Z axis problem

[Flare09]

Hey all, I got my shapeoko together, batch 4, and I am having an issue with the z axis.

First my x axis is reversed, easy fix with the software, $7=32 I believe, and that should invert all x axis commands so positives move right.
Now my z axis only moves down, I enter any command Positive or negative and it moves down, I was able to invert it at one point and it only moved up. I tried running the hello world and it drove right into the waste board and locked up.

When I enter the $ to check the preloaded stuff it comes back with all the same values as instructed with the build instructions on wiki.
I made sure there were no shorts on the arduino USB plug, all the wires are in the terminals in the same order, the rod moved easily in and out of the delrin nut(if that's what it was called)

Anyone have software or rewiring suggestions?

[deejayspinz]

Dont have my ShapeOko yet, but I had this problem with my MYDIYCNC once and a while. It turned out it was because one of the 4 wires on my NEMA17 motor was not making proper contact (likely the direction pin wire) where it was connected to the controller. It's a long shot, but check that first.

[Flare09]

I just unwired, and rewired all the z axis wires. And no luck

[RSWeaverAz]

@ Flare09 »
Sounds like the direction pin could be shorted (or is open and somehow pulled up),
check the Z-axis connector on the board for a short or cold solder joint,
also check the trace back to the chip if possible.

Not related to the Z-axis problem, but to an X, Y, or Z Axis Reversal:
I had problems with one of the axis going opposite direction it was commanded,
tried setting $7 to various values, but nothing worked.
So I swapped the A & A' for that axis, this lets me set $7 to all 0000000.

Someone suggested letting $7 be all Zeros, so if another version of the software is released
its one less thing to set, although the other $0 - $xx will probably have to be set to something
other than what GRBL releases ... good reason to record your final values ... somewhere.

Edit:
Have you tried connecting the X or Y axis stepper wires to the Z axis board connector to
see if the problem continues to happen on the X or Y axis?

[Flare09]

i looked over the shield and it looks solid. there is a little silkscreen damage it looks like from a fine point solder iron but that runs on the positive input for the entire board. several of the ground vias directly under the z axis driver are shorted together but i would expect that in vias, and they are not shorting any other pins. it looks like there is a jumper added to the reset pin. and C1 over by the z axis terminals looks iffy but its on there.

i tried the stepper switch, switched the y and z steppers, the y axis moved one way, under the z inputs, and the z axis moved both ways under the y input. so the z stepper is working. its either the software or the board.for safe measure i looked over the arduino also, but it looked fine.

[Flare09]

Nobody else had this problem??

Software fix anyone can think of? I want to get my shapeoko working!

[fito]

Have you verified the DIR pin is functioning properly on that axis?

[Flare09]

How would I go about doing that? Voltmeter test? I'm not sure which pin is the direction pin

[fito]

I can't say for sure which is the dir pin as there seems to be two configurations and I do not know which ships with batch 4. Of you have a digital scope its easy if not a led with a resistor should work just make sure the resistor is high enough to keep the current to Milli amps.

[edwardrford]

Is this the grblshield or soemthing else?

-Edward