Spark Concepts Cnc Xpro Controller
Cnc Xpro Controller Stepper Driver
Cnc Stepper Drivers
Gecko Stepper Drivers
Cnc Xpro Controller Stepper Drivers For Mac

Also, if disabled, keep in mind that some stepper drivers don't remember which micro step they stopped on, so when you re-enable, you may witness some 'lost' steps due to this. In this case, just keep your steppers enabled. Expansion port for coming upgrades (handheld jog controller, integrated spindle speed control, etc.) Runs 4 DRV8825 motor drivers; allowing for multiple motor configurations on the X,Y, or Z axis. The CNC xPRO is printed on 2oz copper to handle heavy current.

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xPro Troubleshooting

This page contains various issues people have had getting their systems to work. Take comfort, if you are here. Most problems are easy to solve and have been seen before.

Please use the forum if this guide does not get you going. And remember, these are systems consisting of mechanical, electrical and software components of which the xPro is just one part. So looking up and down the stack is often very helpful.

When troubleshooting, please always bear the following precautions in mind:

1. NEVER CONNECT OR DISCONNECT COMPONENTS WHILE POWERED
2. CAREFULLY OBSERVE VOLTAGE AND POLARITIES. DO NOT CONNECT THE POWER BACKWARDS
3. DON'T ROTATE CURRENT POTENTIOMETERS BEYOND ROTATION LIMIT (AXIS WILL STOP WORKING)

Settings for Most Common Machines (GRBL V1.1)

OX CNC

C-Beam Machine

C-Beam Machine XL

MiniMill

Common Problems

These are some of the most common problems we have seen that may cause any of the specific symptoms in the items below. Please check these first if you are having issues.

Power is not connected or is inadequate. Verify that the board edge both Main power and 5V power indicator LED are lit and that you have between 12v and 30v to the board. Verify when idle and under motor load (if applicable)
Grbl is not loaded or not loaded correctly. Verify that you get the grbl prompt on power up or reset. It should look something like this:

Grbl is misconfigured. If you have any doubts, set Grbl settings back to these default values:

Grbl v0.8

Grbl v0.9

*Note: Every time your steppers complete a motion and come to a stop, Grbl will disable the steppers by default. The stepper idle lock time is the time length Grbl will keep the steppers locked before disabling. Depending on the system, you can set this to zero and disable it. On others, you may need 25-50 milliseconds to make sure your axes come to complete stop before disabling. OR, you can always keep your axes enabled at all times by setting this value to the maximum 255 milliseconds.

Motor turns in the opposite direction from the way I want it to

Swap ONE of the winding pairs - For example: swap A1 & A2 or B1 & B2 at the motor connector.
Correct this using the invert mask in the Grbl settings:

Invert Axis | v0.8 Grbl Command | v0.9 Grbl Command--------|--------------------|---------No Inversion | $6=0 | $2=0Invert X Axis | $6=32 | $2=1Invert Y Axis | $6=64 | $2=2Invert Z Axis | $6=128 | $2=4Invert X and Y Axis | $6=96 | $2=3Invert X and Z Axis | $6=160 | $2=5Invert Y and Z Axis | $6=192 | $2=6Invert X, Y and Z Axis | $6=224 | $2=7Note: invert clone axis (4th axis) using Method 1

Motors are not locking (shafts can easily turned by hand)

When grblshield, Arduino and motor are all powered up, the motors are not locked-the shafts can still be easily turned by hand. This is a problem especially for Z with heavier weight load, which makes it move freely.

You may need to set your 'step idle delay, msec' value to 255 - issue a '$$' command to check that 'step idle delay, msec' is set to 255

Grbl 0.8

Grbl 0.9

Pro's and cons of changing this setting:

Pros:

the motors are locked and prevent bumps and vibrations from accidentally moving them
helps with accuracy on machines that have large acceleration values

Cons:

the steppers are always energized, so controller may build up heat
you can't manually move the machine to a 0,0,0 point

Motors won't turn

This is the most common startup problem and could be a number of things. Please check the items below in order

Arduino is not properly set up with grbl. On power up or reset the USB console should respond with a or 'grbl 0.8c' prompt. If not, see Updating GRBL Firmware
Power is not applied or properly connected. Are the green power indicator lit? Are you providing between 12 and 30 volts? See Connecting CNC xPRO and Power Supply Requirements
Motors are not wired correctly. See Connecting stepper motors

One axis turns but another does not

Check if this is an axis problem or a motor problem by swapping the motors to different axes.

If the same axis is still not working it's probably an axis problem. Set the current pot to the mid-point and try again. Almost any motor will run from the mid-point setting. If the motor energizes but still doesn't turn, bump the current setting up a bit. Be sure not to force the current setting pot past its 270 degree limit. If this is the case you should either replace the surface mount pot (p/n: 23AR10KLFTR) available from Digikey, or contact us to return the board
If the same motor is still not working it's probably a motor problem. Check the current setting and the wiring on your motors. See Connecting stepper motors

Motors turn once, but then not again

This may be because you are issuing the same Gcode command twice in a row. Issuing G0x100 once will move X to 100. Issue it again and X is already at 100, so it doesn't move (when in G90 absolute mode, which is the the default). Issue a G0x0 and it will move back from 100 to 0.

Motor turns, but travels way too much or too little

This is almost always a grbl settings issue. The xPro 'factory' default is 8x microsteps on each axis

Spark Concepts Cnc Xpro Controller

Motor only turns one direction

Cnc Xpro Controller Stepper Driver

This usually indicates that only one winding is getting power.

Cnc Stepper Drivers

Check your motor connections. This is sometimes accompanied by erratic motor movement at low RPMs

Motors turn, but drop steps (grinding noise), stop and start, stall, cut out, or other motion problems occur

If the motors are running but drop steps or otherwise do not run reliably when under load there are a number of possible issues. These are listed in 'root cause' order (more or less). Earlier items should be verified first or the later items can only compensate for problems in the earlier items. Otherwise you might be able to get the machine to work for you but it won't be optimally tuned. Some of these topics are also covered in Connecting the xPro

Gecko Stepper Drivers

Problems in the mechanical system: If one or more axes has too much friction or resistance to motion then the motors may not run reliably at high speeds or under load. Steppers lose torque as the speed goes up, so some symptoms show up as the speed increases. https://browniron.amebaownd.com/posts/22811535.

Issue	Diagnosis / Solution
Too much cutting load	If you try to take out too much material in a cut or a plunge (Z axis) the machine can't handle it. Solution: reduce feed rates, use cutting oil.
Too much friction in travel	Mechanically disconnect the motor from the

Cnc Xpro Controller Stepper Drivers For Mac