Benbox 3.7.99 not working with XYplotter/laser

#1

Hello!

I’m unable to get the Benbox software working with the XY plotter with laser. MDraw is working ok.

Symptoms: Benbox is controlling the laser on/off/intensity correctly. However, jt does not appear to be controlling the stepper motors properly. Moving X direction will cause X and then Y to move; same thing happens with trying to move only Y direction. I am updating the firmware using the Makeblock Orion choice (and yes, my board is Orion, at least that’s what’s silk-screened on the back of the board) with the makeblock-328p-20150606.hex file.

Using the g-code terminal on Benbox, M03 Lxx turns on the laser to proper intensity, M05 turns it off as expected. However, G01 X10, for example, moves the x axis left and then moves Y up; repeating this command moves X axis left and then Y down.

#2

I was on a call with the factory, couldn’t figure it out with them either. I remembered I had a Bus Pirate so hooked it to the X/Y step/dir pins in logic analyzer mode to see what was going on. Looks like for all moves (left, right, up, down) it always moves Y axis first, then X axis, moving with the laser on makes a stairstep pattern.

I’m thinking most likely something with the firmware rather than hardware since mDraw works ok (except for the ‘convert BMP to gray’)

OLS-zoomed.png983x448 9.21 KB

OLS-measured.png1229x593 43.3 KB

#3