Messages

1

dspMC/IP Motion Controller / Re: Converting Wadkin UX Router to DspMC, a couple of unknowns

« on: March 04, 2015, 01:41:05 PM »

Hello,

I am back, one week after my wadkin travelled to my shed.
Things are making progress....
The 3 axes are running
Reset of axes is working
NUM720 crashed several time with memory error message : after looking at the main cpu board, problem is mostly due to the NIMH 2.4V battery which was out cahrge for 3 years now.
Consequence : no more program in memory ... no longer %9999.9 program whainch answer error message and most probably contains macros for tool changer.
Matt, thanks again for your schematics, even if it is not the same CN and PLC, most of the machine seems to be identical.

Next problem is running the spindle .... it does not answer to a M3 after an S1000... writing that makes me thinking that 1000 RPM is maybe under the lower limit ... I will try 7000!
Does somebody have an idea?
Another possible cause would be a extraction flow monitor which seems to be installed in MAtt's machine. This air flow also cools down the spindle ... But I can't see it in my machine.

Would somebody have a copy of this %9999.9 program that I can read to get a feeling? There is maybe something hidden in it!

The major trouble which prevented the axis to work  was the horizontal tools changer mouvement which was stuck at the middle of its travel. I wondered why the end sw of the cylinders did not lit ... two reasons : first the cylinder was not at the end and second : the four contacts were reversed wired. Magnetic contact perfectly worked but not the leds. Strange for a 25 years old machine .. This proves again that things that are not tested may be only half good.

My intent is still to convert this machine using Mach3 or 4 but for doing that I would appreciate to be able to see every part working as they been conceived especially tool changer. Some video of the cycle would help a lot.

Next time, next step
Gerard 

2

dspMC/IP Motion Controller / Re: Converting Wadkin UX Router to DspMC, a couple of unknowns

« on: February 24, 2015, 04:49:28 AM »

Hello gentlemen

Thanks Matt for this quick answer and update on your conversion.
I don't fill confortable giving the safety or critical tasks of the machine to a pc running mach3... this stays a pc!
I atready encouter this latency problem with brain which prevents doing things where response time if critical.
My approach will be to  try to keep a PLC inside the machine (the best would be to keep this Num PLC...with its program ... soft start, tools changer ...)

Attached is a picture of my machine, this is roughly the same than Matt's machine except the electrical box is attached to the back of the machine. This position is a problem for me about space to implement the machine. A the top of the space needed by the electrical box, need space to open the doors and access.

About digital consoles ... I was working for Innovason consoles in France before beeing bought by a German company .... Brand still exists.

Matt, do you think it would be possible to send me  a copy (scan) of electrical schematics of your machine? I would appreciate. Thanks in advance.

Bye bye

3

dspMC/IP Motion Controller / Re: Converting Wadkin UX Router to DspMC, a couple of unknowns

« on: February 22, 2015, 10:56:41 AM »

Hello everybody,
First of all, please be indulgent with my english ... i am french!
Let me introduce myself: I am between 50 and 60 years old ... this is my forth work life and always built cnc machines in my sapre time , Wrote my own cnc sw in the 90's upto internet exists ans i found people dedicated to that with a much better software named MACH3 ...My background is mostly electronics and acoustic, my last job : building very large digital audio mixing console for concert.
I have built and run something like ten CNC machines, from very small to quite large and fixed another dozen ... but still learning...

Two days ago I bought a 1992 Wadkin UXCLC3
This the subject that makes me write something here because I have the same objectiv than Bungle: move that cnc from its NUM720 to Mach3 and DSPMC or the same from the competition. I now sure that everybody will give me the arguments to go with DSPMC

At first I thought i will be quite easy ... but the machine is quite complex and the powerfull servo and spindle drive me to be think "Safety first" which makes things more complex.

My first approach was to keep the wiring and NUM IO modules and that think "It Should BE possible" to connect the optical fiber to MACH3 with some magical driver or plugin... but NUM is not talking a lot about its proprietatry protocol (RS485 if we remove fiber)... any idea on this point?

I can read that Bungle did the same : congratulations Bungle, you are two years in advance .... good.

Last (for my first post here) but not least : I have no electrical nor pneumatic schematics of my machine  ..... is it the same for you Bungle?

Thanks to spend time reading my approximative english.
Best regards
Gerard