[Knance]

Hey, Guys
The new Pulsar will be delivered within a couple of days and I need to know if I will have to do a complete setup of the stepper drives, ports and pins and what all.
It is coming with the computer installed.
Thanks
Kirby

[brianbonedoc]

Kirby - I just got mine too and it's mostly setup. U do have to setup your soft limits and u can adjust your accel/velocity. I found the steps per unit was dead on - I did add a tiny bit of backlash compensation but I may check that again it may me negligible. I added a touch plate (copper pcb) for tool changes wired to pin 13 and also a wild horse touch probe to pin 15. These 2 additions are a must have in my opinion although I'm not even at the level of an amateur machinist yet. I also did have to reverse the direction of the A axis as it was moving CCW in the + direction. The rigid tap is cool and easy to do w MDI input.

[LeeWay]

You will want to Validate the Windows install. You get nag screens otherwise. Mach 3 is not licensed. You will have to add your license. Check the calibration on each axis. Better to know than to assume it is correct. Confirm that the oiler is getting lube on the ways and screws.
Ask them to send a copy of the Pulsar manual. It is a bit outdated, but still useful. Good luck with it and feel free to post further questions.

[Knance]

Brian
Thanks for the info. I will touch on most of the setup just , as Lee says, to verify. I am very interested in what you have learned about the rigid tapping, but I know so little that, at this time, I would find it hard to compose an intelligent question. That will change.
It arrived today and is in position. I'll get photos up soon,(I don't know how to do that either)
Kirby

[Knance]

Lee
I must admit that I don't know what a Nag Screen is. But I will check the software and load my license. I will do an inclusive mechanical P.M. and definitely check the oilers.
I appreciate your offer of help and will avail myself of it. Reading the postings from you and others reminds me of the vast amount of education coming my way. That is a good thing.
The system arrived today and looks pretty darn good considering it has voyaged half way around the world.
Thanks
Kirby

[Knance]

Can someone tell me Johns email address at Novakon, or whoever tech support is.
My new pulsar won't play nice with me.
Kirby

[LeeWay]

John at Novakon point net

What is it doing or not doing?

[Knance]

Thanks Lee,
Yeah, I thought to try that email and it worked. Well, John said it worked well before it left the shop and suggested that I am doing something wrong.
And that is very possible. When I enter the IP for the smoothstepper 10,9,9,9 and leave mach3 and come back in, the IP is 255,255,255,0. It defaults to that number. I get dro readout when pressing smartkeys but no motion. It has been not worked since I turned it on and brought up mach3 for the first time.
Funny, but I had far less trouble when I built my g0704 and I started with zero knowledge of cnc. I am guessing that the cpu is not communicating with the ess although I don't know how to run diags on it.
Oh well, I'm tired and a little ticked and I probably need to back off for a bit.
Thanks for asking. Any ideas?
Kirby

[LeeWay]

That is one area that I have not researched. The Smooth stepper. Is your machine a stepper or servo model? I ask because my smooth stepper was already integrated in my Mach XML file. I tried installing a new Mach XML file and that is where I saw that I would have to setup the smooth stepper. I put the brakes on and reverted to the original XML and then just made a couple copies of it as backup, then changed the things I needed to for calibration etc. If you have a stepper version, my XML should bypass that Smooth stepper learning and setup process at least for now and get you going sooner. There may be a different XML included in your machine too now that I think about it.

Use the Mach 3 Loader icon and see what XML variety you have there. If John tested it out, he must have had one with the Smooth stepper configured.

[Knance]

Lee
It's a stepper and I will find the xml type and get back to you.
What confuses me is why it won't let me keep the IP address that I enter. It defaults to a subnet mask address.
Wish I knew more.
Thank you
Kirby

[LeeWay]

Here is a guide that may help you.
Ethernet Smoothstepper Setup Guide | CNCRouterParts

[SCzEngrgGroup]

See below...

Regards,
Ray L.

[Knance]

Thanks,Lee, I'll give it a look.
Kirby

[Knance]

Ray,
Thanks for that. I have one downloaded that I have been using.
Now, if I can just understand why the ess configs in mach3 keep defaulting and wiping my input.
Kirby

[Knance]

Lee,
I just noted that, with any changes to the ess config,your source said to use the save settings in the menu. I have not done that and was led to understand that simply closing and reopening the software would effect the save. I may have found my screwup I'll check in the morning.
Kirby

[Knance]

I got it running. Reloaded software and played around with the ports/pins assignments. I'm very amateur with software, so I don't really understand what went haywire. But all's well that ends well.
Now on to tweaking.
Thanks for the help.
Kirby

[LeeWay]

Oh, it's not over yet. I don't think it ever is. I learn something new about one of my machines or software packages just about every day. That is generally a good thing. It's when you are forced to learn it for troubleshooting or a deadline that it becomes a chore.

[Knance]

Amen to that, brother!
What I am consistently learning, at this point, is that I don't know what I don't know. Like I told Brianbonedoc, I have a hard time formulating a decent question. But, Man is this fun, and not at all like sitting in a CT bay at three in the morning having exhausted all ideas, all the while knowing that the customer expects a running system at first light. THAT goes in the "not fun" column. It sounds like you may have experience with that feeling.
Kirby

[Knance]

Lee
Could you share your motor tuning values from your pulsar. I am getting 357RPM when I turn the spindle on. I can't make it go faster or slower. And that is being read by a handheld tach. I get no RPM readout on the mach screen.
Now don't get me wrong, 357 RPM is a nice speed, but I would like a couple more choices.
Kirby

[LeeWay]

That is actually about a tapping speed. I tap at 150 IPM.
For anything else, you will want more.
Did you start Mach 3 using the Mach 3 Loader and not Mach 3 mill?
If you didn't, chances are selecting the correct XML from that screen will fix you up.
If not, my XML is calibrated to my machine and will not be exact for your needs.
I'll send it along though if you need it.