An interesting item: When I first power up my lathe, both relays on the DigiSpeed board energize.  That means that my VFD is getting both a FWD and REV signal.  When the computer comes up and Mach is running, the PMDX-122 board enable the output signals and both relays on the DigiSpeed de-energize.  The VFD does not seem to mind the mixed direction signals as long as no speed is commanded at the same time.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Vince

Vince,

I'm not intimately familiar with the breakout board you are using but the DC-06 DigiSpeed-SD has a  feature that may help.

There is a jumper (JP1)  EDGE to select whether you want to use active hi or active lo inputs. My guess is that you should change the position of JP1 along with swapping  the active signal state in the Mach3 setup.


When the breakout board is powered up without Mach3 running it is setting the output lines to the DigiSpeed-SD to the level that turns on the relays. When Mach3 turns on it then swaps the state of the output lines turning off the Relays.

So, Change JP1, and swap the active state of the Spindle Step output and the 2 outputs for the spindle CW and CCW outputs and you may find that fixes the problem.

Cheers,


Peter.

The reason is that as you power up, pins 8 and 9 are normally off.(There is no power connected)  In this position, this is ON (the pins on a PC are normally high in use (i.e. high is off). Therefore, if you connect the power to your relays before the computer is fired up this will happen.

The safest way (if you read your Mach blurb) is to turn on the PC and let it run up, select Mach 3, and when this is on the screen, then turn on your machine and accessories.

I must admit this is easier to preach then practice, although my VFD, an Omron, flashes an alert if both CW and CCW pins are on simultaneously.

The safest way (if you read your Mach blurb) is to turn on the PC and let it run up, select Mach 3, and when this is on the screen, then turn on your machine and accessories.

Which is what I do will all my machines.

Vince

So, Change JP1, and swap the active state of the Spindle Step output and the 2 outputs for the spindle CW and CCW outputs and you may find that fixes the problem.
Cheers,
Peter.

Peter, that worked.  It may have been necessary because I have a PMDX-122 board set up for Gecko drives with the common set at 5V.  Changing JP1 and inverting my relay output signals enables the DigiSpeed to power up with the relays off.

Thanks again.

Vince

Quote from: Peter Homann on February 01, 2009, 05:09:57 AM

So, Change JP1, and swap the active state of the Spindle Step output and the 2 outputs for the spindle CW and CCW outputs and you may find that fixes the problem.
Cheers,
Peter.

Peter, that worked.  It may have been necessary because I have a PMDX-122 board set up for Gecko drives with the common set at 5V.  Changing JP1 and inverting my relay output signals enables the DigiSpeed to power up with the relays off.

Thanks again.

Vince

Hi Vince,

I'm glad it worked for you.

The reason that the jumper is there is to solve exactly the problem that you have experienced. It allows you to configure the DC-06 DigiSpeed inputs to match the breakout board outputs' polarity.

Cheers,

Peter.

Peter, that worked.  It may have been necessary because I have a PMDX-122 board set up for Gecko drives with the common set at 5V.  Changing JP1 and inverting my relay output signals enables the DigiSpeed to power up with the relays off.

Thanks again.

Vince

Hi Vince you should also change the sense of the spindle step output as well. I guess it is not absolutely necessary as the step line is fed to a monostable.

Cheers,

Peter.