Hi all, new to the forum but have been using Mach3 about 6 years now.
So , I have problem that I wonder if I may run by you lads. Here's the machine spec just to give an idea of set up
AMD 3800 2.4Ghz
Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit (mach3 patch installed works fine)
1.5MB ram
Sunix LPT card
Breakout board is an old style Routout cnc NON opto isolated version.
No charge pump system.
As you can see its pretty bare bones and ripe for an upgrade in many areas..but it does work .
Very little software installed other than Mach3 , not connected to the internet .The machine was inherited from my Ex-wifes Grandfather.
As the title says , I have just recently started to have the spindle turn on issue,here's how it goes...
I boot my computer and get Mach3 running, usual first screen flashing reset button etc,so I hit the reset, power up the control box (mains first then the 24vdc system) and after about 3 seconds the Main spindle and two other aux relays turn on by themselves.
Internally in the control box the outputs are fitted with pull down resistors ( just recently as I thought it might be a floating input issue)
My limit and home switches are set to go low when activated and as such have pull up resistors holding them high all all other times. the 5v reg for this circuit was faulty and I found it to be sending 18v ( of the 24v dc supply) to the parallel port... clearly this could well have fried the Parallel card.This regulator has now been changed and the system is supplying 5v as was intended.
Now ,when the spindle and other AUX relays are active , I look at the diagnostic page in Mach 3 and none of the output lights are lit , so its not the software controlling the wayward relays.hitting reset lets me stop the spindle briefly before it starts agian on its own... I can repeat this several time before it says turned off... from this point Mach 3 works as normal ..i can cut jobs and it behaves for the entire duration of the cutting session ..the full day , without problems
I can go to diagnostics and turn on and off spindle , flood and mist and they behave perfectly.
Now the fact its running normally after this boot up tantrum tells me Mach is still correctly configured set and that the Parallel port is behaving normally as its pumping out all the right signals to do the job...
Any thoughts? or similar experiences?
I'm buliding a charge pump circuit ,The gecko IRF530 Mosfet one by Mariss Freimanis ... and will be tryng that this week,
do you think the 18v overload on the Parallel card has damaged somthing related to the output state?..all the inputs and outputs seem to behave correctly when programs are running
tool paths.
Any assistance is greatly recieved..
As an aside ..do the £12 opto breakouts from ebay have Charge pumps on them ..they have a spindle relay but its unclear as to weather its charge pump protected.
many thanks
Matt
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