Ok. If you find the problem I would like to hear about it. This one has really got me thinking. If I come up with something new I’ll get back to you.
It’s almost got to be something simple for it to affect all motors in the same way.
Hi Neil, yes we went through a lot with Larry this morning.
Here is the link to the drivers I got.
Maybe the way I wired things, maybe some floating ground ???
I think next time I will remove the plugs from all the drivers except the X driver and try that. That should remove some level of complexity, although we did something similar already disconnecting all the motors but X, but the other drivers were still powered up, just not connected to any motors.
I will give it a rest for a few hours and then come back to it and check all the wiring.
Thanks again.
One bad thing about that driver setup. Notice that it reduces the holding current by half when the motor is idle.
Features:
- Bipolar constant current chopper
- High-speed optocoupler signal isolation input
- Electrical input signal is TTL compatible
- Stationary current is automatically reduced by half
- Suitable for any small-and-medium automatic equipment with CNC controller, such as X-Y-Z tables, labeling machines, laser cutters, engraving machines, and pick-place devices.
Also, check your configuration switches carefully. On some of these modules the configuration switches are not clearly marked as to which direction the switch is in when the switch is on.
That one bit Phil. It took a little while to find it.
1 Like
I read that, the current reduction at idle, but I wouldn’t think that it would do that while moving… But who knows, right?
The DIP switches appear to be clearly marked, I remember Phil had problems with his. These are on the side and "clearly marled as 1-6 and the ON position is also marked - I hope correctly. Down is ON.
I guess no harm in playing with them a bit, I don’t believe there is any position that would/should harm the driver.
I’ll get back to this tomorrow morning and go over the wiring, maybe the pulse/step, direction or enable signals are not right, or a loose wire or bad crimp.
no it doesn’t while moving
Current reduction during carving is undesired because if you’re doing a toolpath and you’re only moving in one axis, the other 2 get their current reduced and carving does apply force in multiple axis so you could get undesired results.
Your problem sounds like either underpowering/stalling the motors or maybe you’ve got the windings hooked up wrong?
Looking at the eBay listing picture for a 2.5amp and 8x microstepping you should have DIP switches at:
OFF/ON/OFF/OFF/ON/ON
If they are flipped due to orientation, it would be the settings for 2/A microstepping and 2.0 amps for X and Y. Z axis would be at 8x microstepping and 2.0 amps. I could see where doing that would cause weird noise/lost step issues.
At 2X microstepping, the motors could be quite a bit louder/noisier due to 2x microstepping.
Are your X and Y distances still matching up? If you go 1", does it go 1", 1/4", or 4"?
Now if you’re got S1 through S6 reversed in direction, it would be:
ON/ON/OFF/OFF/ON/OFF
That equates to 1x stepping and 3.0 amps. Again, this could manifest in noise and inaccurate steps/mm.
2 Likes
Didn’t think of that. Can’t see the forest for the trees 
1 Like
The hiss you hear is not uncommon for cheap stepper drivers, I had the same on older BT6560’s.
It is not something to be concerned much about, its the coils that vibrate ever so slightly due to the current pulses / direction frequency when holding.
Sounds like too coarse stepping, increase microstepping to smooth it out.
Hi Justin, thanks for chiming in.
I believe the switches are set correctly. The labeling is very clear on the switches themselves, see picture.
Note that the silk screening for the current switches is wrong showing the 2.8 and the 3.5 A settings as being the same. I believe 2.8 should be OFF, OFF, ON.
I get the same results at the 2.5 and 2.8A settings.
The distances moved are also pretty accurate, I haven’t calibrated yet because of the missing steps, but they are on the ballpark.
Also see video and hear the noise I’m talking about here:
Thank you Haldor. Ya the idling noise comes and goes depending on where the motor stops, not too concerned about that 
, got bigger fish to fry.
Micro stepping is set 8 at the moment for X and Y, and 2A for Z. Not sure what the difference is between the 2A and the 2B setting. The Z axis with the CNCNewbies assembly sounds real loud at the moment, especially when starting and stopping, I will have to try and tune it once X and Y are working.
Try to increase the $122 value to 250 
Use 2A
2x microstepping on a screw is pretty loud at lower feed rates, at least it was on mine. I went to 4X microstepping go smooth it out but not lose as much torque as 8X.
The video makes it sound kinda like a repetitive clunking sound. And is it just me or does the pulley look slightly out of round?
You said you measured the output voltage, where did you measure it? Going into the driver or out of the supply? What does the voltage level do during motion? Is it stable?
You could be dealing with a power supply going out that you only see under a heavier load. You mentioned trying it with the steppers unplugged, have you tried it with the drivers disconnected completely? Even with no stepper, I think those drivers might draw from the supply.
The clicking noise sounded to me like tight belts / belt teeth slipping into place.
FWIW
I’m pretty sure that that is not a motor noise. I too, would look to the belts as the most likely culprit. Not as easy to determine why the belt would do that.
Take the belt off and re-run your test to see if the noise goes away.
Look at the side of the belt with the protrusions to determine if you can spot any damage. Look for a belt that runs up against the side of the pulley.
I will try moving the Z axis to 1/4 micro steps and see if that makes it quieter, thanks for that.
I did try the with the drivers for Y and Z completely disconnected, only X was connected and making the same noise. I’ll check the voltage when running tomorrow. I had checked it at the terminal block where the power supply first connects to the circuits, I’ll check it right at the driver connector tomorrow.
I’ll try disconnecting the belts tomorrow, I’ll do the X axis and see if the motor makes any noise. Mind you, I never heard noise like this when using the GShield… Also the machine is missing steps on both X and Y, but if the belts are causing the noise that maybe unrelated.
Today I’m too frustrated to continue playing with this. So I thank you all for your help so far, I think together we will, eventually, figure it out.
I talked to the supplier of the drivers and they are willing to extend the return period to give me more time to try and get it working. Do any of you gentleman think it might be drivers themselves?
Thanks again.
Thanks Larry, I will do this tomorrow, see my response in my latest post to Justin.
Of course running the motor alone, without load may produce entirely different results…
Out of curiousity, if you connect the Gshield now, does the noise go away?