Ethernet

Smoothstepper (ESS) Setup Guide

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This guide provides step by step setup instructions for the Ethernet Smoothstepper (or ESS)
with your CNC Router Parts electronics and Mach 3. If you have additional questions or run
into issues, feel free to contact us (http://www.cncrouterparts.com/contact_us.php).
Additional documentation can be found on the Warp9 (the manufacturer of
Smoothstepper) website (http://www.warp9td.com/index.php/documentation), where their manual
can be downloaded.

1. Installing Mach 3 and Pre-Configured XML File

Please install Mach 3 first before attempting the instructions in this guide.
You will also want to follow the instructions to download and install the XML file from
our site that matches your electronics as this file will be modified during the ESS
installation. Install it before installing the ESS to avoid duplicating some of the software
steps outlined below. (http://www.cncrouterparts.com/mach-3-xml-files-p-161.html)

2. Supplying power to the Smoothstepper and setting jumpers

The ESS requires 5V power to operate, and can receive it by one of two different
methods (but not both!):

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If you are using the ESS with PMDX-126 card (as sold in some of our Nema 34 kits), you
can supply power to it via the 26 pin cables supplied with your kit these are equipped to
carry 5V power on pin 26 of these connectors. Please see our ESS Installation with PMDX
Guide for details on setting the jumpers properly on both the ESS and the PMDX-126 card.
(http://www.cncrouterparts.com/ethernet-smoothstepper-installation-guide-for-nema-34-p-274.html)

For PMDX-126 configuration, the Pin 26 5V Jumpers should be ON for Ports 1, 2, and 3,
and nothing should be plugged into the External 5V Input.
For installations with other breakout boards (or with the G540), an external 5V power
source needs to be connected to the green power terminals on the ESS. For G540 or other
breakout board configurations, the Pin 26 5V Jumpers should be OFF for Ports 1, 2, and 3,
and 5V should be supplied to the External 5V Input. There are multiple ways you can
power the 5V on the board -- a 5V wall supply, a small regulated power supply, or DIN Rail
power supply. A USB cable can also be used to power the system from your PC. Typically,
the red wire from a USB cable is 5V, while the black wire is V-, but cheap cables
sometimes do not follow proper color coding, so it is worth verifying with a multimeter
before plugging in. It is very important not to wire 5V power backwards, as this can
damage the board. You can disregard the data wires. If you have questions on this, please
contact us.

For all configurations, the Config Jumper should be OFF. This jumper is only used for
troubleshooting, and sets the board to BOOTP communication mode for communication
with a utility program called the configurator when ON. In this mode, Mach3 is not able to
communicate with the ESS. For all normal operations, this jumper should be OFF.

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3. Install Ethernet Smoothstepper Plugin

This plugin can be downloaded from Warp9s website (http://www.warp9td.com/index.php/sw).
You will need to unzip the file.

You should then be able to double click on it, which runs the installer. When the installer
has executed successfully, you should see a message that it has installed:

This simply renames the file extension from .m3p to .dll and copies it to your
C:\Mach3\Plugins folder. To verify success, you can check to see if the file is present in
this folder:

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4. Plug in Ethernet Cable

Your Ethernet cable should now be plugged in to both your PC and the Ethernet
Smoothstepper.

5. Configuring your PC Ethernet Settings

The ESS communicates with your PC over the Ethernet port, so your PC needs to be set up
to talk with it. Please note that the ESS should be connected directly to the PC port (not
through a router or switch). This will disable wired LAN/internet connectivity on this
port, so if you also require this connectivity, you will need a wireless adapter or another
Ethernet card.
First, go to Control Panels from the Start or Windows menu:

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Select Network and Internet:

Select Network and Sharing Center:

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From the pane on the left side of the page, select Change adapter settings.

At this point, you may find you have multiple network adapters. Make sure to select the
one that you have plugged into the ESS, and make sure that the adapter is enabled (does
not have a red X next to it). Right click the icon and select Properties.

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You will then select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) from the list of options, and
click the Properties button.

Select the Use the following IP address button, and then configure the settings as shown
below. IP Address should be 10.9.9.1, subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0:

Exit back to the Control Panel main screen.

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6. Allowing Firewall Access for Mach / ESS

Once back to the Control Panel main screen, click on System and Security

At the next page, under Windows Firewall, click on the Allow a program through
Windows Firewall:

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You will then need to click on the Change Settings button in order to allow programs
through the firewall:

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After you select this, scroll down in the list until you find either Mach3 CNC Application
or Mach3 Loader (depends on version of Mach and plugin). For either of these, check
the box to the left of the program, then make sure there is a check in the boxes for both
Home/Work (Private) and Public. The ESS sometimes makes use of either type of
network, so needs to be allowed through on both:

7. Launch Mach 3 from the Loader

Launch Mach 3 by double clicking the Mach 3 Loader icon on your desktop. This will
allow you to select the pre-configured XML profile that you installed in step 1
(http://www.cncrouterparts.com/mach-3-xml-files-p-161.html):

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Select the profile you installed earlier for your machine (the one shown in the example
below is for a G540 based system):

8. Configure IP Address for Smoothstepper to 10.9.9.9

Once Mach opens, you will be given the chance to select what interface to use. Select the
ESS interface. We recommend leaving the Dont ask me this again checkbox unchecked
until you have everything confirmed and working.

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You will then likely be greeted with the following error message:

Click No to config, which will bring up the following screen with 0.0.0.0 set for the
SmoothStepper Board IP Address. Change this IP Address to 10.9.9.9 (the default IP
address of the ESS):

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If everything is configured correctly, you should see the following page:

Select Yes some of these values can be edited later if necessary, but in general the
default values work quite well. You should then see the following menu:

Hit OK to dismiss this message.

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9. Save settings and shut down Mach

To save settings, simply select Save Settings from the Config menu. You can then exit
Mach by selecting Exit from the File menu. This will complete your installation. The
ESS settings are now saved in your XML profile, so the next time you launch Mach through
the loader, it should connect automatically.

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