[andrewBigo]

Hi to all,

I am new to this forum and many thanks to everyone. I am also new to the fantastic world of carving. Actually, I am experiencing problems with the step motors of my CNC 3018 PRO. The fact is that when I connect the machine (that now I use as laser engraver) using Lasergrbl and I try to move the X- or Y- or Z-axis, just to check if there are issues, the motors seem not to move. I just hear a noise like something is moving, but nothing happen. What I observed is:

• MACHINE TURNED OFF: I am able to rotate the motors and all the axes can move;
• MACHINE TURNED ON: I am not able to rotate the axis;
• When I adjust the feed rate, the problem still persists
• the driver is installed because COM3 is the port which the machine can connect to the computer;
• the same problem is shown when I use Candle
• When I reset the motherboard, by pushing the button RESET, the problem still persists
• When I re-install the driver, the problem still persists

Any comments are appreciated

Many thanks

 

[jw2170]

Welcome to the forum, @andrewBigo .

 

[MikeMa]

This sounds like the steppers aren't wired properly. Typically there are two windings for each stepper. Since you can't spin the motors when you power on the machine, that makes me think that only one of the windings is getting power. A quick search says the humming with no movement (or vibration that may not be obvious on the machine) is also an indication of that as well.

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[andrewBigo]

This sounds like the steppers aren't wired properly. Typically there are two windings for each stepper. Since you can't spin the motors when you power on the machine, that makes me think that only one of the windings is getting power. A quick search says the humming with no movement (or vibration that may not be obvious on the machine) is also an indication of that as well.

HI and thank you very much for the feedback. So you think it is a motor problem?

 

[andrewBigo]

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks a lot

 

[MEBCWD]

It sounds like the motors are working correctly but the controller is not receiving a command to move the spindle to a new location.

Are you actually sending a move command to the controller? Just changing the feed rate does not make the spindle move, it needs to be told the feed rate you want to move and where you want to move the spindle. This should be in gcode format for the machine you are using.

 

[andrewBigo]

Hi to all and many thanks for all the advices. But the problem still persists. so today I attach the screen of the "error 22" which shows me when I run Grbl controller 3.6.1.

what does the error mean?

thanks a lot

 

[gwilki]

I don't use lasergrbl, but I've seen this issue in other senders. You can turn the axes with power off but not on. This happens because you likely have $1=255, which sends power to the motors all the time. With this setting, as soon as you turn on the controller, power is sent to the motors. You will not be able to turn them by hand.

Check to see what your jog distance settings are. In some software that I have used, the default is so small that there appears to be no movement at all. You hear the motor, but see no movement. If this is your problem, the gantry really is moving, but it is moving so such a small distance in such a long time, you can't see it. Change the distance.

 

[andrewBigo]

I don't use lasergrbl, but I've seen this issue in other senders. You can turn the axes with power off but not on. This happens because you likely have $1=255, which sends power to the motors all the time. With this setting, as soon as you turn on the controller, power is sent to the motors. You will not be able to turn them by hand.

Check to see what your jog distance settings are. In some software that I have used, the default is so small that there appears to be no movement at all. You hear the motor, but see no movement. If this is your problem, the gantry really is moving, but it is moving so such a small distance in such a long time, you can't see it. Change the distance.

Yes definitely, you have decoded my problem. So, how can I set the jog distance?

 

[gwilki]

I don't use lasergrbl, but I found this on their page

So, find this on your lasergrbl and increase the step and speed. Let us know what happens.

 

[andrewBigo]

I don't use lasergrbl, but I found this on their page

View attachment 401014
So, find this on your lasergrbl and increase the step and speed. Let us know what happens.

The speed is set at 900 and step is 5. Problem still persists

 

[gwilki]

Increase the speed to 1000, which is the max that you have set in grbl. Increase the step to 20.

 

[MEBCWD]

GRBL error 22 is “Feed rate has not yet been set or is undefined.” Try this to add a feed rate

G91
F150
G01 X1

 

[gwilki]

I thought about that Mike, but he is just jogging so why do you think this error would pop up? I am disagreeing with you, just curious?

 

[MEBCWD]

Hi to all and many thanks for all the advices. But the problem still persists. so today I attach the screen of the "error 22" which shows me when I run Grbl controller 3.6.1.
View attachment 401012
what does the error mean?

thanks a lot

He has feed rate default settings shown for all axis in the listing so the jogging should be using them but I'm looking at this code he posted with the relative move 1mm to the right along the x-axis and error:22 is telling him that the feed rate has not been defined.

If he tries what I posted and still gets no movement of the spindle then he is either at the far right limit and can't move or, and this might be the actual problem, the controller is not receiving a good signal from the software.

I'm still thinking along the line of my first post it might be a bad connection or bad cable so the controller is not getting a good signal. That would explain why both jogging and sending gcode commands don't work. It still might be in the settings but I would still check cables and connectors.

 

[andrewBigo]

He has feed rate default settings shown for all axis in the listing so the jogging should be using them but I'm looking at this code he posted with the relative move 1mm to the right along the x-axis and error:22 is telling him that the feed rate has not been defined.

If he tries what I posted and still gets no movement of the spindle then he is either at the far right limit and can't move or, and this might be the actual problem, the controller is not receiving a good signal from the software.

I'm still thinking along the line of my first post it might be a bad connection or bad cable so the controller is not getting a good signal. That would explain why both jogging and sending gcode commands don't work. It still might be in the settings but I would still check cables and connectors.

HI Mike, thanks to your reply. Cables and connectors are good.

 

[andrewBigo]

GRBL error 22 is “Feed rate has not yet been set or is undefined.” Try this to add a feed rate

I tried to write the code but problem still exists

 

[MEBCWD]

I went back and looked at all the posts and I see you are saying that you are using COM3, doesn't the CNC 3018 PRO use a USB interface? Is the CNC shown as a USB device connected to COM3?

If it doesn't then you are sending gcode to the wrong place and when trying to jog or run gcode it is not receiving the signal so it won't move. Check the Windows Device Manager under Ports and look for devices connected to one of the USB ports. It should show the Com port number, after the USB device, that you need to designate as COM port in the laserGBRL software. Could this be the problem?

 

[andrewBigo]

I went back and looked at all the posts and I see you are saying that you are using COM3, doesn't the CNC 3018 PRO use a USB interface? Is the CNC shown as a USB device connected to COM3?

If it doesn't then you are sending gcode to the wrong place and when trying to jog or run gcode it is not receiving the signal so it won't move. Check the Windows Device Manager under Ports and look for devices connected to one of the USB ports. It should show the Com port number, after the USB device, that you need to designate as COM port in the laserGBRL software. Could this be the problem?

The problem is present using port COM3 and COM4. I even checked the USB cable but the problem still persists