Hi Everyone! Just got my new X32 (after frying my older black box following maintenance of the cables!). I'm finding the axis error red warning lights keep coming on and locking the motors, especially at X32 startup. Oddly enough after I take the current setting down to zero, switch the X32 off and then on again, and readily work the current back up to where I need it, it settles, but I would prefer not to have keep doing that every time I start the machine. Also concerned they might come on mid work piece and crash the machine as it seems there might be an instability issue? So I have a Workbee 1010 machine where the X-axis has 2 additional Z axis heads installed as a mod for triple production, and so with the Z-axis motors ties together, on the old black box, I pushed up the current setting to make sure the three Z-axis motors were running smoothly. But oddly enough, have been getting warning lights sporadically on the X and Y axis as well, but mostly on the Z-axis. Never had this issue with the older black box... If anyone can let me know if there's a simple trouble shooting fix, including even disabling those warning flags, that would be great . Many thanks in advance . David.
Might be cooling related (old BlackBox had a little bit faster fan, so try to supplement with a desk fan or replace internal fan) but as it happens at power up, what power supply are you using? Also, how do you switch on (PSU first, let it stabilise, then BlackBox? Or using PSU as a power switch, or using upstream mains switch / wall socket as power switch?)
I switch on the PSU first, am using the openbuilds PSU (24V Meanwell Power Supply Bundle). So maybe an issue with not being able to supply current? Perhaps a capacitor across the PSU input terminals of the X32 to buffer? But I found that I sometimes have to switch the X32 on and off a few times to get it to clear and allow proper motor running?
Yes, everything from OB's . Without knowing the circuitry in the X32, is it possible there are current sensors that are designed to kick in and flag the axis if it detects certain current conditions? But all in all, is it possible to deactivate the flagging procedure in the X32? Very rarely this did happen on the old black box and I could never pin down a reasonable cause. But as it seldom happened wasn't so much of an issue (mainly as it would happen at start up in the few instances it did occour and I would just switch off and the on again and the flag cleared). But with the X32, even before I started adjusting settings it happened on every start up? Sometimes it would be just the Z-axis, sometimes Y and X or sometimes just X etc... My feeling here is that I'm a little concerned about using it, as if it's this jittery, it may just bug out mid work flow and crash the machine if say one axis just suddenly halts, such as the Z-axis while the blade is still deep in the work piece and the machine then does a rapid G0 move or similar thinking the blade is clear when it isn't (yikes!). Any help is deeply appreciated .
No, its built into the stepper driver..its last line of defense against driver destroying itself.. It mainly means something is actually wrong though and that's the main thing. It can't be turned off. Using a permanent marker to color over the check engine light, also doesn't fix the engine Undervoltage, overcurrent, overtemp and Short circuit yes. Overcurrent is easy (turn current down). Overtemp usually needs a couple seconds to warm up (so cold start > couple seconds/minutes > then activates when it gets too hot). Short circuit tends to be always present until fixed. So if issue is quite locked on first power up, PSU seems most likely (undervolt) but that we typically never see with the meanwells, usually when we see that its customers with amazon special 'LED PSUs' trying to save a bit of money. Now see that adds perspective, so still less likely controller, still more likely something else that stayed. Anything at all non standard? Something as simple as used a thinner guage or much longer cable between PSU and controller? No for sure, till resolved don't even start jobs, will for sure. Need to find whats wrong Are we sure it was a short? What specifically? (might short have damaged PSU?)
so, it used to happen , but not often, now it happens often. what has changed? the wiring has changed. I suspect wiskers in the plugs causing partial shorts which are overloading the drivers. To eliminate simply rewire all motor plugs, very carefully, while simultaneously also checking all coil pairs, justin case. The Blackbox current settings are set to 50% in the factory which is what the OB motors work well with. What are yours set to now?
Thanks so much for all the info here Peter and David! So checked all wiring for whiskering, no issues found, everything is very cleaning wired. I used a combination of wiring from OB's own supplied with kit and addition four core where the length wasn't long enough for my build. The additional wiring is a thicker gauge than OB's so shouldn't be an issue there with the wire being to thin. For current settings, I use 50% on all axis except the Z which I adjusted to a little bit more (but not 100%) to supply all three stepper motors for the three headed mod I have done. Again, used this configuration on the older black box for nearly 5 years and this didn't happen like this. So just did a cold start, left the PSU on for about 10 seconds in case, then started the X32, instantly the Z axis was flagged without delay. I turned the power off on the X32, then immediately on again without doing anything else and the flag reset and didn't come on again? Did a few simple jog moves on all axis and no flags. This is bizarre!! Any ideas are deeply appreciated .
As it has multiple motors, and a higher current setting, likely Overcurrent, dial current down a bit and see if it stops happening (motors in parallel = lower resistance = higher chance of overcurrent)
Ok, so looks like this is a matter of 'sweet spot' current settings as I am running an 'air' work piece now @200% feed speed and is running without any flags so far. But I wonder why the flag comes up immediately on the Z axis on start up and then after switching off and then on it clears?
Power cycling clears the error flag, whats not super clear is why the overcurrent condition doesn't trigger on restart, but does initially. What happens onboard the stepper driver is not always super clear, but over all these years we just learned to trust those error indicators - they never shutdown without a good reason. Personally, i'd dial it down till it doesnt error any more and KNOW now I have found the perfect setting for my setup, let the chip do its smarts as it should, if it complains, somethings wrong
