Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: oldiron on November 28, 2012, 04:59:25 PM
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The Anilam on my Supermax an I are about to part ways. >:( It looks like I'm headed for a Mach3 control with an eithernet smoothstepper and new drives for my existing servos. I'm new to the game and my only experience with a CNC is the Anilam so I'm asking what buttons are the most useful for the control I'll be building. I'll be using a keyboard, touch screen and a MPG. I'm sure some of the most used functions are handier on buttons. What are your "must have" buttons?
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iintrested to hear to answers to this one. i am just about to build a control panel and have written my list but i do think i have gone overboard on the amount of buttons i need
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On the Beaver Mill I have Start, Hold, Stop, Flood, Mist, Spindle toggle, GoToZero, G0Z10, Drawbar, Computer On, Spindle Disable. I then have Feed and Spindle Overrie pots and two rotary switches, one to select the Axis for MPG and the other to select between continuous MPG jog and different increments.
On the lathes I have similar but one indexes the turret manually and another two to open/close Hydraulic chuck.
Hood
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I have a custom pendant that does most everything I need:
EStop
Run, FeedHold, Stop
Jogging all axes (Step/Velocity and Continuous modes)
Setting jog increment or continuous jog speed
Mist/Flood Coolant, Spindle on/off
Homing all axes
Probing all axes in both directions to set fixture offsets
Grab/Release PDB
Cycle toolchanger
ToolComp on/off
This is all shoe-horned into an off-the-shelf pendant with an MPG, EStop switch, two six-position rotary switches, and a single push-button switch.
I also have a dedicated control panel next to the computer display which duplicates many/most of these controls.
For actual on-machine controls, I would stick with those you really need when doing setup, plus, of course, E-Stop.
Regards,
Ray L.
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EStop
Run, FeedHold, Stop
Jogging all axes (Step/Velocity and Continuous modes)
Setting jog increment or continuous jog speed
Mist/Flood Coolant, Spindle on/off
Homing all axes
Probing all axes in both directions to set fixture offsets
Grab/Release PDB
Cycle toolchanger
ToolComp on/off
This is all shoe-horned into an off-the-shelf pendant with an MPG, EStop switch, two six-position rotary switches, and a single push-button switch.
Regards,
Ray L.
Hi Ray,
I'm a old time user(rather LONG time user ;)) who's been dormant for a while and want to put together a pendant. Do you have a thread somewhere where you detail your pendant wiring and coding?
...not that I will use ALL your functions..
Thanks,
John Meissner
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John,
No, I don't. What I did was bought a VistaCNC P2 pendant (they don't seem to make this one any more, but it's almost identical to the P1A). I then opened it up, re-wired it to use RS232 instead of USB, and completely re-wrote the firmware to suit my needs. It works flawlessly, and I can very easily modify it to make it do whatever I want it to. I'd be happy to post the modified firmware if you want to go that route.
Regards,
Ray L.
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John,
I'd be happy to post the modified firmware if you want to go that route.
Regards,
Ray L.
Ray, I want you to be happy! So sure, go ahead and post the modified firmware. You are convincing that that is the route to go!
Thanks!...I'll surely appreciate seeing and attempting to emulate your work.
John
p.s. I have the Nemicon MPG, the estop switch, and the two 6 position switches and parts i'm sure i have in my stash. The case? Well, I'd start by making a crude one and refine if I follow through with this.
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whats involved with adding the rotary switches for spindle and feed override?
do you also then have a feed reset button?
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It is potentiometers that are used for the overrides. You need a means of getting an analogue signal in to Mach to use them. I have done that via a PLC on most of my machines but the CSMIO controllers that I have used on the wee lathe, and will be using on the Chiron, have analogue inputs built into them. No need for a reset button when using a pot as simply turning the pot to mid position sets to 100%
You could use a rotary switch to have the overrides set to different levels and you could do that with normal inputs but obviously you would just have steps rather than infinte variability. Another option, which I had on my Computurn lathe in the begionning, is to have 3 buttons, one for Down, one Up and the other Reset. I had a Brain look at these inputs and keeping them pressed would lower or raise the override in steps. It worked well but not as well as a pot.
Hood
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I like the sounds of a pot. any more info on the CSMIO that you speak of
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It is CS-Lab in Poland that make the controllers, they have a few different versions but all have 24v I/O and 0-10v analogue I/O. I have the CSMIO/IP-S on the wee lathe and will be using the CSMIO/IP-A on the Chiron. Heres a link to their site.
http://www.cs-lab.eu/en/index.php
Hood
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so looking at that i assume that would be something you would use instead of a smooth stepper.?
is it pretty much a smooth steeper and bob all in one?
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Yes, its kind of like a SS on steroids ;D
The CSMIO/IP-S has differential Step/Dir and can pulse to 4MHz like the SS, it also has 24v I/O and the analogue I/O. With the analogue you can use the inputs for your overrides and the outputs can directly control a VFD via 0-10v signals, so no need for a separate spindle controller.
The CSMIO/IP-A is similar except instead of Step/Dir outputs it is analogue for controlling servo amplifiers that only accept analogue control input.
The CSMI/IP-M is sort of the baby brother of the S, it has less I/O and only 4 Axis and only 125KHz pulsing but it still has the analogue I/O for overrides and spindle speed.
Hood
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John,
I'd be happy to post the modified firmware if you want to go that route.
Regards,
Ray L.
Ray, I want you to be happy! So sure, go ahead and post the modified firmware. You are convincing that that is the route to go!
Thanks!...I'll surely appreciate seeing and attempting to emulate your work.
John
p.s. I have the Nemicon MPG, the estop switch, and the two 6 position switches and parts i'm sure i have in my stash. The case? Well, I'd start by making a crude one and refine if I follow through with this.
My pendant source code is below. This is for PIC18, though could be easily ported to pretty much any MCU.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Heh Ray,
I think I'm gonna need quite a bit of "other" parts(and knowledge). The closest I've been to programming was to flash the chip on the schumatech DRO350. So I think your pendant is over my head. :-[ BUT!
From viewing your posts throughout the forums, it is apparent that you are a fine teacher. Maybe someday you would put together a "step by step" tutorial on the making/modifying of your pendant?
For now, I'm thinking it would be better to just negotiate with SWMBO for a ready made unit. ;D
Thanks,
John
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Heh Ray,
I think I'm gonna need quite a bit of "other" parts(and knowledge). The closest I've been to programming was to flash the chip on the schumatech DRO350. So I think your pendant is over my head. :-[ BUT!
From viewing your posts throughout the forums, it is apparent that you are a fine teacher. Maybe someday you would put together a "step by step" tutorial on the making/modifying of your pendant?
For now, I'm thinking it would be better to just negotiate with SWMBO for a ready made unit. ;D
Thanks,
John
Well.... I'm afraid that wouldn't really be enough. It would take considerable programming to make it work with Mach, as there has to be a "driver" on the PC side to receive the RS232 messages, and perform the actions. I do this with a KFlop, and that driver is DSP code running on the KFlop itself. For Mach3, a VB macropump would have to be written. It's not rocket science, but certainly beyond the capabilities of someone pretty good at programming.
However, Vista does have their own Mach3 drivers for all of their pendants. They don't implement quite as much functionality as mine, but they're still pretty darned good for the money.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Yes, its kind of like a SS on steroids ;D
The CSMIO/IP-S has differential Step/Dir and can pulse to 4MHz like the SS, it also has 24v I/O and the analogue I/O. With the analogue you can use the inputs for your overrides and the outputs can directly control a VFD via 0-10v signals, so no need for a separate spindle controller.
The CSMIO/IP-A is similar except instead of Step/Dir outputs it is analogue for controlling servo amplifiers that only accept analogue control input.
The CSMI/IP-M is sort of the baby brother of the S, it has less I/O and only 4 Axis and only 125KHz pulsing but it still has the analogue I/O for overrides and spindle speed.
Hood
intresting. i plan to retrofit my lathe so maybe this is a better option than the s/steeper/bob/dc-03 etc. alot neater solution bay far.
have you found it a good little unit? easy to program etc?
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The threading is not perfect yet and that is the one thing I hope will be fixed up, it doesnt pull out instantly at the end of the thread so it cuts an annular groove. Not a problem on some threads but it is on a lot I do. Other than that it seems extremely nice, for a mill I have no hesitation. If the threading gets sorted I can see the big lathe getting one fitted.
As for the plugin, it is the nicest and easiest I have seen, then again not looked at any of the others (except ESS/SS) recently, so possibly they have improved.
Hood
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Thanks for the input. So far it looks like I'm going with Start/Run, Hold, Single step, Mach reset, VFD reset, E STOP, Main power, PC power, Coolant HOA, Spindle HOA. Can an output be set to mimic the on screen "reset button" condition, eg. flashing, steady on, off? If so how?
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Thanks for the input. So far it looks like I'm going with Start/Run, Hold, Single step, Mach reset, VFD reset, E STOP, Main power, PC power, Coolant HOA, Spindle HOA. Can an output be set to mimic the on screen "reset button" condition, eg. flashing, steady on, off? If so how?
That can be done using a macropump to toggle the output controlling the light.
Regards,
Ray L.
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i have start hold stop. feed+ feed-. jogx+ jogx- y+ y- z+z-. estop reset. rotary switch selects between mpg and jog buttons. rotary switch selects in mpg mode velocity, single step, step. groups of buttons around the mpg handwheel to select the axis to use.
keypad to select the mach screens and to zero each axis.