Spindle Won't Start Using New Laptop!

[wmgeorge]

If both computers are running Windows 10 whatever the same??

[mtrehy]

Even better , grab a usb stick , copy the complete uccnc director from the working pc , then delete the uccnc directory on the laptop . Now copy the uccnc directory from the usb to the laptop .

This will ensure the EXACT same files on both pc and laptop - if it does not work after this then you have a issue with your laptop.

I have just taken 4 different laptops into the workshop and done exactly as you suggested. Copied the entire UCCNC folder from the working pc in its entirety. The problem still exists on all of the laptops. I can move axes but not start the spindle. The PC starts it fine!

The PC is running windows 10 pro. THe laptops are running:

windows 11 pro (dell precision 7520)
windows 8.1 pro (toshiba satellite)
windows 10 home (hp )
windows 10 pro education (dell latitude)

Bizarre and very frustrating.

I attacvhed the profile - not sure whether there is anything that can be cauing the difference between pc and laptop usage

A bit of digging with the multimeter and the 0-10v spindle output on the BoB is the same with both laptop and pc and seems to be working correctly i.e nearly 10v when I set max spindle speed on either the laptop or the pc.

When you start te spindle via the PC you hear a loud relay click which does not happen when you do it via the laptop. So the speed control seems to function but it is the start signal that seems to dissapear when using laptop

[wmgeorge]

Now I am as stumped as you. One thought, when I switched from the PMDX controller, the relay for the CW relay which turns on my router, needed to power from the pin on the Neg side of the UC400ETH , not the + Pin, the Positive side of the coil which went direct to the + side of the PS. The relay coil was 24 volts DC,

[mtrehy]

How do I test the spindle relay signals?

Configuration is:

M3 = Pin 8, Port 1 (active low unchecked)
M4 = Pin 9, Port 1 (active low unchecked)

I'm not sure how to check what is actually happening on these pins with the multimeter. I assume that "active low" means that when the instruction is called (i.e M3) that it sets pin 8 low (0v). So I assume that with spindle clockwise turned on in uccnc I should read 0v on pin 8 and when it is turned off it would be 5v? Have I understood this correctly and if so where is the GND for this pin, i.e I put the +ve lead of my meter on pin 8 but where do I put my black lead...?

Picture of board attached.

Thanks

[wmgeorge]

Is that Blue relay the one you hear clicking or is it another in the desktop unit only?

[mtrehy]

I think it is these relay(s) that are part of this custom made board that are working correctly with the pc and not with the laptop.

The CNC control has been updated to latest standard using CNC Drive’s UCCNC control software with
a USB cable link to a UC100 controller, which delivers the high frequency stepper drive required for a
rapid X,Y and Z axis movement. A breakout board is used to link to Gecko axis stepper motors and
spindle control. A small custom board drives the special start/stop/direction control of the Combivert
Spindle driver, which requires the start pin along with a direction pin(forward/clockwise or
reverse/anti-clockwise) to be simultaneously connected to the -24 volt pin in order for the spindle to
operate. Existing solid state relay modules could not be used because they introduce a voltage drop
when on and the combivert does not tolerate this. The custom board uses standard relays instead.

[Delco]

Well if it works fine on PC , but not on a variety of laptops , then that narrows it down to a laptop issue - not a uccnc issue. The only thing I can suggest now is try a better quality break out board.
Or do as I do on all my machines- get a cheap small form factor pc - laptops, especially the newer style are garbage.

[wmgeorge]

OR use the existing working desktop as just a machine controller and do your design and whatever on your new laptop and USB over the files. There is more to this than we are seeing now, the other control board and connections?? For years I ran all my shop CNC off a old Lenovo laptop, I was using VCarve Pro Software on my design computers and transferred the gcode files out to Mach3/4.

[wmgeorge]

I am guessing now there may some sort of interconnection between that special board and the Desktop PC or the PS. If he is in the UK and using 220 vac and the special board was US based there could be some hook up issues. Or vice versa.

[mtrehy]

the only connection between the pc and the machine is the usb cable to uc100 and bob...