Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: HGC on January 14, 2009, 02:43:35 PM
-
I just bought a Hardinge precision CNC lathe. The retrofit is a Servo Products CNC System Model 8000. It has a 25 pin printer hook up. Can Mach3 run on this type of setup? Thanks!
-
Do you have any links to documentation or have pdf's that you can attach to the forum?
Hood
-
i've got the operating and programming manual and a pile of wiring schematics. what kind of info are you looking for.
-
Pinout of the 25pin connector would possibly be enough, certainly for a start anyway.
Hood
-
Not sure what to look for.
-
If you could scan any wiring schematics you have we may see something there.
Hood
-
See if this helps. I have no idea what I'm looking at.
-
That doesn't look too promising, the first two prints indicate the 25 pin connector is a serial interface comm port. Mach3 cannot control it over that port.
You might be able to dig deeper into the machine controls and find a place where Mach3 can talk to the motor driver boards by giving them step and direction pulses, but not here at this serial interface port.
What I would do is open the machine up and look for the motor drivers and get nameplate info on them ( they will usually be a discrete module for each motor, either a servo driver or stepper driver) Then post that info and maybe someone can help.
Arnie
-
Found this print. Couldn't see any nameplate on the drives. I'll look again.
-
Reference the attached print.
1. Servo Products Machine Interface D-3634-A
2. Servo Products Resolver Interface Analog Section D-3642-C
3. Servo Products Resolver Interface Digital Section D-3646-C
4. Servo Products 4 Channel DAC D-3658-C
5. Servo Products Front Panel Interface D-3817-B
6. Servo Products MAX CPU D-5454
-
It could be done but wont be just a straight swap, for a start your motors have resolvers and tachs which suggest that the drives (Amps ) will be analogue, that is no use for Mach. Rutex do a Step/Dir to analogue converter but so far I have not seen anyone that has used one. DSPMC do a motion controller that can control analogue drives and it seeminly works well but it is fairly expensive. You will also have a lot of figuring out to do but as has been said you could convert but not just a case of plugging it in.
Hood
-
Sounds like my retrofit for my retrofit will cost more than I have in the whole lathe. Crap.
-
What current and voltage are your motors?
Hood
-
Pitman 19.1 VDC
-
that seems very low, was expecting 180 or 190V, what is the current of them? Or do you have a model number.
Hood
-
You are talking about the axis motors right?
-
yes, they are servo motors arent they?
Hood
-
This is the X axis motor. bad photo.
-
certainly look like dc servos, bit hard to tell from the pic, are there just two heavy wires to the motor itself? Any details or model numbers on the motor? What size is the lathe as the resolver size makes it look like the motor is fairly small.
Hood
-
Yes there are only 2 big wires. The motors are Pittman #13204C187 19.1 VDC. Attached is a photo of the lathe. It is a small one. Only 17" or so between centers.
-
Ok will look for info on the motors later but from seeing the pic I am sure you will be able to replace the drives with ones such as Geckos which may reduce the retrofit cost, suppose it depends on what kind of budget you have for this retrofit.
Hood
-
Cant find any info on your specific motor but they should run fine from Gecko drive (G320), you will also need encoders to replace the tach and resolvers and a breakout board. I presume the power supply that is currently used would be fine so apart from a computer that is probably all you would need.
Hood