Re: getting the 57cnc to work with G540

[DanL]

Thank you for contacting Geckodrive technical support.

All inputs on the G540 will rest between 10VDC and 12VDC. What kind of switches are these? Are they mechanical, optical, inductive, or hall effect?

Marcus Freimanis
14662 Franklin Ave.
Suite E
Tustin, CA 92780

from the man himself

it will take me a bit to get the spindle code correct, when it comes to code stuff just treat me like a total noob, school holidays makes it hard to concentrate when you got to mad buggers running around.

[ArtF]

Ahh Mariss's son I suspect. I'll bet Mariss is on the deck of a Hawaiian beach house as last I
conversed with him. :)

>>it will take me a bit to get the spindle code correct, when it comes to code stuff just treat me like a total noob, school holidays makes it hard to concentra te when you got to mad buggers running around.

  Well, thats Auggies development theory, We'll help you get such things running, and Ill fix what doesn't work
as we figure it out.. :)

Art

 

[BobL]

Hi Guys;

Thanks for all of your input on this topic.
I apologize for being slow with my feedback first of all, I've been reading your comments and have verified all of them as tests, but still I'm having issues getting a smooth motor run with my G540 and Pokey or Auggie.  To be clear, in Mach3 everything works flawless with this system, works well in every which way and I used a pulse width of 0 inside Mach so you know.  The problem first began when I adapted the Pokey 56E with Pokey software Ver 3.0.65 via my laptop.  I got a knock sound when I moved any of my axis motors with Pokey or Auggie software, no errors, but very rough performance, and no matter how I tried to tune these, the knock never went away. I then upgraded to Pokey software Version 3.1.17 but basically got the same results. My next step was to disable pretty much everything on my laptop to make sure nothing could cause a problem, such as apps or wireless network like suggested, since I was using wireless for my network and the Ethernet port for my pokey. With all of it turned off, results were the exact same.. To be sure I then swapped computers, with a much faster and newer desktop computer, however again results remained the same. When I reported this to Art, he let me try his Pokey57E as a test, and I pretty much got the same results right off the get go. So then we thought maybe not enough current to fire the opto's inside the G540. I first swapped the 5v supply from a 1 amp to a 2 amp supply, no success, and went on to build a small board with OR gates, allowing my outputs to supply 15ma of current to get past this issue, however results remained the same.  Eventually I configured everything back to original, that is using my laptop and re-tested everything hardware wise to be be sure I wasn't messing up anywhere including tunning of the motors via the trim pots on the G540, but again nothing I did helped. Next step was to try another motor controller, so I used my spare API260 and saw the problem gone right away, everything worked the way it should, both in Pokey or Auggie. This told us that the pulse on the G540 must be too long, creating a problem, possibly because I'm using a very old version of ther G540, so I decided to order some semiconductors to try to build a circuit to shorten these pulses some which I'm presently waiting for to show up. Anyhow while testing some more, I received a notification from pokey to upgrade, so I accepted and let Pokey install version 3.1.68b on my laptop. This new version of Pokey worked flawlessly with my G540, yeah wow, smooth as expected, all was good except now when I save it and open it with Auggie, the rough sound is back and nothing I do gets rid of it..  As you can see I still haven't found a true solution yet, but I am working on it..lol  Until my parts arrive I will try one of Art's PoStep25-32 board which I'm in the middle of installing now, see how that goes...


Cheers
Bob
???

[ArtF]

  It does sound like the G540 is awfully sensitive to something, but as Dan reports it ( at least later models)
seem to like the 57CNC just fine. ( which uses 50% duty cycle at all times..). I'm stumped as to what
else might affect it, the G540 is a vintage without even a charge pump switch.  But I cant think of why
m3 would work it so well..

Art


 

[BobL]

Hi;

OK, just finished hooking up the PoStep25-32 board to my 57E and my system, worked like a charm both in Pokey and Auggie software... Pretty much confirms that my current problem is my G540 controller..  I used this PoStep25-32 board with my existing motors rated for 3.4V, 1.2deg 2.85amps, it did work very well, however I found the board got very hot, to a point where I could not touch it... Since this doesn't belongs to me, I decided to shut it all down before it blows up..lol  Anyhow they do work, but I suggest you use a heat sink if you are to use these.


Cheers
Bob
:)

[DanL]

my G540 is 5 years old but they have not changed them sinces, I have the 57cnc 1.2 running on usb,the stepper are maxed out at 600 and sound good in both pokey and auggie, I am going to try getting the ethernet working,

I have to have the limits and home on the 57cnc. it only worked on 2 out of 4 inputs on the G540, hopefully the spindle works through the G540. code need done first.

I don't use the charge pump on the G540 never have can't use it anyway with the 57cnc

[ArtF]

Dan:

I think the 57 will put out a charge pump, but really such things belong to printer port
devices and should be left behind now..

Art

[DanL]

a properly set up E stop is all you need no motion controller no motion, not like some on the power supply = dead stepper drivers

[DanL]

bad news Art it's gone ruff again, in pokeys it's fine Auggie nup

[ArtF]

Dan:

  Interesting that you with a g540 and Bob both have similar results on roughness, Im having
trouble trying to figure out exactly why, though I read the G540 has a tech in it that switches to full
step when it goes fast enough..

  SO is this in USB vs Net? Or just rough all the time? Is it a timed "knock" every second
or so, or a random rumble?  Does the time anomalies show any count on the diags page
after getting this roughness?

Art

[ArtF]

Dan:

  One more question, did this noise start with an update, or after tuning? Is it there with all the libraries turned
off in the library? Just a couple quick tests Id be interested in..

Art

[BobL]

Art;

Always Net for me, yeah about every second or so you get a knock is what I'm experiencing, feels like a reverse direction pulse while going the opposite direction, works fine in Pokey V3.1.68b., not so good in Auggie or  all other previous versions of Pokey..  No switches hooked up here yet.. No counts on time anomalies in Auggie, no errors in pokey or Auggie error log either????

Cheers
Bob

[DanL]

after up date of pokeys and auggie, usb, still can't get ethernet working it's a win10 problem something missing, I will ask the pokeys people about it. the other question give me a couple of hours I will get back to you

[BobL]

Dan;

Going to check if charge pump could cause this?


Cheers
Bob

[DanL]

found the problem at my end I turned on all 8 axis's so I could do the spindle. set it back to 3 axis it came right, it might be what you need to do Bob only have axis amount set to what's connected.

this may be a problem when it comes to setting up the spindle,we may not be able to set up the spindle through the G540.

Art it running better jerk is set at 100 works good set to 100