Problem: steppers not moving #1347

Motors test okay on existing grbl 1.1 board

Again, apologies if I’ve missed some important info as I’ve tried so many things over the past week or so that I’m quite confused. Any guiding tips greatly appreciated. Kinda wishing I’d waited until I could have afforded one of Bart’s genuine boards…

$ME nor $MD has any effect, motor not locked, nor moves with fluidterm: X10

What do you mean with “only X stepper connected”? Do you have actually only the x motor connected, but several stepper drivers on the board?

What do you mean with “only X stepper connected”? Do you have actually only the x motor connected, but several stepper drivers on the board?

Yes, correct. Please advise if you think this is an issue..
Although I’ve tried it with only the x stepper driver on the board.

After re-reading #1192 I found the motor IS IN FACT LOCKING! I did say I’m confused as hell lol.
Motor locks when power is connected!
Very sorry for the previous misleading info.

“MitchBradley commented on May 1
Sometimes if it locks for a few seconds, then unlocks, it is because the driver overheated and shut down to protect itself.”

Update on motor locking circumstances:

1. DLC32 powered off, connect stepper to X axis, power on DLC32: locked stepper motor, no jogging.
2. DLC32 powered on, connect stepper to X axis: motor not locked, but still no jogging.

Yikes, this was not helping my confusion.
Learning slowly lol.

Experiment: in desperation, reversed two centre stepper wires (as per random YT suggestion).
For both 1 & 2 from above, the motor was not locked but nor would it jog. Backing out.

Nema17 connected with original wiring layout

What version TMC2209 do you have? Are they the ones that are configured by UART, or the ones that are jumpered for standalone use? UART-configured TMC2209s cannot be used with DLC32 without complicated extra wiring.

What version TMC2209 do you have? Are they the ones that are configured by UART, or the ones that are jumpered for standalone use? UART-configured TMC2209s cannot be used with DLC32 without complicated extra wiring.

Thanks so much for the prompt reply, much appreciated
Info from Aliexpress purchase, not sure if it answers your question though:

Product name: TMC2209
Maximum output current: 2A
Recommended operating current: maximum 1.7A
Micro step: 256 micro step subdivision
Configuration: STEP/DIR OR UART
Load driving electric range: 5.5~38V
IC logic operating voltage: 3/5V

Configuration: STEP/DIR OR UART

That either means that they sell both versions and you have to be careful to order the one that you want, or that you can modify it for what you want. The modification for these things involves removing a tiny solder blob on the bottom and adding another one nearby.

DLC32 only supports the “standalone” configuration method, which is probably what they are calling “STEP/DIR”. UART configuration requires special wiring that DLC32 does not have. If you plug a UART-configured TMC2209 into a board that doesn’t support it, it won’t turn on properly.

Unsure if relevant but here is the same Nema17 but using the wiring layout from presently working CNC. This also locks the stepper motor and does not jog, alas.

Configuration: STEP/DIR OR UART

That either means that they sell both versions and you have to be careful to order the one that you want, or that you can modify it for what you want. The modification for these things involves removing a tiny solder blob on the bottom and adding another one nearby.

DLC32 only supports the “standalone” configuration method, which is probably what they are calling “STEP/DIR”. UART configuration requires special wiring that DLC32 does not have. If you plug a UART-configured TMC2209 into a board that doesn’t support it, it won’t turn on properly.

Great info! It lead me to realise that I ordered the wrong unit, DOH!
One page had TMC2208, TMC2209, and ATD5833.
I’ve ordered the ATD5833… Like a putz.

I have never used ATD5833 , but based on some documentation on an AliExpress product page, it appears to be configured without UART, so it should work in DLC32. You would need to set the potentiometer for the desired drive current. Presumably there is some documentation on the web describing the correspondence between the voltage setting and the current.

I have never used ATD5833 , but based on some documentation on an AliExpress product page, it appears to be configured without UART, so it should work in DLC32. You would need to set the potentiometer for the desired drive current. Presumably there is some documentation on the web describing the correspondence between the voltage setting and the current.

Being a FluidNC newb and given they all seem affordable, I’d be very grateful if you could suggest a reliable stepper driver I should use

My bet would be counter clockwise 🤞

You need to measure the voltage from GND to the metal top of that potentiometer with a voltmeter. Then turn it a little and see whether the voltage goes up or down. Then try to find some documentation about the correspondence of that voltage to the current setpoint. Every driver chip type has a different formula. The formulas for older driver types is well known, but this one is new/unusual so I don’t know what it is.

Here is a datasheet in Chinese. http://www.szczkjgs.com/UploadFiles/fujian/4881/ATD5833_datasheet_CN.pdf

Now we just need to know what value of sense resistor (Rs) they used on your module. Does the product page say?

Actually the formula is

The formula above is for the protection limit current.

You will probably be okay by setting the potentiometer in the middle.

You will probably be okay by setting the potentiometer in the middle.

Thanks.
That is where they ‘currently’ appear to be..

Re the wiring – it is hard to say without being able to ohm out your motors, but I would be tempted to try red blue black green on the 6-pin connector.

I think that black-to-green measured 2.7 ohm, blue-to-red was the same.
I assume they are the coil pairs.

Black/green and blue/red is common standard.

Black/green and blue/red is common standard.

For clarity, when you suggested “try red blue black green” do you mean leave the cable as is (Red-Blue/Green-Black), or change it to Red-Blue/Black-Green?

TIA

And I take it you meant that was only for the motor-end? Leaving the controller end as Red-Blue/Green-Black..

Not sure what the exact fix was.
In the end I think it was merely a yaml/user issue.
No need to change any motor wiring, no need to play with the ATD5833 stepper motor drivers, I just needed my yaml ducks lined up.

Lots of good info from Mitch and a good tip from Skorpi on here; “You need I2SO and not RMT”, helped a lot to be sure.

That, together with much reading of other DLC32 related posts, especially the ability to browse through yaml files and copy-paste various bits in via the excellent web installer, all got me there in the end.

Same with also getting the laser working.
I tried various yaml snippets until I got it happening.
Although, as the laser has it’s own PSU I had to modify the connector to only use “TTL” (or GND) and “S” pins, leaving “Vin” (Voltage in) unused.
This mod was also necessary as I’m powering the board with 24V, meaning 24V is what would then be coming through “Vin” and not the 12V that the laser actually wants.
If I was powering the board with only 12V it would be ok to use “Vin” for the laser but still best to use a separate supply imho.

Thanks

name: Little Stiffy
board: MKS DLC32
meta: ‘2024-10-02’
stepping:
engine: I2S_STATIC
idle_ms: 0
pulse_us: 4
dir_delay_us: 1
disable_delay_us: 0
axes:
shared_stepper_disable_pin: i2so.0
x:
steps_per_mm: 800
max_rate_mm_per_min: 1000
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 25
max_travel_mm: 270
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 2
stepstick:
step_pin: i2so.1
direction_pin: i2so.2
disable_pin: NO_PIN
ms1_pin: NO_PIN
ms2_pin: NO_PIN
ms3_pin: NO_PIN
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
y:
steps_per_mm: 800
max_rate_mm_per_min: 1000
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 25
max_travel_mm: 170
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 2
stepstick:
step_pin: i2so.5
direction_pin: i2so.6:low
disable_pin: NO_PIN
ms1_pin: NO_PIN
ms2_pin: NO_PIN
ms3_pin: NO_PIN
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
z:
steps_per_mm: 800
max_rate_mm_per_min: 1000
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 25
max_travel_mm: 80
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 1
stepstick:
step_pin: i2so.3
direction_pin: i2so.4
disable_pin: NO_PIN
ms1_pin: NO_PIN
ms2_pin: NO_PIN
ms3_pin: NO_PIN
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN

i2so:
bck_pin: gpio.16
data_pin: gpio.21
ws_pin: gpio.17

spi:
miso_pin: gpio.12
mosi_pin: gpio.13
sck_pin: gpio.14

start:
must_home: false

Laser:
output_pin: gpio.32
enable_pin: I2SO.7
disable_with_s0: false
s0_with_disable: false
tool_num: 0
speed_map: 0=0.000% 0=12.500% 1700=100.000%

Important update regarding ATD5833 stepper drivers on MKS DLC32 board.
As usual, I was wrong that my issue was fixed.
I wrote earlier that it was fixed, but only after a simple movement test…
When I ran a basic nc file there was very buggy movement issues.
I looked back over many things and all I could say was still not perfect was the ATD5833 stepper motor drivers I mistakenly bought.
AFAICT there was no one using them, and almost no useful info out there.
Was my earlier purchasing mistake the problem?
So I bit the bullet (I’m kidding, they aren’t expensive) and carefully purchased a set of (Makerbase brand) TMC2209 stepper motor drivers. And so far so good, hooray!
This is much more like what I expected from FluidNC!
I hate/love this kind of learning experiences where I’m the only one ever with the exact issue.
I learned so much (many thanks to those here esp.) and I just hope that I can make use of all that hard-earned knowledge, phew.