Replaced G202s with G203Vs weirdness [Archive]

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 09:45 AM

Ok. This is pretty strange. On my PRT4G I had a bad geckodrive (G202) so I made the plunge and replaced all of them with G203Vs. That was easy enough. I changed the jumper on the control board from +5V/ground to ground /common which was also pretty easy. When I fired up the machine, I tried to move the gantry from the middle of the table towards 0,0 but it went the otherway. No matter what I input on the console, it will only move towards the other end of the table.
Anyone have any ideas why this is happening?
I emailed Shopbot Support but I am guessing they are busy dealing with the weather.
Regards
Peter

willmorgan

01-23-2016, 10:05 AM

On the shopbot control type vu and change the x and y values to the opposite of which they are. If it's positive try a negative number, if negative try a positive number.
I'm not sure if this will fix it but could be an issue.

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 11:00 AM

I will go back to the shop and give that a try. I will.let you know how that works out.

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 11:24 AM

I can't enter a -1 value for x, y or z resolution multiples. When I do enter it and hit ok, I get booted out of the control panel.....so that isn't it...
I wonder about flashing the firmware....if only I could remember how to do that.

bleeth

01-23-2016, 11:38 AM

It is the unit values you want to change to a negative, not the resolution values.
Alternately there are two wires in the wago to the motor you can reverse to fix this but I forget which ones they are.
When Brady chimes in (If he isn't snowed under) he would know.

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 11:47 AM

Oh, got it. I changed the X and Y values from positive to negative, and the gantry still only moves one way (away from 0,0). I checked the install on the G203Vs and they are definitely seem to me to be in the terminal boards correctly. I reflashed the firmware but that did not change anything.
I am using SB 3.6.46.
I checked transmission efficiency and that is ~86%.
Kind of stumped...
One other bit of weirdness is that when I turn on the control box, the red light on each of the G203Vs comes on momentarily and the turns off. The red light on the G202s remained lit up...

bleeth

01-23-2016, 12:41 PM

I may have misunderstood your issue.
If you are in the middle of the table and you tell it to move to x24,y24 it moves to x 72, y48?
Are you in relative mode rather then absolute?

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 01:42 PM

When I was at the middle of the table (60, 30), I typed M2 40, 20, hit enter and it went towards the other end of the table (away from 0,0) but the readout was like it was headed towards 40, 20. If I typed MX -2, it still went away from 0,0.
I am going to check to make sure I was not in relative mode (I don't think I was). And then I am going to put the G202's back in (and switch the jumper back to +5V/ground).....

jerry_stanek

01-23-2016, 01:57 PM

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 02:16 PM

When I first turned it, it showed 60, 30 (table is 120 x 60) which is the middle of the table for me. Right now it is near the corner diagonally away from 0,0 and the screen says 56, 40.5. I am in absolute. If I type MX 55.5 it moves further away from 0,0 and the screen says 55.5, 40.5.

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 02:33 PM

And I put the G202s back in (and switch the jumper) and everything works.... except I can't run tabs because the Z gecko has hiccups...
I am going to try the G203Vs again. Maybe I did not have them seated all the way....

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 02:43 PM

And same results with the G203Vs as before. Only moving away from 0,0....time to wait for Shopbot Support. Hope they get dug out this weekend (and are not going to the Panthers game tomorrow).

jerry_stanek

01-23-2016, 03:00 PM

Have you changed the the y and z geckos to see if it is the driver and not the stepper

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 05:34 PM

Yes, the Y axis had been acting goofy, so I moved the driver from the Z. Now the Z acts goofy. Fairly certain it is the geckodrive, not the stepper.

jerry_stanek

01-23-2016, 06:03 PM

I think you can have the driver repaired for free from Gecko

Greybarn

01-23-2016, 08:54 PM

They are LONG since out of warranty...but no harm trying.

donclifton

01-23-2016, 10:08 PM

if it is only going in one direction it's because the drive doesn't see the +5 volt signal on the direction pin. Or you could have a bad drive. If you can change out the drive and this happens on the new location you have a bad drive. Gecko will repair or replace the drive usally for free.
Don

Greybarn

01-24-2016, 06:54 AM

I agree with you but Shopbot Support had told me to move the jumper on the control board from +5v/ground to ground/common. I am not sure if I will damage the G203Vs if I move it back to +5v/ground. I am waiting for Shopbot Support to weigh in on that.

donclifton

01-24-2016, 08:12 AM

I agree also, Gecko 201 and 202 drives were 5 volt + ground and Gecko 203 are 5 Volt - ground. There is a pin on the drive that changes direction (dir) terminal 8. This terminal reverses the direction of the motor when 5 volt is applied.
Don

Greybarn

01-24-2016, 09:08 AM

Do you think there is any risk if I move the jumper back to +5V/ground and try to run the machine?

donclifton

01-24-2016, 10:39 AM

If it had 202 and you changed them over to 203 I guess you need to change the jumper from the original setting. I'm not versed in shopbot boards but have worked with almost every gecko drive. your settings for steps per will stay the same because both drives are 10X or 2000 steppes per revolution (motor not gear head). Gecko has had problem with the connectors that the drives plugin to even though they would not say so. Gecko is one of the finest drive in my book.
Don

richards

01-24-2016, 04:27 PM

The G202 stepper driver has a common 5VDC on terminal 10. A logic signal on the G202 is ACTIVE when the signal is pulled to GROUND.

The G203v stepper driver has a common GROUND on terminal 10. A logic signal on the G203v is ACTIVE when the signal is pulled to at least 2.5VDC.

On the G203v, connect terminal 10 to GROUND.