I apologize if this is not the correct thread, but I am currently trying to setup a router (accu-cut xps), and I am having problems. First of all I am using, and having a license for Mach3, and I am using an Ethernet Smooth Stepper. I have read through the configuration manuals for both mach3 and ESS, and I am simpley trying to set it up to jog with the standard hotkeys at this time.

I am having the most difficulty configuring everything, as I am unsure what pins or ports are responsible for what (or a general background on what they are). Every guide I have found seems to set the values in the "Engine Configuration... Ports and Pins" to something different. Does anyone know of a guide that helps you disguingish which pins correlate?

Any help is very appreciated as I am new to this particular software.

Thanks.

Hi,
what breakout board are you using?

My advice would be to set up one circuit at a time and test that its working before moving on to the next. So many people set every thing
up 'according to the book', parts of it wrongly and end up with so many conflicting faults they end up hopelessly confused.

The first circuit you need to set up is the Estop. The ESS follows the same pin numbering regime as a parallel port. Thus pins 2-9
are going to be outputs, probably used for your motors. Pins 10,11,12,13 and 15 are input pins.

May I suggest that you use pin 10 as your Estop input. Unless you have some weird BoB pin 10 of the ESS will correspond to pin 10 of your BoB.
In the first instance don't bother hooking anything to the pin. Just set up pin10 port 1 in Mach as your Estop and likewise pin 10 port 1
in your ESS.

The pin when unconnected (or driven) will naturally be high, if fitted with a pull-up resistor, or low if fitted with a pull-down resistor.
You can now work out which it is. With Mach's Estop pin configured as active low, then if the pin is pulled low it will prove impossible
to reset Mach because of the enduring low condition on pin 10 of your BoB. To reset Mach you have to pull the pin high by connecting
a voltage source to it, usually via your Estop switch. With the switch contacts closed a logic high is feed to the Estop pin and Mach can be reset.
If the contacts open (or a broken wire or other fault condition) the pin will go low which Mach will detect as a fault and Estop.

Try it and see what happens. If that works out then we will hook up one of the motors.

craig

I am having the most difficulty configuring everything, as I am unsure what pins or ports are responsible for what (or a general background on what they are).

Did the machine not come setup ready to run? You're going to need to figure out what port and pin everything is wired to. The easy way would probably be to look in the control box and start tracing wires.

Breakout board:

Sound Logic PC-2-Route Rev. 2

I found a manual for it online and I have all my step and dir pins correct. I'm not really sure what the next step is now.

It came initially set up from the previous company we purchased it from, but the flash screens were all messed up, and the software was out dated. When I updated, all the original config. files were erased (I didn't think to back them up).

Hi,
so in effect the machine and the breakout board are all wired up already.....according to the book......

So many people set every thing
up 'according to the book', parts of it wrongly and end up with so many conflicting faults they end up hopelessly confused.

I can see that got a lot of traction.

You will now have to work backwards and use the information about the pin assignments for the breakout board to then set the ESS inputs/outputs
and then back one step further to the Mach inputs/outputs so they are consistent with the ESS. There is room for a lot of confusion in that
process but is a consequence of having it all wired up already.

Craig

I contacted the manufacturer of the breakout board, and received the pin assignments. At this point I can move the X and Z axis, with hotkeys and g code, but I am not have problems with the Y axis. The motors on each size of the gantry and not working in unison - only one will move a couple inches and then trip. Is there some kind of lock that would keep only one side from moving?

Hi,
no.

Have a look at Config/Slave Axis. 

Craig

All are set to "none", is this correct?

Hi,
no. I think your two gantry motors should be slaved together.

Craig

You were correct. It took about 5 minutes to figure out which was slaved the gantry, thanks.

At this point I am able to run a cut (without the spindle on), and it seems to execute it correctly.