Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Pearson Customs on September 12, 2006, 12:42:34 PM

Title: New here and have a few questions
Post by: Pearson Customs on September 12, 2006, 12:42:34 PM
Hi everyone Im Chad and have a 1988 supermax with a anilam crusader m controll on it and I cant get the rs-232 to work and I was referd here to look at this controll system. I like the looks of it and Im just not shure about the hooking the machine up part it might be over my head a bit. I have been machining for 10 years and build custom motorcycles but never putting a controll on a machine. Is there a step by step I can read or what is involved do I use any part of my old electrical cabinet? Im in Prior Lake Minnestoa if there is anyone around these parts that would be willing to give me a hand hooking this up feel free to contact me.
Thanks
Chad
www.pearsoncustoms.com
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: creep_pea on September 12, 2006, 01:54:56 PM
Chad

Have you watched the tutorial video, that would be a good starting place.

What are you intending doing driver whise i.e. do you intend hooking your existing drivers to the PC or buying new drivers?

Chris
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: Pearson Customs on September 12, 2006, 04:08:15 PM
Hi Chris, I watched the video and it looks like you set up the pins on the rs-232 port and then set the pc settings to match. I would like to use the existing drivers and run from the pc. Im going to download the trial and work on it a bit.
Thanks
Chad
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: creep_pea on September 13, 2006, 01:42:47 PM
Hi

Are you talking about setting the pins up on your printer port or a rs-232 port on your machine, if your on about the one on your machine then I think your on the wrong track.
I don't know anything about your machine but generally the rs-232 port on a machine is used to transfer programs to the machine control unit.
To connect your P.C. to your existing drivers you'll have to find out how and where the original control sent signals to the drivers.
You will probably need to find a suitable breakout board as well, I'm using hillbilly's one he posts on here every now and again, campbell make a good one too.

Cheers

Chris
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: olyb@xtra.co.nz on September 13, 2006, 03:15:57 PM
hi all,
I have a Taig with mps 2000 and would like to change to mach3....whats the simplest and best way.....please.
regards Alanh.
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: Pearson Customs on September 13, 2006, 04:11:44 PM
Hi Chris,
Ok I think Im on the right track here, I was looking at my boards and the imput from the controll, The extra board you are talking about would be the jumper board from machine to the pc correct? I have Anilam Electronics servos made by SEM, 140 V and 30 pulse amps will these work with the Mach 3? Is there more that would have to be switched over to make it run? I could take some pics if you want, sorry for all the questions Im just trying to figure out witch way to go either try and fix the machine rs port and use the old crusader m or just go with the mach 3 and have a newer controll. But I need the machine to run asap.
Thanks
Chad
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: creep_pea on September 13, 2006, 06:14:22 PM
Chad

I'm no expert on this matter but I guess it would be quicker and cheaper to sort the rs port out and run it with the original control. I've got a old Bridgeport boss that I've swapped over on to the Mach control but I don't think I could have done it without the help of hillbilly who I got the break out board off, he suppied me with instruction which made the process dead easy. I swapped over to make the machine easier to use and to be able to run decent length programs, the old boss was very limited in memory space.

A break out board can be just a simple board with wire connectors and a db25 plug to connect your PC's printer port to your machine, some boards are a lot more complex with opto isolators to help prevent you frying your PC if something goes wrong, have a read of this it explains why you need one http://www.campbelldesigns.com/breakout-board.php

As far as I know Mach can control any motors, it's the drivers that are the problem you'll have to find out if they accept step/direction signals or something else, I don't know alot about servos but I guess they have encoders for feedback and I haven't got a clue about what happens with them.

Cheers

Chris 

P.S. Just had a look at your website, freaked me out a bit, same age, same surname, same initials, love my bikes and I'm just starting to try and set up making bike bits to sell. Freaky
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: HillBilly on September 14, 2006, 07:05:51 AM
I have a Anilam GXM on a eagle Knee Mill I am getting ready to switch over. I am going to use the Pixie 100's to accept the step and direction signals (from Mach3) and the encoder signals (from the machine) to produce the 0-10v signals (for the servo drives).

The original drives are velocity controlled and the Pixie has a full PID loop for current controlled drives. I have used this arrangement with Galil controllers with no problem (If it does give any problems I have plenty of AMC drives to swap with the originals.).

Darek
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: Brian Barker on September 14, 2006, 07:14:51 AM
Can you tell us a bit more about the Pixie 100's :)
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: HillBilly on September 14, 2006, 07:23:12 AM
Sorry about that (I figured you guys knew everything.) He needs to put a plug in the third party hardware section!

www.skyko.com

Darek
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: Brian Barker on September 15, 2006, 10:12:18 PM
That should make it so the retro will not cost much at all :)
Title: Re: New here and have a few questions
Post by: shawn_clmachine on September 18, 2006, 12:31:55 AM
Anyone have experience or knowledge to compare the Skyko and Rutex products?