CnC build help

Spumco,
There is no status led on this board only power. I did meter the board and 5v to the power and En pin. The diagnostic for mach and the uc100 shows everything is working correctly. I have followed all instructions to a T with all of this. I am wondering if it has anything to do with the jump pins on this board should it be set to pull up or down? Should there constantly 3.74v to the breakout board pins all the time? Thank you for your help so far.
Nick
 
Nick,

If it's a C10 BOB, then there's a red power LED and a green status LED. If there's only one LED, then maybe you could take a pic of the BOB and post it? If it's a C10 BOB with only one LED, then it's an earlier version than the user manual indicates.

-Spumco
 
Well, color me embarrassed. Here's a paste from the CNC4PC C10 page:

Please note that we have currently updated the design of the board. We use the exact same circuits, just updated to newer and smaller componets, updated the manufacturing process to SMD and added and status LED, so now it has a green LED that will light when outputs are enabled. Note that on the new design we updated the connector to female. If a gender genger is required, please request it.


So yea, you've only got one LED if it's an older board.

Next step...

How are the jumpers configured?
 
If you can check which revision of the C10 you have and if possible post a diagram of all of your wiring, pin settings and mach port and pin settings folks may be able to help track down the issue a lot easier and faster. I have about 3 of the c10 boards and a uc100 as well so may be able to offer some advice. Personally I'd stick with a basic mach 3 setup wiothout the uc100 to start with and make sure you can get that working, then deal with adding more to the mix. The common terminals on the breakout board (2-9) can be set (and the motors wired) for either ground or +5 commons for the signals. The settings have to match the way it is wired. There is also an enable pin on the C10 which requires 5v + to enable all the outputs. You can simply put a jumper on this from a 5+ on the board. Anyway, a lot of little things could be the issues and hard to troubleshoot without seeing how everything is wired and set. Downloading and studying the user manual and any applicable wiring diagrams would be a good place to start. Disconnect any limit or home switches etc for now if you have any. Just concentrate on getting the motors turning. Once you are sure all the wiring and BoB/Driver pins and dip settings are correct, Then its time to make sure all of the port and pin settings in Mach (or UCCNC ) are correct.

If can be a bit confusing when first getting into the electronics and settings, but once you get a handle on it it's not too difficult. One incorrect setting in mach or on a jumper pin can cause headaches so it's just a matter of double/triple checking everything as outlined in the manuals and wiring diagrams. In case you aren't already aware, never connect or disconnect your stepper motors while the BoB or driver are powered up... you will fry stuff pretty easily by doing so. I've bought a few of the cheap drivers you mention and breakout boards from ebay and built a machine for a friend. They worked just fine and are still working fine today after about 1 1/2 years on a 3x4 ft router. They aren't the best, but replacement drivers etc are cheap, so easy to just have a couple backups on hand.
 
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Spumco,
Its definitely an older board. Some other info I discovered is it is a c10 rev10. The jumpers are set as follows: the in out is set to out, the com is set to find, pun2-9 are set to pull up, and the input is set to pull down. Also I pulled all the wires to the controllers, so it just had the power, EN, and Gnd, hooked up and it still had 5.35v, to all of the pins 2-9, I then hooked the parallel cable and it stayed the same even when I tried to jog the x,y,z access. I am thinking the breakout board is shot. All of the video and things I have read said it should have no voltage until it is jogged. Again thanks for the help!
Nick
 
Coherent,
I have download all the manuals and have rewired everything correctly. The person who originally built this unit did a bad job, so I had to learn about everything about this machine from the ground up, in the long run it was a blessing in disguise! It is a little confusing, I do have some electronics experience so I am not totally lost. I could definitely see the settings in mach being confusing, it's totally possible they could not be set correctly, but I think they are I did the status page in mach for the UC100 and it said the pins were being jogged when I was pushing the buttons, so I am assuming it's all set up correct.
I am glad to hear those units on ebay will work! At this point I am more concerned about being functional and productive right now, I will worry about getting better stuff later, once I have figured all of this out.
Thank you for the info. I ordered a new Bob and will try to see how things work out tomorrow, if it still does not work I will post pics of how mach is set up.
Thank you,
Nick
 
Nick,

Sounds like you've got a good plan for a new BOB. And I'll defer to Coherent - while I've got some experience troubleshooting hobby CNC, it sounds like he's got much more specific experience that's right up your alley.

I'll follow along and chime in if it'll be helpful.

-S
 
Spumco,
Sounds good, thanks for the help! Am I right in assuming there should be no voltage at the pins when nothing is hooked up? That is why I ordered the new board. From all my electric knowledge it seems there is something wrong with it.
Nick
 
Ok, guys I installed the new breakout board. On pin 2 (step) it is .13v when I hit the arrow key it goes to .14v. On pin 3 (dir) it is at 0v and goes to 5 v. I am assuming something is not configured in mach3. I played around with the active low and such and nothing has changed. Hooked up the motors just to see and nothing.
I don't what to do at this point except go through the set up again, which I will do tonight, I have a feeling it's not going to help but who knows. If you guys have any ideas I would really appreciate it! At least I know my board is functional!!
Nick
 
Hey guys,
Oh man, oh man! Got this thing working!!! I just want to thank all of you guys for your help and input!! I ended up going through the set up again and it worked! It was a bad breakout board. Just glad it is fixed. Now on to the fun stuff. One other quick question: can you set a home area, without a home/limit switch in mach3? Basically a corner or the center of the table the machine can start at every time.
 
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