Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: lost steps

cdoughtynz wrote:

>The software I am using is Lcam and the 0.25mm diameter is the offset
>required to get a 5 mm hole using a 3/16" cutter.
>the software has been checked out with a Larken board and that does
>not lose a single step.
>I have 2 machines one with larken drivers and one with Gecko's, both
>using the same software. one loses steps and the other doesn't.
>has anyone else had this problem?
>
>

Gecko drivers have a strange requirement for the direction signal. It
must stay in the right
state AFTER the step pulse is issued, until the step actually goes out
to the motor. With
microstepping and step multiplier drives, that can be a long time,
depending on the conditions
at that moment.
Most other step drivers require the direction signal to be stable some
microseconds before
and hold a microsecond or so after the leading edge of the step signal,
and then it can
change. This causes trouble with some programs. I had to modify my
stepper controller
board to accomodate these drives. It has a flip flop that latches the
direction signal when
the step pulse occurs and holds it in that state until the next step pulse.

Jon