Hello,
I’ve just
been put in charge of figuring out how to run our cnc for our students. I’ve
never run a cnc before but before I can even start to play around with it, it
seems to have some issues that I’m hoping someone can help me with. It could
just be me! And not the machine. I’m a newbie to all this so sorry and thank you
in advance. K2CNC seems to have stopped their business and I have not had any
luck contacting them. This piece of
equipment did not come with any sort of manual except for what Dynomotion posts
online for their KFLOP microcontroller.
I was
running Firmware version 4.31s one week and the next the spindle would not turn
back on. The second week the “home” button started to send the xyz axis in the
opposite direction of the limit switches. The control pad, however, still moved
the xyz in the correct direction. I read
that the simulation program could stop the spindle from operating properly. I
was using it a lot as I tried to figure things out and not crash the machine! The
new Firmware 4.32 was meant to fix this issue. So, I set out to load the new
Firmware. I read the DynoMotion manual for how to “flash” new firmware and I
found a thread describing what to do in this forum. I thought I understood but
I think I must have missed something. If someone knows about K2CNC’s and how
DynoMotion works with it, I would be grateful for your input. I’m thinking this
is a software/firmware issue and not a hardware issue but I would not be a good
judge for this.
Issues:
1.
The spindle stopped working.
2.
The “Home” button started homing backwards and
now, after new firmware, doesn’t work at all.
What I’ve
tried:
A.
Tested for continuity in the emergency stop
button and big and small green start buttons. Good!
B.
Run test program “chips” (found in software). Seems to run where it should but I could not
get spindle to turn on.
C.
Installed new Firmware 4.32 and this is how I
did it.
1.
Saved all files to thumbdrive just in case!
2.
Downloaded Firmware 4.32 from DynoMotion to host
computer.
3.
Flashed new Firmware to KFLOP board.
4.
I checked the “Initialize Program”
(K2mc_driver.c) and it was listed but
had no .c program in the file. 0 bytes
5.
I pasted and copied the old “initialized Program”
from the thumbdrive and pasted into the KFLOP Driver folder. “Copy and Replace” This is the only file I've copy/replaced.
6.
Compiled/Downloaded K2mc_driver.c file to Thread
7 in Kmotion.exe (no errors)
7.
Flash/config. “User Memory” w/start Thread #7 box
checked @ start up.
8.
Disconnected host computer.
9.
Cycled KFlOP board by turning power to box
off/on
10.
Reconnected host computer.
11.
Reset target short cuts to new firmware files.
12.
Restarted computer.
Results: “Home”
user button still not working. Still no spindle rotation. XYZ and A axis’ all
work and sample “Chips” program runs. NO spindle. Headache!
For some
reason threads #6 and #7 are the same now and before there were only six
threads loaded.
Here are the
.c program threads listed in the C program screen of KMotion.exe
#1
bitJog_slimit.c (location KFOP>Driver>)
#2
InitStepDir3Axis.c (location KMotion 432>C
Programs>)
#3 StopCallBack.c
(location KFOP>Driver>)
#4
SetStepPulseLength.c (location KMotion
432>C Programs>)
#5 homing_zyx.c
(location KFOP>Driver>)
#6 k2mc_driver.c
(location KFOP>Driver>)
#7 k2mc_driver.c
(location KFOP>Driver>)
This is
exactly what it looked like before I loaded the new firmware except that Thread
#7 was blank instead of a copy of #6 and location was KMotion 431s where they are now KMotion 432 the new firmware.
Specs: I am learning
to us KMotionCNC (we do not have Mach3)
Model: K2CNC KG4925
3-axis plus rotary 4th axis
4x Delta AC servo motors with Delta AC encoders 3p
Delta VFD-B
spindle driver 3ph w/ HSD 3ph spindle.
Dynomotion KFLOP Rev 1.2 motion control board
K2CNC breakout board, Rev. 1.0 6axis
capable
Windows 7
Firmware: 432 (recently updated from 4.31s as of Monday)
Software:
K2CNC version 2.0.4
Questions:
When do I
use the “Initiate” button in KMotionCNC? And do I have to?
Do I need to
use the “Save, Compile,Download,Run” button in the KMotion.exe C program
screen?
Should I
delete one of the K2mc_driver.c files from the Threads and if “yes” which one?
Did I need to clear all of the "Thread" files before downloading the K2mc_driver.c file?
Is Mach3 easier to use? why?
Thanks again
for any thoughts or help.
Robert