I have just build the kit, (very nice by the way) and I'm setting up the motors. I can make the motors move by pressing Alt + F6 etc but when the motors stop they output a fairly loud high frequency whine or squeel. If I turn down the drive current enough then the whine goes away but the motor no longer moves correctly. This happens on both the X and Y axis, not turned up the current on the other axis yet.
I haven't seen anyone else reporting this so I'm wondering if this is normal? I can take a video if that would help.
If I switch off the "Motor Power" tick box the squeal stops straight away.
I am familiar with stepper motor drivers and have a 3D printer and CNC both using micro stepping drivers but I never hear anything out of them. Could be the TingG driver is using a stepper drive frequency in the audible range but hopefully not!?
Any ideas?
Last edited by assasinsareus on Wed Nov 11, 2015 7:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
When the motors are trying to hold certain positions, it does squeal. I haven't had the chance to investigate much further.
Thanks, good to know, could be the TinyG.
Is anyone else having this issue? It's not normal as far as I am aware unless the output frequency is in the audio range < 20KHz or we are hitting some kind of harmonic. Maybe you notice it less when the pump is on
It does sing somewhat when the motors are powered, the machine is actively holding position and motors are switched. How loud the noise is, depends on the position and what the microstepping settings happen to be in that position. That said, there might be something wrong with your Y. The noise in the beginning of your video is louder than I have ever heard, in the end where you move it and it finds a better position the sound becomes significantly smaller and sounds much more what I have used to.
I assume you have checked that there are no loose things in your machine that might promote resonances. You could also try to feel around; a noise source as loid as it appears to be, vibrates so much that I would think you could feel the source. If it is the Y drive tube, move the support bearing a bit, maybe there is a resonance there. Also, it is possible that there is something loose inside a motor, in which case it needs to be replaced.
I will have a hunt around and see if I can find the major noise contributor. Your right it does quiet down a lot after it's been moved around a bit so there is certainly hope. Also nice to know it's not meant to be this loud .
Well I had a good search around and the majority of the noise comes from the X motor, the Y motor and the table itself. Ramping up the current to the other two motors they are also humming a bit but these are fairly quiet.
It seems that my Ikea table is not ideal as it's not solid and amplifying some of the vibration. To top this off I have the machine sat on top of about a 5mm piece of card as I managed to scratch the hell out of the Ikea surface.
The motors and the shafts don't seem to be actually vibrating at least I can't seem to quieten the noisy at all by holding / dampening with my hand.
Anyway I am most of the way through calibration now and so will continue and let you know how I'm getting on or if I find anything interesting.
Last edited by assasinsareus on Thu Nov 12, 2015 5:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I am also using a hollow (paper honeycomb structure) IKEA table, but due to the fact that I screwed down the y axis very close to the left edge where the structure is replaced by solid mdf) the noise is not disturbing after I adjusted the current of all steppers to a minimal but without any step loss current.
Now the fan cooling the tinyG is the main noise source when the machine is not in action.
The a axis motor btw. gets hot very easily, so try to set that current as low as possible.
I have a CNC mill whose 3 steppers also give a humming sound due the PWM signal used to lower the power down to a given hold level and is then raised by the controller when axis is to move. So IMO that humming is a normal fact.
Probably the level depends on the PWM frequency and on how the steppers coils and the metal sheets are made. I do suspect that the steppers are from China and are not assembled in the best possible manner.
I use some 4000Hz PWM controlled brush-less motors and there I perceive different squealing levels from the motors using the same controller.
