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Help required Mach3 distance calibration

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by David Higginbottom, Jun 17, 2018.

  1. David Higginbottom

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    Hello
    i am completely new to this game and to be honest struggling.
    I have built an Open Builds Mini Mill.
    I am trying to calibrate the axis movement in mm.
    Units selected are mm.
    I have gone into 'settings' in Mach3 and selected 'Set steps per unit'
    i have selected the appropriate axis and set movement to 1mm.
    The axis moves 40mm !!!!!
    What am I doing wrong?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated

    Thanks

    Dave Higginbottom
     
  2. Gary Caruso

    Gary Caruso OpenBuilds Volunteer
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    What do you have your micro-step set to on your drivers?
     
  3. David Higginbottom

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    Hello Gary
    1/2 step
     
  4. HC.Carbo

    HC.Carbo Journeyman
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    put it on 1/8 :)
     
  5. HC.Carbo

    HC.Carbo Journeyman
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    or @ mach configure >motors set Set steps per unit 1/4 from what you have now.
    here 1/32 = 791 Set steps per unit
    1/64= 1582 Set steps per unit
     
  6. Gary Caruso

    Gary Caruso OpenBuilds Volunteer
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    On 1/8th you would have 200steps per mm
     
  7. HC.Carbo

    HC.Carbo Journeyman
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    my a/b are @ 1/8, set @106.6500 steps per unit
     
  8. HC.Carbo

    HC.Carbo Journeyman
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    in mach3 there is a tab in to set it right.
    check some YouTube video's how to do :)

     
  9. Gary Caruso

    Gary Caruso OpenBuilds Volunteer
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    Is that with a TR8*8 screw?
    With a TR8*8 the lead is 8mm (8mm travel per turn)
    at no micro-step it would be 200/8 = 25 steps per inch
    1/4 = 100
    1/8 = 200 ( just like Martin's example in the video)
    Cheers
    Gary
     
  10. HC.Carbo

    HC.Carbo Journeyman
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    no, that is with a 1/6 trunnion :)

    think starting with 200 & then tweaking would do the job :)
    don't forget to close Mach & your controller after changes.(can help)

    i just check it again: set to 792 @ 1/32 comes pretty close (c-beam xl)
    @ 1/8 = 198

    Cheers+good luck,
     
  11. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    HC.Carbo likes this.
  12. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    and GRBL settings calculator for the basic numbers, then use the video procedure to fine tune.
    oh i know it says grbl but the calculation of steps/mm is the same!
     
  13. HC.Carbo

    HC.Carbo Journeyman
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    good one David, has everything.
    LOL never looked to the steps per revolution of my steppers :D soooo NOOB :) :)
     
  14. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    technically you don't need to know (but it does help).
    most steppers are 200steps/rev, so if you calculate using that and it goes half the expected distance, then you know it is a 400 step per rev motor (which tend to be used in laser cutters, maybe they vibrate less?).

    but you can start with everything unknown and just set the steps/mm to '1' ....
    your first calibration attempt will not move far but will get you in the ballpark and then you will need to do it again 2 or 3 times to narrow it down to something useful.
     
    GrayUK and HC.Carbo like this.

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