Lightobject.com Support Forum

I recently upgraded my K40 laser with a X7 DSP Controller Upgrade Kit. Everything is wired correctly and seemed to operate fine. However, suddenly, my Y-Axis (up and down) suddenly stalls and misses steps. I have mechanically checked the Y-axis, and the carriage moves freely when the machine is turned off. The machine homes fine: no missed steps on the Y-axis.

I have tried changing the current on the stepper drivers which does nothing. However when I increase the micro-steps on the driver, the Y-axis moves fine, though out of scale. When I try to adjust the pulse units to match the correct scale, the Y-axis stalls and skips steps again. My workaround has been to basic double the size of objects and work area to achieve the size I want. What am I missing?

What is the micro-stepping did you use now?
How fast did you run the machine?
Current setting on the drivers?

Marco

Micro-steps are set to 32.
Amps is set at 1.50.
Start speed: 15
Max_Acc: 10000
Max_Speed: 500
Space Speed: 100
Space_acc: 1000
Speed factor: 1

The stalling and mis-steps occurs while just jogging the Y-Axis.

It may be an issue from the setting.
Send me screen shot from the Manufacturer parameters and the User parameters

Hurry up before I go to take lunch. Hungry

Marco

Here are the manufacturer parameters from LaserCAD.

Here are the user parameters.

Set the acceleration for the 'Y' to "4000"
Save it and hit RESET button to reset the DSP
It should work now


Marco

Which setting is that?

On the Manufacturer manual, there is a "Max_Acce" and currently it is set to "10,000".
Set it to "4000". If not, set it to "3000"


Marco

OK, tried 4000 and 3000. When I run a job, the Y-Axis moves fine. However, when I jog, on the controller or through LaserCAD,the Y-Axis still stalls and misses steps.

On User parameters setup, do this:
Space speed: 100
Min_acc: 100
Factor: 2
Space_jerk: 5000
Cut_jerk: 3000
Engrave_acc: 5000

Give it a try

Marco

It can be that your stepperdriver is at an end.. Things like ESD can kill electronics and introduce the strangest phenomena.
But it can also be a bad connection. If all runs freely, no obstructions, your setting is low enough and sill have stalling, then check your driver..
See if you swap X and Y if the error goes to the other axis.. If not, it's a matter of settings, the motor itself or that part of the wiring.. If so, stepperdriver etc.

Kees

I updated the User Parameters as suggested by Marco. I swapped the X and Y stepper drivers, and the same issue exists on the Y-Axis (stalls and mis-steps on the proper pulse unit settings). That being said, I am thinking a bad stepper motor?

However, how do you explain its proper function at a higher pulse unit setting)?

I guess that when you set it on a higher pulse/unit, your machine travels slower??
A simple trick to set the motor-current.. Feel if it gets hot after ~ 1/2 an hour.. Feeling real hot means from 60 degrees Celsius, a motor can easily handle 100 degrees.. If your motor stay's cold you can increase the current.. For normal steppermotors, a current so that it becomes quite warm after 15 minutes is OK..
When you set the driver to 1.5A doesn't always mean that the current will be 1.5A too..
Can you measure if the DC-resistance of both coils of the motor are exactly the same? Some motors have 4 coils. if the two pairs are set up in parallel and one of the coils is broken/ bad contact internally, the motor will work but will suffer from powerloss.. (stalling and loose steps)
Reducing the acceleration can help but increasing the motortorque is better..

Kees