Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

I feel your pain, needonemoretool.

I've just been out to look at my installation. I don't have the Acorn enable outputs connected, only the step and direction. Can't easily see the error lines but pretty sure they are wired into one of the Acorn inputs. There's not a lot you can do wrong there surely.

I'm powering the logic ("main") circuits from 12V, as per the manual.

The other thing we haven't talked about is the encoder cable. The DG4S requires differential / line driver inputs from the encoder. On my machine, I have Heidenhain clone encoders. The differential line driver IC at the other end of the encoder cable (inside the encoder itself) runs from the 5V provided by the DG4S. Are you certain the encoder is compatible and behaving correctly? Are you sure it's a differential output, not TTL? Without that, presumably the motor won't see a valid (or moving) position signal. I think you can test the encoder without the high voltage connected if you have the 12V powered up and the software running.

Problem found......

First I want to think everyone for posting and helping. Marty, next time I think I have a better understanding how to communicate or at least show the things you need to see to help in the future. (Hope not not needed but probably will )

The 3C4DG interface card make for the DG4S drivers will NOT pass the signals thru it from Acorn but will with the original control card. So, it's in the trash and almost back in business.....

Thanks Again...

needonemoretool wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:13 pm Problem found......

First I want to think everyone for posting and helping. Marty, next time I think I have a better understanding how to communicate or at least show the things you need to see to help in the future. (Hope not not needed but probably will )

The 3C4DG interface card make for the DG4S drivers will NOT pass the signals thru it from Acorn but will with the original control card. So, it's in the trash and almost back in business.....

Thanks Again...

I have no idea what a 3C4DG is. Pictures would have helped. Sounds like a break out board?

Here is the picture. It came when I originally bought the DG4S drivers 3 to 4 years ago.

That's a new one for me. I assume it came from cncdrives but I can't see any mention of it on their website. Lesson learnt - and may be why they no longer sell it?

Good to have it working. Frustrating when this sort of thing happens though!

Now we need to see pics / vids of it working....

I will post a pictures here in a few. LoL, I'm sure you will get a laugh of how the machine has evolved over the years......

I don't want to talk bad about Mach because it served me for a good ten years but now that Acorn is up and running I cannot believe the difference. During this time down time I rechecked the motor tuning but made no changes. But when I run the gantry and Y axis back and forth I cannot believe the difference in everything from how smooth and quiet and no, I don't want to say chatter, but something better.

After finishing the Lathe project about 9 months ago, I've been very impressed with Acorn and I can tell it's going to be the same here.

Don't laugh too much when you see this machine....I will post them under the category.

Thanks everyone.

Nothing wrong with Mach3(just a bit quirky at times) but it helped get us all to where we are at now.....
Marty