Cant get Vortex rotary to operate on new Altmill setup

Community Discussion 📄 General
1

Ive checked for how to videos on the Sienci website and youtube for instructions on how to operate on my new Altmill set up.

I have the vortex mounted, I probed for Y, no problem but cant get the vortex motor to turn. The videos on Sienci labs refer to a breakout board on the Longmill controller on how to switch over but nothing on switching over on the Altmill.

Can anyone refer me to s specific video on youtube or Sience labs that will show me how to switch over from the regular Y travel to the Vortex ?

2

I do not have a link for you but are you aware that there are two versions for the Vortex? There is one for the Longmill with a normal stepper motor and there is one for the Altmill that uses a closed loop stepper motor.

Do you have the closed loop version for the Altmill?

3

yes I have the closed loop steppers

4

The controller for the Altmill does not use any sort of switch-over. The vortex is directly supported.

Having said that, I unfortunately can’t help out more since I do not own a vortex. I am sure that other people will chime in and get you going in the right direction.

Sorry ….

5

Hi Fordtruck,

I am even less equiped to help out than Jens, meaning I own no rotary, no Altmill and not even an SLB.

I wonder though, have you looked at the section specific for the closed loop rotary?

1 Like
6

Jens and spamming-Eddie:

Thanks for your help guys, after reading up about the closed loop steppers and the Vortex I now have it working. I had also forgotten the Y cable for power to the Vortex.

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7

just a word of caution regarding the Vortex closed stepper motor, if your power supply is always powered ON, the motor will be powered. I will have to install a power strip with on/off toggles to keep it powered off when not in use

8

@31fordtruck Be sure to set up the A axis resolution in gSender. Also, do not use the
“rotary” setting. Use the "4th axis setting.

9

ALL motors should be powered when your mill is on. I never shut my mill off. Very little power is dissipated if things just sit there. I don’t think the motors get warm at all (not tested though)

I might be off in my thinking that the motors are always on - if you were to give a command to stop the holding current, I would think that the motors would be considered to be off. I have never used such a gcode command and although I ‘think’ it’s there, I can’t say that I ‘ know’ it’s there.