5x10 Gantry Build

jeepsr4ever

Windows 7?

tlspeed1

XP professional Version 2002 Sevice Pask 3 Pentium 4 3.2 Ghz 2 GB ram

jeepsr4ever

XP 64 bit?..if it was 64 bit it wouldnt move the gantry. Hard to say what the issue is but if you can fire the torch from mach 3 you may be in the clear. If Z home lights up when it should it may cut fine. Your system may not recognize those pins for DTHC online. It happens maybe one out of 50 pc (s).

tlspeed1

32 bit. According to the DTHC manual, when put in test mode the DRO for volts is suppose to go to 100 and the UP flash 5 times then go to 150 and down flash 5 times. Since it does not do this, I dont think the system will cut! Also in the manual, if this does not happen its specifically states that the probable cause is serial communication issues to the PC So....in my mind I could have- Bad PC serial port Bad DTHC card Bad Serial Cable

tlspeed1

I just tried different Serial and DB25 cables with the same results. I just noticed that there is a THC on/off button....but it doesnt do anything. Is there a setting that would allow me to turn that on? Edit> is it a licensing issue...actually come to think of it after re-reading you instructions for the software, I never had a license to drop and drag over like you say Edit again> My Mach is still a licensed as a Demo Version. I DO NOT have anything in my Mach folder regarding a Mach3 License. The only thing I have even close to referencing a license is a notepad doc about lazycam license. Matt since you gave us the setup disc back in like December when we ordered the ganrty kit is there a way we did not recieve the license? If this is it I just got OWNED big time and wasted half my day....LOL!

jeepsr4ever

CRIIIIIIIIIIIPES! I will email you over a liscense tomorrow morning. It should be Mach1lisc.dat

jeepsr4ever

I need your email address.

tlspeed1

[email]troylaschinger@hotmail.com[/email]

jeepsr4ever

Sent

tlspeed1

Thanks Matt! I will try and report back. Which folder to I copy that into again. Another thing I found....something is up with our Z. > [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDREhlzISd4&feature=youtu.be[/url] I mentioned that it was hanging up and making a little noise when it goes down. I thought it was cause I was lacking the torch and holder and the slides were a sticky. Well we put the torch and holder on and it is worse. As you can see from the video, the Z will actually stall out when you rapid down with joystick. If you go slow its fine, and there are no issues with up travel. Any ideas?

tlspeed1

Well, I loaded license. Software is registered to Bulltear now. Probelm still exists, but I can turn the THC on and off, it flashes when on. I loaded a job to see if it will cut at all. The ganrtry moved to position, turned the torch on then waited. I assume it is waiting becuase it is not reading any Torch Volts or Torch Amps, and it does not get the ARC OK LED. I have put the DCP in test/cal mode and do get the ARC ok to come on. Attached are the screen shots of Mach and the PWM an DCP [ATTACH=CONFIG]181[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]182[/ATTACH] Have you seen anything remotely like this? I think I am going to try a differnt PC and see if it is a serial port isuse.

tlspeed1

Ok. So I just reloaded all the software on to a different computer and recieved the EXACT same results. What next?

Mav68erick

have you tried cutting with the THC off? to see if it still doesnt work, try that, I dont even use the thc on thick stuff or things that arent very big, if the cut is X amount of seconds I just dont see it reacting fast enough pierce start the volts are all over the place, cut a 1" circle in thin stuff at 300 ipm its not even 1/10th of s second cut time. perhaps one of your cut profiles has one of the faults set to cause it not to start, If I remember right when I first started up and dry ran my table without the plasma on, I had to hit start twice to get it to move, and then start again on every pierce because it didnt have a single, now dunno what I changed but I can dry run without it, prolly cuz the THC is always off.

Mav68erick

also I had to get the box to run my ground cable through for my powermax65, I think If I remember right I wasnt getting volts feedback or an arc ok signal I cant remember.

tlspeed1

Ok with THC off, it will cut a par, but I get no ARC OK, no TORCH VOLTS DRO, and no TORCH AMPS DRO. Yes I do have the box to run the ground cable through. It will dry run without the plasma on.

tlspeed1

Well it cuts a part, still no DTHC online LED. I have contacted Tom@CandCNC zone to see what he thinks. [ATTACH=CONFIG]183[/ATTACH] I still am not satisfied untill the machine passes every test in the manual and I get all the lights and DROs working in the THC....Its a good thing I love to troubleshoot.

tlspeed1

Hats off to the Tom at CandCNC. He responded quickly on Sunday afternoon with tips and suggestions. I after checking and performing test Tom recommend I think we pin pointed it to the DTHCII card or UBOBIII Card. Below is the email conversations we had for anyone else who runs in to this. (Toms response is red) ------------------------------- Hello Tom, I have a plasma gantry kit purchased from Bulltear Indusries running the ESP II, Bladerunner G250-5 electronics, using Mach3 version 3.042.029, with a the DTHC II card pre- installed. The DTHC is using a RAV-01 (rev 1) , with a THC sensor PWM box (mod A), and a DCP-01B current probe on a Thermal Dynamics 81. My problem is I cant get Mach3 to see that the DTHC is online. All the power lights are lit on the DTHC card and PWM. -When I put the DTHC in test mode it does not follow the sequence describe in the manual of TIPS VOLTS DRO set to 100 and UP flashes 5 times, then TIPS VOLTS DRO set to 150 and down flashes three times. Instead I get ARC OK and UP will flash together for a series of 3, then ARC OK and DOWN will flash for a series of three and repeat. -I can turn the THC on....it flashes green when I do. -I can manually turn the plasma torch on -I loaded a job and ran a part and the machine starts, then pauses and waits for voltage/arc ok signals I assume This is what I have tried. -Checked serial/parallel connections. -Re-installed serial/parallel drivers -tried different serial, parallel, and CAT 5 cables -re-installed the software and drivers for Mach and Bladerunner. -I am using the correct PC components. -Tried a different PC of mine and recieved the same results. Here is a forum in which I have been trouble shooting with Bulltear. >[url]http://www.bulltear.com/forums/showthread.php?19167-5x10-Gantry-Build[/url] Any help would be greatly appreciated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [COLOR="#FF0000"]Toms Response: No DTHC ONLINE LED has one cause......The DTHC is not talking to MACH through the COM port (Serial). You have to confirm you have a working COM port in the Windows Device Manager. If you have more than one or a serial device (like a modem) is using that port than the DTHC cannot use it. Once you determine that you have a COM port that show up in the Device manager then you need to match the COM port number in the Config/config plug-ins/ccc_comm (CONFIG). You also have to have the Correct hardware selected so you have the UBOB-THC checked. The DTHC uses the serial port to display the screen values (TORCH VOLTS and TORCH AMPS). The DTHC will function and uses the values we loaded during testing but you cannot change the settings without the Serial being active. The other signals flashing shows the high speed (parallel port) inputs are setup and working. Fi you have more than one COM port showing up try each one in the ccc_comm CONFIG. The serial cable we use is not a "serial" cable. It is a 9 pin "Extension" (all pins straight through) If you are using WIN7 you are facing a long road. We do not support it running MACH and our hardware because of PC problems we cannot troubleshoot.[/COLOR]------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom, Thanks for the quick response, I apprecaite it. Yes I know the DTHC ONLINE LED is the issue, the reason I am writing you. In the Device Manger/ Ports, I have COM1 and LPT1 I have no other devices using the COM port...modem ect... Windows says it is working properly, I even re-isntalled the ports. I have the port settings set per the manual. I have configured it in the Config/config plug-ins/ccc_comm (CONFIG) to my COM1 UBOB THC is checked I am using your factory cables. I have beeped them out with a multi-meter. I have tried my straight through DB9 cable too I am not using Windows 7...I am using XP professional, service pak 3. I can make the system cut parts, so I have full functionality in that regard, but no DTHC Any more input? Thanks, Troy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [COLOR="#FF0000"][/COLOR][COLOR="#FF0000"]Toms Response If this is an add-in Serial card then see if there are any later drivers available. Also check the PC BIOS (entered on bootup of the PC) to make sure there is not a MB serial port defined if you have an expansion card. Some MB's have a serial port but it may not show on the rear of the unit. We have also had several PC's that had no-working serial ports. Windows cannot test the port for proper function. All it does is go look for the ROM data at the address and see if it is there. There are some serial test programs on the internet but you need a loopback plug. It will setup and send and rec to itself.. You might also get a USB to serial (get one with the FTDI chip) and set it up. It will add in another COM port number that you can switch to and try. The spec on serial calls for a full 5 volt swing on the signal. If you can confirm activity on the serial port from the PC (pins 2 & 3 are TX and RX and 5 is GND) .then the problem has to be in either the serial port on the UBOB or the Plug-in (ccc_comm) is not running right on that PC. A breakout tester is handy but a logic probe can see the pulses from the PC TX (going to UBOB input) on the ESPII box) If you have TX FROM the PC then the port is at least sending data. Then the UBOB talks back in response if it sees the right data. Usually the COM port is not that hard to get working. We automatically set the parameters (Baud rate, stop bits, etc) to the PC through the plug-in and they normally just work. We buy and sell refurbed PC's (mostly Dell GX280's and GX620's) We have had probelms with GX5## serial although not serial ports normally. About the only components in our electronics that are involved in the serial port is the UBOBIII card and the DTHCII module. The serial is shared with the info from the front panel (shows up on the MACH Screen in the lower righthand corner. When the DC is off just the temp shows. If it looks like the UBOB III it can be swapped in about 10 min in the box. We can cross ship another unit if you fill out an RMA (on our website) and provide us with a tracking number. Another option is to return the UBOB and DTHCII module for testing and repair but let me state that I think the problem is at the PC level.[/COLOR]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom, Its a MB mounted serial port, no expansion card, we checked in the Bios and everything appers fine. I performed a loop back test jumping pins 2 and 3 while using Hyperterimal and it was succesfull. I also downloaded another loopback test prorgam, which also was successful. Everything leads me to beleive the problem is with the UBOBIII or DTHCII module. Especially since I have tried a completely different PC and recieve the same results. Do you feel otherwise now? I will be in touch with Bulltear to decide the next step, and will get back to you. I appreciate your help...especially on a Sunday. Thanks again,

jeepsr4ever

The Z will give you issue if the lower bearing is frozen. Turn off the control box and see if you can manually turn the Z axis screw. The only other time it does this is when you have a port conflict.

jeepsr4ever

It is possible that a hardware issue is present. You cannot rule out anything.

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