any body know what the correct (steps per) are in mach3 setting 4th axis with a gecko drive. I have tried to set it up with different drives but it always ends up with 1 to 4 steps in a 360 deg turn of the stepper.  i don't know everything about cnc setup but I am not a newby either. I have a bridgeport retrofit all axis using geckos 203.
on the linear axis are all runing 20000 step per unit with "no" problems. Decided to set up the 4th axis with a gecko and cannot get more than 4 steps in motor tuning to a 360 rev   gecko.  now I  know better than that.  the stepper alone will get you 200 steps.  this is a 1 to 1 direct connect and it still don't even begin to consider gecko microstep. Either I am really missing something or mach3 has a real problem. if you have any answers thankyou ahead of time.

The steps per for a rotary are per degree. 

set it so that it will make a 360 degree rotation if it goes more then 360, lower the steps per..... or vice versa.

alot of people dont realize that the steps per is not linear but rotational

yes I agree. but we are down to (4 steps for a 360 reveloution)  that is what it is lowered to. it cannot be accurate.

the motor alone hast be 200 steps per 360 rev.

if there is no reduction your motor is 200, the geckos 10 microsteps so steps per unit would be 2000/360 = 5.55555555

Hood

you motor is 1.8 degrees per step...... so each full step is 1.8 degrees.  Now add the micro stepping (10)  you get what 5.555 steps per degree?  The motor is 200 steps per rev.  The steps per in mach 3 is not per revolution, its steps per DEGREE  So your settings tell mach to take 4 steps per DEGREE to be able to make a 360 degree rotation.  

so thats how you figure that --it makes sense because that is close to what its coming up with. now that i am comfortable with the answer I can fine tune it. i wonder how that is going to affect the over all speed of all axis.  thankyou much.

hopefully you now understand what and how it means... You were really really close.........

once you understand HOW and why it does what it does..... things seem to be alot more simple.