Mach 3 to PMDX 107 issues

[redrabbit]

Hello,

Hit a little snag. I have Mach3 controlling a PMDX126 through a smoothstepper ESS with a PMDX107 controlling a Huangyang VFD running to a 3KW spindle.

PMDX 126 has charge pump pin17 lit and outputs enabled upon getting the mach3 up and running on the computer
PMDX 107 to VFD runs fine when test button is pressed
Steppers run fine through mach3

I ran through the AN002 PWNSpindle protocol and changed my VFD settings.
However, since I can not get mach3 to spin the spindle; something tells me there is a miscommunication between the computer and PMDX107 and not past the PMDX 107 since the test button works.

When I turn the spindle on in mach3 no other leds turn on, on the pmdx107. Other than the power light of course.

PMDX107 config. is on the factory setting

Mach3 does shoot up a warning something to the effect of PWM set to minimum value.

I do hear a solenoid click which I engage the spindle in mach3

Ideas?

[Bob at PMDX]

A few questions:

(1) Verify that you have the PMDX-126 DIP switches set for "Normal mode with charge pump" (Config3 and Config2 set to "closed" or towards the "Config3" silkscreen, and Config1 "open" or away from the "Config1" silkscreen).

(2) Are you setting the spindle speed in Mach3 (either via an "S" command or by editing the "Spindle Speed" DRO in the lower right corner of the default Mach3 screen set)?  If so, what speed are you commanding and what is the spindle speed range (see Config->Spindle Pulleys)?

(3) You should be able to see the PWM signal on the PMDX-126's "Pin 16" output LED (on PMDx-126 connector J6).  Turn the spindle on and set the spindle speed to a "low" value.  The LED should be on but dim.  Then set the speed to a "high" value (near the maximum spindle speed as set in your spindle pulley config) the LED should be bright.  Since the PWM frequency is set to 25 Hz (presuming settings as per our AN002), you may see some flicker in the pin 16 LED.  That is expected as 25 Hz is just within most people's eye's ability to resolve flicker.

If you do not see the Pin16 LED behaving like this, then the PWM signal is not making it into the PMDX-126 on pin 16.  Verify that your spindle motor step and dir pins are configured as shown in AN0002 figure 4, including setting the "Step Port" and "Dir Port" to "1".

(4) You say you hear a solenoid click when you engage the spindle.  What solenoid is this?  Could it be one of the relays on the PMDX-126?  Verify that you have the "Disable Spindle Relays" checked as in AN002 Figure 3.  Pin 14 is used as the "DIR" signal for the spindle in AN002, and with the default PMDX-126 jumper settings pin 14 also controls the K2 (smaller) relay.  Likewise the default jumper settings have pin 1 controlling the K1 (large) relay.

And finally a disclaimer: The app note was written for the USB SmoothStepper, before the Ethernet version existed.  The ESS plug-in may have slightly different settings than shown in the app note.  Also, the Smoothstepper plug-ins have been updated a few times since that app note was written and we haven't gone back to see if the newer versions behave the same way regarding spindle PWM configuration. 

Bob

[redrabbit]

1) PMDX 126 is in charge pump mode
2) I have tried both an S command and the DRO, I started with 1000, then 5000, and 10000. In the confif>spindle pully section I have min at 0, max at 24000, and ratio at 1.
3) no led is lit and I do have the step to pin 16 and dir to pin 14, and spindle is enabled with a green check at DirLowActive
4)I am not exactly sure I have been listening for it but I have spindle relays disabled, and I have not played with the factory jumper settings. I will say the solenoid engagement only happens once, and thats only with the first spindle on and off command (Scommand or DRO) via Mach3. However after that I do not hear it again with other commands. I have to restart the system to do that. It might be the charge pump letting go?
5)Oh... well, I played with some setting to get a reaction out of it, I changed the pin high and low as well as swapping the 16 and 14 in the pins and ports section with no change. I also set my minimum to 30% and tried 10000rpms with no joy. Test button on the PMDX107 runs perfect, I will run through the AN002 protocol again and see if there is a change.

[Bob at PMDX]

3) no led is lit and I do have the step to pin 16 and dir to pin 14, and spindle is enabled with a green check at DirLowActive
 button on the PMDX107 runs perfect, I will run through the AN002 protocol again and see if there is a change.

If you don't see anything on the "Pin16" LED on the PMDX-126, then for some reason the PWM signal is not making it out of the ESS.  Double-check the ESS Plug-in configuration screen and make sure that PWM is enabled.

Other than that I'm not sure what else to try.  You can upload your XML file here and we can take a look at it to see if there is anything obvious.  If not, then you may need to use the Warp9 support forums for help on getting PWM to work.

Bob