Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] help for a newbie

Kelly,

The only connection from the drive to the PC should be Step, Direction, and
+5v. Remove ANY other connections. You definitely do not want your stepper
power supply ground tied to your PC ground.

I am not clear on what you are using to try and drive the stepper. I would
suggest downloading a copy of TurboCNC from www.DAKEng.com and using it to
verify your setup. You may want to use a different program eventually, but I
find TurboCNC to be very easy to install and setup so that you have a
reliable pulse source. If you have a way to just toggle the step and
direction lines you can put a DVM between the parallel port pin and the +5v
line. On each transition it should swing from 0 to +5v. If not you are then
not sending the drive a pulse.

Because the +5v line is the common it gets people confused. Just remember
that when the parallel port pin you are connected to is at +5v no current
will be flowing from the +5v line to the parallel port and the opto will be
off. When the parallel port pin goes to 0 v (ground) then current will flow
through the opto because you have a potential from the +5v to the parallel
port pin. Easy as pie and not black magic required.

Tim
[Denver, CO]

------Original Message-------
Help!
I am trying to set up my Gecko g201's on my parallel port , and I'm
not having much luck, what am I missing? I am only playing with one
drive for now as I would hate to fry all 3 by doing something stupid,
which I am fully capable of doing!
I asked the question about a wall wart last week, and since then I
have come across an old computer to run turbocnc and to pull my +
5vdc singal from.

I have the all the windings in the correct terminals on the g201, I
don't have anything in the disable terminal 7 at the moment, I am
just trying to get the motor to move for now. Terminal 8 I have
connected to pin 2 on the parallel port cable, terminal 9 to pin 3 on
the parallel port cable, I used a floppy disk drive power connector
to pull my 5 volts from to terminal 10. I took and tied pins 18-25 to
the ground of this same power connector (that may be the problem) I
have a 36k ohm 1/4 watt resistor across terminals 11 and 12. I was
told to set the amperage for about 2.86 amps. When I turn on the
power supply I can feel the motor lock up, but thats it. I did feel t
flinch as the computer booted up. It does have a good bit of holding
torque. I tried to use the fkeybit, but that does not produce
anything. I checked the voltage from the case to terminal 10 and have
about 5.27 volts, I have about .5 volts on terminals 8 and 9.
I have 8 wire bipolar motors with the windings connected in a series.
I'm sure this is either something really easy that I have missed or I
need to be saving my money for another drive!
Thanks for the help!

Kelly Sprayberry