Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
May 26, 2012, 05:08:40 PM

Login with username, password and session length
Search:     Advanced search
* Home Help Search Calendar Links Login Register
+  Machsupport Forum
|-+  Mach Discussion
| |-+  General Mach Discussion
| | |-+  Controller for New Hermes Vanguard 3000 Engraver
Pages: 1 2 3 4   Go Down
« previous next »
Print
Author Topic: Controller for New Hermes Vanguard 3000 Engraver  (Read 9762 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
xray_man
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 43



View Profile
« on: October 20, 2006, 02:04:44 PM »
Hi everyone! I'm a Newbie here with a question about my New Hermes engraver. The Vanguard 3000 is a 3-Axis rotary engraver that has a dedicated controller. I was wondering if anyone reading this has been able to replace the dedicated controller with a CNC controller card that plugs into a PC, running MACH3? The dedicated controller is not CNC, but rather uses font cartridges which limits its versatility. I want to be able to engrave graphics as well as text.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  THANKS!
« Last Edit: October 20, 2006, 02:07:03 PM by xray_man » Logged
Some people are like a Slinky -- not much good for anything, but it brings a smile to your face when you shove it down a flight of stairs.
Yodawill2000
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 110


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2006, 02:24:02 PM »
Does the engraver use steppers for the 3 axis's ?
If so it shouldnt be to hard to get it going.
Logged
xray_man
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 43



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2006, 02:42:53 PM »
Yes, it uses 3 standard steppers. The problem is that the engraving table has a large, multi-pin plug on it that mates with the controller/computer. I was told that there is a card that plugs into a PC that can replace the dedicated controller, but I am not able to locate it anywhere.
Logged
Some people are like a Slinky -- not much good for anything, but it brings a smile to your face when you shove it down a flight of stairs.
Yodawill2000
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 110


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2006, 02:53:25 PM »
Seems like you can get a 3 axis stepper controller that uses parallel and bypass the controller
that is has now.
But then the Font cartridge thing would be gone.
Logged
xray_man
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 43



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2006, 03:04:48 PM »
I don't care about the font cartridges. Can you point me to cheap CNC controller that will operate off the parallel port?
Logged
Some people are like a Slinky -- not much good for anything, but it brings a smile to your face when you shove it down a flight of stairs.
Hood
Guest
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2006, 03:48:42 PM »
Xylotex do a three axis board for $155
 http://www.xylotex.com/3axBoard.htm
 Teamed with Mach it should do all you want.
Hood
Logged
xray_man
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 43



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2006, 04:05:26 PM »
Hey Hood --- That's PERFECT!  THANKS!!!!!!!!   Grin
Logged
Some people are like a Slinky -- not much good for anything, but it brings a smile to your face when you shove it down a flight of stairs.
Hood
Guest
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2006, 04:08:43 PM »
Just make sure your steppers are compatible.

Hood
Logged
xray_man
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 43



View Profile
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2006, 04:29:01 PM »
Okay, will do.  Thanks again!
Logged
Some people are like a Slinky -- not much good for anything, but it brings a smile to your face when you shove it down a flight of stairs.
xray_man
Active Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 43



View Profile
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2006, 09:38:07 PM »
I contacted Xylotex Support via Email and he (Jeff) told me that my Engraver steppers will work with their 3-axis controller, so I went ahead and purchased the controller and a 24V power supply. After I receive the controller I'll have a ton of work wiring up the 3 steppers and 5 limit switches. I'll also need to define an M-code for spindle on/off and wire in a relay.  I'll post more comments here as I get more into the project.

If anyone else reading this has experience using MACH with a New Hermes engraver that you converted to CNC from the original dedicated controller, please tell me about it. I'd like to learn from your mistakes and successes!  Smiley

Thanks!
Logged
Some people are like a Slinky -- not much good for anything, but it brings a smile to your face when you shove it down a flight of stairs.
Pages: 1 2 3 4   Go Up
Print
« previous next »
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.16 | SMF © 2011, Simple Machines Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!