Motor direction problem

I have just built a small CNC milling machine and am having a strange problem.
I am using a genuine Arduino Uno that is driving 3x TB6560 stepper drivers that are controlling NEMA 17 steppers.
The firmware is EstlCAM and I have it setup without any limit switches or probe at this stage, I just wanted to get the motors driving correctly and the stepping sorted.
The distances are all correct and the speeds are good too, but the problem I have is that all three motors only moving in one direction, no matter which direction I choose.
After checking and rechecking many times, I am at a loss to know what to check out next.
Maybe someone can think of something that I have not thought of???

Thanks

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[regpye.com.au]
"Experience is the mother of all knowledge." --Leonardo da Vinci

... invert the "polarity" of the respective reference/endstop switches in the firmware.

This "only one direction" is common for "triggered" homing switches ... which endstops are "triggered", can be easy tested with the "M119" code ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Thanks Viktor,
I have no homing switches and non are assigned in the firmware either. Homing is not activated.
The firmware controller doesn't show any limits being activated either.
I have reversed the direction within the firmware and the motors go the other way as expected, but still only move in one direction.
The firmware is EstlCAM so maybe not many know about this (it looks really great)

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[regpye.com.au]
"Experience is the mother of all knowledge." --Leonardo da Vinci

... have you sent the M119 code? -- It will return the status of all endstops, regardless, if they are installed or not.

This "one direction" issue is mostly connected to endstops or "wrong" read levels of input pins ... otherwise you have a software problem ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Yes I have tried sending M119, but it seems that is not a command that EstlCAM knows. I get no response when I enter that.
At the bottom of the screen there is a band that appears if anything is wrong and nothing is appearing.
This band is in orange colour and has text displaying any error found at anytime, like comm port not found, etc.

I have attached the list of commands available.

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[regpye.com.au]
"Experience is the mother of all knowledge." --Leonardo da Vinci

I have taken some screen shots of the settings of the limits,.
Inputs 2 shows what happens if I invert the polarity, the software is aware of a problem and marks the buttons in red.
The homing screen shot shows that I have assigned nothing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2018 05:57PM by regpye.

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[regpye.com.au]
"Experience is the mother of all knowledge." --Leonardo da Vinci

... ah, then this is EstlCAM typical behaviour, not as with the "RepRap"-type firmwares and softwares, where the M119 command will show the endstops status.

Could be, you have to activate the endstops (even if not installed) and set to the "not triggered" value - but this is only guessing ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Solved the problem, I found the error. (My error)
I re-flashed the board with GRBL and after taking the wiring apart and testing one motor at a time with UGS I found that I had mixed up the direction wires for the motors.
I had used white wire for the direction on all motors and coloured wires for the step wires (blue, green, yellow) It was easy to get the white wires mixed and I found the problem when I undid the loom.
Got the machine working now with EstlCAM , just need to set the currents the currents and other settings to make it smoother.

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[regpye.com.au]
"Experience is the mother of all knowledge." --Leonardo da Vinci

OK, I have the machine working and have done a few test cuts.
I have found that the cuts are mirrored to the CAD file and have no idea on how to change that on the machine.
I can mirror the CAD file, but that is not the right way to do things.

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[regpye.com.au]
"Experience is the mother of all knowledge." --Leonardo da Vinci

... you have to invert the axis direction (and the homing direction too) ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]