Hi Everyone I'm a noobie, but quick learner (I like to think!). So thank you for your patience while I get up to speed here! I've just built up my workbee 1515, belt drive. I've set up the electrics, double checked the wires. Set-up the BlackBox, turned the current settings to about 2/3 and inverted the Y2 Motor cables. V wheels and belts are set-up as required (I feel they are a little loose, but I did as told!) When I power on the blackbox, the motors Hum quite significantly. Y2 seems to want to be moving something, but isn't Z axis moves, but makes horrible noises X axis and Y axis seem to twitch, but no clear movement. I bought the kit from the French Supplier for OpenBuilds (If you are after friendly service, DO NOT use these guys! worst sales person I've encountered in a long time sadly). So all wires on the motors are the same colours as the cables, so there shouldn't be anything un-expected here... (I assume) Sadly the hums of the motors aren't easy to hear over the fans from the power input. I can make another video if this would help. Thank you for your help! https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10156902044621587
Colour coding for stepper motor wiring is not standardised - the blackbox docs are right for motors purchased from Openbuilds. Use a multimeter (continuity or resistance) to identify which pair of wires belong to each coil. Disconnect the motors from the belts for testing. If the motor turns the wrong way reverse the wires of one coil. Your symptoms are exactly those you get when the wiring is wrong. You didn't say who you bought the kit from - not everyone who claims to be an Openbuilds distributor really is. Do come back with more questions if you need to. Alex.
Thanks for your help. How can I test the wires? (I have a multimeter (a good one)) but i'm not so great at knowing what to poke where when wires are live!
Your stepper motors have two coils. You need to identify which pair of wires are connected to each coil. Select one wire at random, probe the other three - one of them will give a reading (beep for continuity or a fairly low resistance). You will have found the two wires connected to one coil. The other two wires should be connected to the other coil. Got to go out now - will add to this later. Alex.
Thanks @Peter Van Der Walt. Once you have identified the two coils treat one pair of wires as A+&A-, the other pair as B+&B-. Test the motor (disconnect from belts to make life easier) - if it turns the wrong way reverse A+/A- or B+/B-. Test again. Alex.
Amazing thank you @Alex and @Peter, everything is working fine now and sounds crisp like it should. *** For reference for the next guy with the same question: If you buy your motors from PC CNC Shop in france, the blue and green wires are inverted... simply swap them and you'll be in business. (You'd think the seller would tell you this when you buy from them, but hey-ho)
Not necessarily, unfortunately. Some suppliers get their components in batches from different sources, so you can't always rely on things being the same over time. (Except Openbuilds of course - and we will tell you if things have to change) Alex.
