PMDX 126 Rev C jumbo mode not working.

[timboberonion]

I have tried all DIP configurations for switches 4, 5 & 6. One activity LED on J5 C & D turns and stays on at power up. When axis 1 is activated, both LEDs on J5 come on and stay on in one direction. The other direction, one goes out but comes back on when the axis stops. When not in jumbo mode, I can move that axis by properly configuring in Mach III.

Any help appreciated!

Tim

[Bob at PMDX]

In order to use jumbo mode you must have parallel port pin 2 configured as the "DIR" (direction) signal, and pin 3 configured as the step signal (as shown in Table 13 in the PMDX-126 User's Manual).  Is that how you have pins 2 & 3 configured?

It sounds like you have the "Pin3" step signal configured as "Low Active", though there may be something else going on, so read on...

For Jumbo mode you should have the PMDX-126 DIP switches in one of these two configurations from Table 2 in the PMDX-126 User's Manual:
(a) Config6=open, Config5=closed, Config4=open
(b) Config6=open, Config5=open, Config4=closed

where "closed" is the switch moved or pressed down towards the side closest to the "ConfigX" silkscreen, and "open" is with the switch moved or pressed down towards the side AWAY from the "ConfigX" silkscreen.

*IF* you have Mach3 configured with parallel port pin 2 as the direction signal and pin 3 as the step signal , and *if* you have the step signal configured as active high (a red "X" in the "Low Active" column), here is what you should see:

- With the machine not moving, on J4 the "Pin3" LED should be off and the "Pin2" LED will be either off or on depending on the direction polarity and last direction the motor moved.  On J5, the "C" LED should be off (step signal cloned from "pin3" with the same polarity) and the "D" LED should be the opposite of the "Pin2" LED (direction signal cloned from "Pin2" and inverted).  For example, if the "Pin2" LED is on, the "C" LED should be off.

- When you jog that axis back and forth you should see the "Pin2" and "D" LEDs change state when you change direction of motion, with the "C"  LED always in the opposite state from the "Pin2" LED.

- While you are jogging that axis, depending on the jog speed and ambient light, you may see the "Pin3" and "C" LEDs glowing dimly.


If instead you have the Pin3 step signal configured as "Low Active", you should see:

- With the machine not moving, the J4 "Pin3" LED should be on as should the J5 "C" LED.

- While you are jogging that axis, you  *may* be able to see the "Pin3" and "C" LEDs get a little dimmer, and then return to their normal brightness when the motion stops.


Please let me know how you have pins 2 & 3 configured and which (if any) of the above LED behaviors you see.  It would also be helpful for you to post your Mach3 XML file here so we can take a look.

Bob

[timboberonion]

Thanks for the quick and comprehensive reply!

I did have pins 2 & 3 configured wrong. I changed pin 2 to direction and reconnected the drives correctly, reconfigured Mach III to the correct pins, pin 3 step as active high. I set the DIPs to O, C, O, as well as O,O,C. Still no joy. The LED's do what you describe they should do, in pin 3 low active and high active, but I get no movement out of the drive connected to J5, C & D, only the drive connected to J4. In between each of these steps, which I tried several times, I rebooted everything after saving the configurations.

Also, I am using an ESS smoothstepper and the PMDX-107 spindle controller.

I've attached my mill .xml.

Agian, any help appreciated!

Tim

[Bob at PMDX]

I set the DIPs to O, C, O, as well as O,O,C. Still no joy. The LED's do what you describe they should do, in pin 3 low active and high active, but I get no movement out of the drive connected to J5, C & D, only the drive connected to J4.

I'll look at the XML later.

Since the J5 "C" and "D" LEDs are behaving as expected, please double check the wiring from J5 to the motor driver.  Make sure that "C" is indeed connected to the step input on your motor driver, and "D" is connected to the DIR input.  Also make sure the step/dir common signal is connected where ever it needs to be (either "PC+5V" or "PGgnd", same as the motor driver on pins 2&3 on J4).

Then try swapping the motor drivers from J4 and J5 (i.e. swap the wires on "Pin2" and "D", and swap the wires on "Pin3" and "C") and see if the problem stays with whatever is wired to J5, or if it moves to J4.  I don't *think* it is a bad motor driver since you said earlier that when not in Jumbo mode you can assign those pins directly to the ESS and it works.

Bob

[timboberonion]

Found it. I'm an idiot, transposing columns in the setup guide. Had J5 dir and step reversed. Finally realized my error by watching the LEDs. Double face palm for me.

I guess you can learn a lot from messing up. Just glad it didn't take anything with it.

[Bob at PMDX]

Glad you found it.  As long as the smoke is still inside the board all is good.

Bob