Software says its going, but it ain't

Fellas,

I assembled a secondhand (or thirdhand) PRT Alpha 5x12 machine over the last couple of weeks. I bought the thing a year ago, and just now have gotten around to messing with it.

I got the thing all together, and had some other minor glitches that I worked through, but I can't get the thing to move at all. It's in move/cut mode, not preview, and the machine coordinates on the control panel will change, but the machine doesn't do a thing. There are alarm LEDs on all of the drivers that are lit.
I saw the thing run before I bought it, and then it was disassembled and has been in secure storage for a year, so I don't know why the drivers would go bad. Maybe I'm missing something? I hope I'm missing something?

I'll email SB on Mon, but you know how it is - got the thing all together and wanted to cut something - ANYTHING, right now! :)

New to SB, new to CNC, so be patient with me!

Thanks,

Brent

Did you download the latest control software. Shopbot is continually updating it.

Try running speedtest which is under program files, shopbot, diagnostics and see if it can find the shopbot then run the speedtest. That should tell you if you have communications. Once you have communications, update your firmware just to be sure. Then try it again and report back what your status is.

Have you loaded the firmware from your computer to the controller?

I have verified that the computer is talking to the controller and that the firmware has been loaded. It gave me an option to do that at startup, and it was successful.
I'm a little concerned that the expensive drivers are damaged, but I don't know how that would have happened.
I have not upgraded the control software, i don't have internet access at the shop yet. I used the control software that came on a disk with the machine. It is the software that was in use when the machine was demo'd for me.
I can get it onto a flash drive and take it over there, but my limited logic can't place that as the problem, since it has operated on that version since birth.
What do the red alarm LEDs mean on the front of the drivers?
I'd like to hear that it doesn't mean they are toast.

Thanks,
Brent

what shopbot are you trying to get working IE PR PRT PRS

If the drivers are Gecko's there should only be one light lit and it is simply a power on indicator. If you don't know what they are take a shot and post it.

His first post said it was a PRT Alpha.

He say's 'PRT Alpha' in first message, so they are alpha not geckos.

If the alarm light is on on every controller, I'd suspect a stepper power supply problem or something like that that would affect them all.

Have you called tech support? May take a while for them to get back to you on the weekend, but they usually do.

The silver box on the top right in the picture is the power supply for the steppers. (mine looks a little different, but in same position)

I'm not an expert on the wiring of an alpha control box, but I'd check if the proper voltage was coming out of this power supply. If not, is power going into it? If power is going in, but not out - power supply has likely gone bad. If no power going in, then i'd trace back and see if I had a stuck or bad contactor or a blown fuse.

I tend to doubt blown controllers as it's unlikely all would be affected.

Would be best to contact shopbot support, but this is something I'd try as troubleshooting if it were my own machine.