USBSteppers Card!

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Jack

Good news. I assume the current draw from one stepper is less than 1 amp?

Regards

David

Hi David, yes it is.

Unfortunately, still no luck at all.

The light sensor is set up exactly as per the manual, and it's the exact same model number too, so I doubt it's that.

The Stepper just keeps turning and turning. Also, for some reason I have to have SIOC running at the same time as USBStepper.exe (Stepper.exe shou;d just calibrate the motor by turning it once apparently). The SIOC script must just "define" the motor, not make it do anything.

Jack

[fordgt40]

Jack

The documentation is, as ever, sparse and incomplete. I do not follow why OC ask that you edit the iocstepper.ini file and run the iocstepper.exe to define stepper parameters and set the start point, then have a sioc script that references the stepper motor as Var 0. The stepper motor can have its parameters set by the USBstepper definition within the normal sioc code - so why do we need the iocstepper routine unless it is to define the start point

I would be inclined to try a sioc script that defines the stepper parameters and see what happens. Perhaps IWIK is now awake and can give some advice here?

Regards

David

[iwik]

Hi Guys,
David things may have changed with the new version of Sioc(v4). I know you wre supposed to not have to run IOstepper.exe but had read some people
were not able to get it to work without running it. Im at work at the moment but cant quite remember if i had to run sioc as well as iostepper
to get it to self calibrate. Yo should be able to leave the sensor disconnected and while the motor is spinning put a connection between the two
sensor connections on the card and the motor should stop. So this eliminates the sensor as troublesome. Ive done this many times.
Jack if you are still having troubles. Tonight i will document eaxactly what i do with my stepper to get it to calibrate. It must calibrate when you
first power up. So it knows where start from each time. I know for sure that once first powered up and you short out the two terminals for the sensor
and the motor is spinning it will stop.
Catch you later
Les

[iwik]

Hi Guys,
David, ive looked at the the new version of sioc and see that you can add all the necessary parameters that one would find in the iostepper.ini file.
Havnt had a chance to try that but you do have to run an sioc script along with iostepper.exe if you dont have the the options to add them in the Sioc script.
If you use the iostepper and a script then when powering up, the motor should spin and if you short out pin1 and pin 2 on the sensor input connector
twice, the motor should stop after the second short.
If you want Jack i can try out what david suggested with a known good script. See how you go first.
Les

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Hiya Les/David,

Sort've good news.

Shorting the first two wires did give a reaction on the motor, ie it stopped at that point, and when I "nudged" it past, it returned to that point.

However, I don't see what's wrong with the light sensor. The beam is always ON, except for when the "needle" (a small metal bar attached to the rotor) cuts it. I thought that was what should happen?

For clarity, this is the script I'm using:

Var 0000, Link USB_STEPPER, name Chrono, Output 1, PosL 250, PosC 0, PosR 4, Type T

And IOStepper.ini:

[ fichero de configuracion para IOCStepper ]
[ Configuration file for IOCStepper ]

[ Múltiples USBs ]
[ Non unique USB ]
MUSB=No

[ Número de periférico para el USB ]
[ USB Device number ]
deviceUSB=2048

[ Número de A/D a usar de la placa de Expansión USB ]
[ A/D used by Iocard Master expansion USB ]
USB_AD=0

[ IP del HOST del servidor ]
[ IOCP server host name ]
IOCP_host=localhost

[ Puerto de envio del protocolo IOCP ]
[ IOCP port ]
IOCP_port=8092

[ Tiempo de respuesta máximo de los paquetes IOCP ]
[ IOCP Timeout ]
IOCP_timeout=4000

[ Velocidad de los motores (0=rápido, 61=Lento) ]
[ Motor Speed  (0=fast, 61=Slow) ]
Speed_M1=50
Speed_M2=17
Speed_M3=17

[ Pasos totales por vuelta de los motores (0=automático) ]
[Motor Steeps per turn (0=automatic) ]
Steeps_M1=0
Steeps_M2=0
Steeps_M3=0

[ Activación de medios pasos para los motores ]
[ half-steeps for motors ]
HSteeps_M1=no
HSteeps_M2=no
HSteeps_M3=no


[ Máximo número de pasos por décima de segundo ]
[Max. Steeps per Dec/Seg ]
Max_Steeps_M1=3
Max_Steeps_M2=3
Max_Steeps_M3=3

[ Factor decimal a aplicar para variable IOCP ]
[ Decimal Factor for IOCP Variable ]
Decimal_Factor_M1=1
Decimal_Factor_M2=1
Decimal_Factor_M3=1

[ Asignaciones de Variables IOCP ]
[ IOCP Variable ]
[ Motor1 ]

IOCP_Var0=10

[ Motor2 ]

IOCP_Var1=11

[ Motor3 ]

IOCP_Var2=12

[ A/D-1 ]

IOCP_Var3=13

[ A/D-2 ]

IOCP_Var4=14

[ A/D-3 ]

IOCP_Var5=15

[ End of File ]

I'm really more interested to see why the light sensor doesn't work. I'm reluctant to upgrade to v4.0, as my cockpit works perfectly (bar the Stepper) on the current version!

Cheers,

Jack

[iwik]

Jack,
Ive checked my one with out running IOstepper.exe. Just sioc code with a line added similar to yours
but cannot make it run although it does calibrate. Use the same code with IOSTepper.exe running and it works.
I had read others had problems also and havnt come across anyone yet that uses it without Iostepper.exe.
I would suggest you run some code with out adding your line and run IOstepper and see if it works.
Ive got some code and iostepper.ini file here that runs the compass with iostepper.exe running if you want it.
Try making your motor Var0010. I think when first trying to get it going i used 0 and had no luck.
Are you sure your the voltage on the sensor pin goes between 5v and say less than 1v.
If you short out the pin twice and the motor stops(like mine does) then the firmware on the card
is working as it should.
Les

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Hi Les,

Please could you give me that script and the exact IOCStepper file you are using?

Cheers,

Jack

[iwik]

Jack,
Ive just come in from my w/shop and tested that the following works fine.
Please note you donot need to run IOstepper now. Do the following.
Go to SIOC directory and find Brujula_USBStepper.ssi. Put this name in your SIOC.ini file and run
Fsim.Then run sioc, your motor should start to run s/c pin 1 2 on the sensor input twice and the motor should stop.
Fly the plane and the stepper should move in relation to the Compass. This is code O/C have supplied and it WORKS fine.
Suggest you get everything working with this code then try and get what you want.
Hope this helps
Les
P.S You may have to alter the First parameter(speed i think)

[Boeing 747 Flyer]

Hi Les,

Unfortunately, after running that script the card is completely dead. Nothing will happen until I run IOStepper.exe.

Interestingly though, when I do run IOStepper.exe, it just keeps turning and turning.

[iwik]

Jack,
Can you make sure all you want to run is Sioc script for the one suggested and only plug in one USBstepper card.
Presently thats what im testing like. I have a sensor plugged in and when the motor has started i pass a piece of
paper between it to stop it.
Trying to keep your system as basic as possible to ensure nothing else is confusing it.
Les
Jack, make a test script only with the o/c stepper output line.
Run this only and your motor should start and be stopped by the sensor. If you can get this far then there is
something radically wrong with your setup. Sioc.ini or hardware.
I have just confirmed the on line will start the motor.