Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Thanks - was: Things to check? is now: RUNNING~!

On Thursday 18 September 2003 01:31 am, Jon Elson spake:

> >Motors got very warm to the touch after a little running.
> >I could grasp a motor, but only for about
> >10 seconds before it got very uncomfortable.
>
> Gee, that doesn't sound so good. After 2 hours or so, that might be
> acceptable, but if it gets that hot in 10 - 15 minutes, they will burn
> up. You may have to reduce the voltage, or the current.

Well, the spec sheets on the motors _say_ they are 7.5A.
I'll dial the variac down and see what happens.

> >Motors *SEEMED* a bit slow for my likes...
> >Is there a way to speed them up?
>
> Is it the MOTORS that are slow, or the computer? Did it lose steps
> and start rattling if you got above a certain speed, or did it run
> smoothly, just not fast enough?

It *seemed* to run smoothly, but some growling was audible.
It just didn't seem fast enough.

> If the latter, that just means your
> computer and software can't go fast enough. Speed that up, or set the
> Gecko 210 to multiply the steps by some factor (reduce microstepping).

Hmmmm... this is a 800Mhz PIII laptop.
Now, in saying "multiply the steps", do you
mean setting the Gecko to full steps or micro-steps?
I'm confused on just what the direction of definitions mean here.

> >Also, the Z axis motor seemed to be "hunting" all the time.
> >(do steppers need "tuning" also?)
>
> You must be using EMC and freqmod.o, which simulates a servo
> in software. Apply a little DEADBAND in the .ini file for axis_2,
> something like 0.001 to stop the hunting.

Ah, okay.
(it was the BDI-LIVE rc23 because I haven't had the
ability to dive back into compiling EMC yet. Soon, though)

> >What is the "recommended" setting for "steps" in the Geckos?
> >Full, half, or less?
>
> It depends on the machine, motors, need for speed, software, etc.
> Generally, you want it as high as possible, until it cuts into performance.

Right, but is "high" *full* steps, or *microsteps*?

Thanks,

Weyland