cmcgrath5035

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  • May 29, 2015 at 2:22 pm in reply to: Mapping A-axis as linear #7765
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    I have never tried it either.
    Give this CP item a look and watch:

    May 29, 2015 at 11:53 am in reply to: Communication issue with TinyG #7763
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    As you can see, the WordPress tool make long and wide files very difficult to review.
    Perhaps you could copy the content to a text file in a dropbox-like account and post a link. Here is a how-to

    May 28, 2015 at 4:45 pm in reply to: It is possible to interrupt homing cycle? #7760
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    While homing cycle is in process, it is possible to interrupt it programmatically in the middle of the process?

    I’m not exactly sure what you mean by programatically, you want to code this behavior?

    If ! does not stop a homing cycle, then all I can suggest is to hit the tinyG reset button.
    A [ctrl+x] from the command line (a command line reset) might work too, never tried.

    That will stop all current motion, and will result in a new (0,0,0) location wherever the machine is when you do it.

    May 28, 2015 at 4:32 pm in reply to: absolute newbe #7758
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    Hmmm, first I have seen of 3mm pitch belts (but by no means do I claim to have seen it all, by a long shot).

    If these are 20 tooth pulleys, 1 rotation should be 20 teeth, and $_tr would be 20*3=60mm.
    Most NEMA23 setups I have seen have been with GT2 belts and 20 tooth pulleys I guess, $_tr=40 mm for those.

    $ztr would be 2mm for 2mm pitch leadscrew.

    If you use Chilipeppr, the configuretinyG widget can be very helpful.See

    You can also review this

    If you want something from CLI, look here:

    Once you have a config file, here is an easy way to make it available for review

    By the way, I highly recommend you enter and maintain parameters in MM, not inches. Virtually all wiki and help items are in mm

    I have also noticed that when I am able to get one of the axes to move it will start off then stop and just make a noise. Can you tell me what could be the cause of this.

    Need a bit more detail; are you entering a GCode command such as G0 X10 (to move to coordinate X=10 mm)?
    After a move, depending on settings, the motors will remain energized for a period of time to hold the position, perhaps that is what you call ‘make a noise’.

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by cmcgrath5035.
    May 26, 2015 at 8:26 pm in reply to: absolute newbe #7754
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    I would think your OX setup would be similar to a ShapeOko2, but have no idea what belt pitch and pulley sizes you might have.
    Search the wiki for tinyG Configuration and for ShapeOko.

    Unfortunately, the wiki is what it is.

    Spindle choice is a wide open topic. Most any spindle will do AL sheet if you are willing to wait (slow speed). Have a browse around

    You’ll see lots of examples of what folks are doing and are happy with.

    May 26, 2015 at 8:16 pm in reply to: Mapping A-axis as linear #7753
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    Assuming you know how to create Gcode for Axis motion, you need to convert the parameters that an A axis understands into linear motion , then place these translated parameters into the appropriate A axis fields. For example, if your A axis mechanics require 2 revolutions of the motor to make 10cm of linear motion, then you need to enter an A axis directive to rotate the motor twice.

    May 26, 2015 at 8:09 pm in reply to: Quiet Cut Spindle On ChiliPeppr with TinyG #7752
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    Review this, it may answer some of your general questions:

    I think it safe to assume that one position of the jumper should make the pot control the speed, the other position would enable tinyG PWM control. Experiment. Be aware that tinyG only outputs 3.3V logic signals, may or may not be enough for your controller.

    Neither tinyG nor Chilipeppr have spindle control commands aside from Gcode commands which tinyG will follow, e.g. M03 S10000 to turn on spindle at 10K rpm, M05 to turn it off.

    As far as tinyG is concerned, anything entered on the Serial port console that cannot be interpreted as a tinyG command is passed to the Gcode interpreter.

    May 25, 2015 at 6:42 am in reply to: help with steppers #7746
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    John
    Good to hear, thanks for summary to help the next builder.
    Make sure to ground your cable shields at only one end – the tinyG end

    May 24, 2015 at 7:26 am in reply to: Communication issue with TinyG #7740
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    For the status reports, I have disabled the automatic ones and was sending {sr:} periodically during GCode sending, but that as you explained, produced many errors. If I turn the automatic reporting back on, I do not know when to expect them.

    Just a thought for your consideration: It is unclear from this thread how your implementation is handling GCode buffering, buffer fill and the like.
    Commands sent while running a Gcode job are likely placed into the receive buffers and have to wait for their turn to be processed (with the exception of the Freehold command). Command execution is therefore difficult to predict as it depends on what Gcode is ahead of it.

    Good luck with your project.

    May 23, 2015 at 8:40 am in reply to: Communication issue with TinyG #7738
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    What you are attempting is beyond my experience, so I can only offer a few observations:

    EEPROM write responses – I have seen response delays in the 18-80ms range to individual parameter writes, not sure why the large variation. My parameter writer is ‘synchronous’: Send the parameter, then wait for the response message before sending the next. A key issue is that during EEPROM writes, interrupts are blocked in the tinyG code, new write or read requests entering tinyG receive buffers may be garbled or completely lost.

    Status reports can be returned on-demand (status request) and will be sent at Status Interval while a Gcode job is running. The content of messages varies with the verbosity settings and the Status report setup commands sent to tinyG.

    I would really like to know if there is a universal way of sending data to the tinyG and dealing with the answers it may, or may not send back to me. As I said before, my main problem is to know when to expect an answer and when not to.

    I believe the answer to your question is ‘yes’, as this could describe what Chilipeppr has built, with functionality split between SPJS and the tinyG and Serial Port Console widgets. That said, it is not a trivial task, to be sure.

    May 23, 2015 at 7:00 am in reply to: help with steppers #7737
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    Just so I am clear, the PS issue one user had was premature current limiting; the static output measured OK, but any dynamic motor load would cause the PS output to drop to a low voltage. The chances are slim that that is your issue.

    If you can, as an experiment, wire the motors directly to tinyG and see if the spin up properly.

    Good luck with reconfiguration effort.

    May 22, 2015 at 7:44 pm in reply to: help with steppers #7734
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    Hmmm, the easy comment is that is sound like connection issues, but you are already chasing that.

    Just curious, what voltage are your running tinyG and motors at?
    I do recall, a while ago, someone who had a PS that went int current limiting whenever motors were turned on – was a bad PS.

    Have you tried monitoring the tinyG input when motor motion is called for?

    May 22, 2015 at 7:55 am in reply to: Communication issue with TinyG #7732
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    I’ll assume you have read (and re-read) the wiki at

    Are you properly handling EEPROM delay whith parameter writes?

    Your focus is setting up the configuration Parameters?
    Have your seen this:(python, stand alone)

    Or, If in Chilipeppr, this:

    May 22, 2015 at 7:43 am in reply to: help with steppers #7731
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    it sends a command to tinyG to block all movements and SpDir starts flashing, but it is normal the “need” to do a reset in order to unstuck tinyG?

    Simple answer is: yes, tinyG reset is required.
    When a limit is fired, it is sort of a ‘panic stop’, all information about zero location, etc is lost. Best way to recover is to manually drag the gantry away from the limit, then reset. that sets a new (0,0,0) point. then jog, etc from there.

    OK, understand your setup a bit better; The magnetic Limits do seem to work fine for folks. NC setup is somewhat more noise immune than NO, but not clear if noise is really an issue for you.

    A 20 tooth MXL pulley covers 2mm(pitch) x 20 = 40mm/rev, So $xtr and $ytr should be 40mm for starters, then calibrate(tweak) from there.

    So, do the motors still hammer with the Limit switches turned off?

    May 20, 2015 at 10:27 pm in reply to: help with steppers #7725
    cmcgrath5035
    Moderator

    A few observations, sorry, I am travelling so don’t have time for a super deep dive.

    Your X and Y parameters look like they are for a NEMA 17 Machine.
    $xtr and $ytr=36.54 won’t cause your ‘hammering’ issues, but will likely not be accurate. What size pulley on your NEMA 23 steppers (or did you change to NEMA 17?
    Do you really have NO limit switches?
    Most folks wire NC.

    On any given axis (X,Y or Z), only one limit can be home as well.
    Usually, Xmin, Ymin and Zmax are designated as ‘home’.

    I would suggest you turn off limit and homing all together and get the axis moving and jogging first. Limits add a layer of complexity to the discussion.

    releasing the belts from the pulley was not a tension issue, rather to ensure that the machine was not binding up and demanding too much torque from the motors. Can your freely move the X, Y and Z axis by hand?

    In general, your parameters look OK, with the exception of these questions.

    You mention “un-Plug”, are you using preformed interconnected cables, something yourself, Ox Kit, ?
    Something sounds flaky with your Z, but it could be limit related maybe.

    By the way, flashing SPDir led means the tinyG is stuck in boot loader.
    Likely because of the Limit and Homing settings. What do you mean when you say ‘activated’? You manually operate the limit switch? Does a tinyG reset return tinyG to sanity?

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by cmcgrath5035.
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