the motors are not enabling when the Enable button is toggled, and it looks like the Limit switches are not working as well!!

I eventually retrieved the old wx4.set file and replaced the new wx4.set file with the old one, the correct screen layout loaded but when it loads I get the warnings shown in the attached. And just like with the new wx4.set file nothing but the Spindle works.

Does this mean I have to rebuild my old profiles (4 off) from scratch while using the latest wx4.set file?

Any thoughts as to why the loaded configuration doesn't work?

4

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: Losing Comm's Mid Cut

« on: May 30, 2017, 05:17:19 AM »

Thank you.

All of the main comms & power cables are shielded, Im not sure about the USD cables (2 joined about 8' total)  they are just ones I had laying around, I was a bit over spending money at the time :)

I will give running the CNC with the PC on a separate circuit & them try the spindle if I have no success.

Thanks again.

5

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: Losing Comm's Mid Cut

« on: May 28, 2017, 01:43:29 AM »

I 'm hopeing this helps :)

6

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: Limit Switches Active High

« on: May 27, 2017, 08:36:06 PM »

Thank you, I agree it is confusing!

The bottom line as far as I see it is I have to rewire all the limit switches so they are NC!!! And then change the Limit Switch setting to Active High.

Thanks again

7

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Losing Comm's Mid Cut

« on: May 27, 2017, 02:06:25 AM »

Hi

I thought I'd resolved this issue but unfortunately I haven't. I'm sure there are many possible causes for this issue, I was hoping you guy's might know the most likely place to look.

I loose comms between Mach4 & the 424 board while I'm cutting, and when I try & restart Mach4 it cannot connect unless I reboot the 424 board, I also have to start Windows Task Manager to close the Mach4 Core, and sometimes I have to reboot the computer as well!!. As you can imagine this is a major pain the #*&%

Any thoughts.

It happened 3 time in one small drilling op, then ran fine for a while.

8

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: Limit Switches Active High

« on: April 30, 2017, 09:00:52 AM »

Is there anybody out there :)

9

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Limit Switches Active High

« on: April 25, 2017, 03:20:33 AM »

Iv? read that Limit switches should be run Active High, at the moment I'm running them Low. I have my Limit switches on inputs 1 - 6, do I just move the Ground wires to the +12V inputs to achieve this?

10

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: 407, got it working now it wont stop :) SOLVED

« on: April 23, 2017, 02:23:57 AM »

After many hours of banging my head against the wall, I decided to reset the VFD and start over and I'm glad to say everything is working again, at least for the moment :)

11

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / 407, got it working now it wont stop :)

« on: April 23, 2017, 12:05:47 AM »

Whats confusing me is I'm sure this all worked properly last night but this morning the gremlins are in, anwat heres the issue I'm hoping someone can help with. BTY I seem to have bought a Haunyang VFD model that no one else seems to use, doop.

I have a 407 mounted on the 424 board and set up the wiring as per the photos;

Yellow wire: AREF to +10V of VFD
White wire: AOUT to AI2 of VFD
Green wire: AGND to GND of VFD, picking which ground to use on the VFD was a lottery as the manual is not clear on this

Brown wire: RUN to S1 on VFD, which has been set as the forward command
Green wire: COM to COM on VFD.

When I enable the spindle in MACH4 the RUN LED on the 407 & VFD come on and the spindle runs at the required speed. When I disable the spindle from Mach4, the RUN LED on the 407 turns off and the spindle stops, but the RUN light on the VFD stays on, which is the issue, and there appears to be no way of turning it off except turn the VFD off.

I am using the relay on the VFD to turn the liquid cooling on, so it turns on when the spindle is enabled, but wont turn off until the RUN on the VFD is disabled & obviously while the RUN on the VFD is on I cannot change any settings.

Can anyone help with this problem?

12

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: PMDX-424 ClearPath Motor Configeration

« on: November 11, 2016, 05:14:30 AM »

Thank you

13

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / PMDX-424 ClearPath Motor Configeration

« on: November 09, 2016, 03:43:14 AM »

Hi

It is my understanding that the step and direction outputs from the 424 board can be wired directly to the step and direction inputs on the ClearPath motors. I have wired the motors in this manner. At this point I have one motor wired to each of the 424 motor0 and motor1 outputs. I have installed your plug-in for Mach4, and have wired  two of the 424 outputs from J12 to enable the motors. When I enable the system in Mach 4 the ClearPath motors are enabled and ready to receive step and direction signals. But the life of me I can't get any action on the step and direction front.

It is unclear to me how you are to configure the motors using your plug-in in Mach 4 for the step and direction outputs. In the outputs in Mach 4 I cannot find any step and direction outputs related to your plug-in. I have selected Motor0 and Motor1 in the Mach4 motor configurations tab, I have also enabled motor0 and motor1 is the Masters on the X and Y axis. Apart from my enable signals do I need to enable any other inputs or outputs to configure the motors. I assumed when I went to the Mach4 configuration output signal tab, there would have been step and direction outputs to choose from, but there are only four outputs to choose from.

OK I may have made some progress, I have the PMDX Real-Time Status (RTS) screen open & when I jog the X+ X- and Y+ Y- in Mach4 the Dir0 & Dir1 light swaps from Red to Green, which I assume is what it should be doing, but the Step light flashes Yellow, is that what it should be doing?