Messages

41

General Mach Discussion / Port addressing when using a smooth stepper?

« on: March 27, 2009, 09:55:43 PM »

He everyone, I'm trying to get my setup up and running.  I have a few issues that I think may be related to my port address's used in Mach 3.

I am running a smooth stepper (USB connection to PC) with a PMDX-122 on Port 1 and a Sound Logic Encoder Interface board on Port 2.  I understand how to input the port address's when you use a printer port connection but how do you find the correct address to use when using a smooth stepper board?

Do you still go to Control Panel/system/hardware/device manager/ then where? 

Currently it's just using the default address's that came up when I installed Mach 3.  Port 1 listed as 0x378 and Port 2 is 0x278 in Mach 3 now.

42

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help with Mach3 setup (newbie Q's)

« on: March 09, 2009, 11:18:42 PM »

The SL encoder interface board showed up today.  Reading thru the info, it appears as though you can hook your rotary encoders up directly to the board, then output the encoder signal from the board to the Gecko's.  So when machining manually you retain the DRO's.  I didn't know this was possible with rotary encoders.  I thought you had to have a seperate method to monitor position (like glass scales).  Does it make sense to retain the glass scales and use both or should I remove the glass scales and only use the rotary encoders?

43

General Mach Discussion / Help with Mach3 setup (newbie Q's)

« on: March 09, 2009, 07:03:34 PM »

I've got my PC setup with Mach 3 installed.  My SmoothStepper is also installed and working properly.  I'm about to start wiring up everything (Gecko G320's, encoders, glass scales, Hitachi VFD, E-stop, limit switches, etc).  Looking thru the Mach 3 guides I've come up with a few questions that I was hoping someone could help me out with...

I'm installing rotary encoders on my servo's which will provide the feedback to the Gecko's, pretty straight forward.  The machine also has glass scales installed that I plan to retain so that I can use the DRO when using the machine manually.  Originally I thought I had to use a sound logic encoder board from Rogers Machine (which I have purchased but not received yet) to accomplish this.  However, after reading the Mach 3 manual again, can't I just connect the glass scales to the differential inputs on the SS to do the same thing?  Or does the Encoder board come with some additional software?

Another question about the Sound Logic encoder board, does it just plug into one of the 26 pin headers on the SS board?  Or does it have to go back to the PC to a parallel port?

As far as inputs/outputs go for Mach 3, can I just choose whichever Port/Pin I need as long as I choose one that is assigned to an input or output as necessary?

Anyone know the connector part numbers needed to connect wiring directly to Port 1 on the SS board?

Thanks!

44

General Mach Discussion / Re: General Tapping questions (which way makes more sense)?

« on: March 04, 2009, 02:28:45 PM »

Just to be sure, rigid tapping is defined as having the tap mounted rigidly in the spindle?

What affect does the underfeed paramenter have on it?  Does this cause the tap to pull the holder downward a small amount while entering the material?  Thanks

45

General Mach Discussion / Re: General Tapping questions (which way makes more sense)?

« on: March 04, 2009, 11:57:08 AM »

Thanks Paul,

I looked at a floating tap holder and it appears as though it allows the tap to move in and out a little ways (0.3" inwards, 0.5" outwards for the one I looked at) so that the feed rate into and out of the material doesn't have to match the rpm perfectly?  Is this correct?

I plan to use my breakout board to control the VFD as well, rpm, forward reverse, etc.  Can you perform the same tapping function with out a floating tap holder?  Would this be called rigid tapping?  Or is this not possible...  Still learning...

46

General Mach Discussion / General Tapping questions (which way makes more sense)?

« on: March 04, 2009, 10:51:36 AM »

I'm new to all of this and just doing my retrofit right now.  I would like to add a sensor to the machine for spindle speed feedback to the VFD and to Mach for the readout and I got to searching and reading some tapping threads. 

Regarding tapping items on a milling machine, there seems to be a couple of ways to do it.

1) Clamp item in chuck and spin it (mount your cutter on the table) - only work for external threads

2) Clamp item to table and spin tap (feed tap into hole at precise feedrate) - only work for internal threads

For item # 2 if you were going to tap 100 holes, it would require you know spindle speed obviously and have to spin the tap, feed into hole, stop the spindle.  Reverse the spindle, retract from hole, stop the spindle.  Restart spindle in normal direction and repeat 100 times.  This seems like a lot of energy being used to start and stop the spindle over and over.

Would a tapmatic style of device (which I just learned of today) be a better solution as I don't believe the spindle has to stop spinning in the same direction?

Maybe it's not a big a deal to reverse the direction of a spindle that often (like I said I'm new to all this), seems like it would heat things up in a hurry?

47

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need advice on which breakout board is needed?

« on: March 04, 2009, 10:12:29 AM »

Here's the response I got from Marcus:

"You will be fine with 77VDC. The G320 is de-rated to 80VDC and its absolute break apart voltage is around 112VDC. We did this to take into account the line voltage variations as well as component tolerances. Back EMF is not a problem as it gets passed right back into your power supply’s filter capacitor. If you have any more questions, please let me know."

So it doesn't sound like it will be an issue...

48

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need advice on which breakout board is needed?

« on: March 03, 2009, 03:07:52 PM »

I asked that exact question on another forum (awaiting reponses) and am drafting an email to Gecko right now, it's easy enough to remove a few more turns from the transformer if needed...

What does an energy dump circuit look like?

49

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need advice on which breakout board is needed?

« on: March 03, 2009, 02:07:05 PM »

Well I received my smooth Stepper board and my three Gecko drives (320's).  I've gutted my old controls off the machine and rewound the existing transformer to give me 77 VDC to power the Gecko's.  Just ordered a Sound Logic encoder interface board from Rogersmachine.net to work along with my smooth stepper.  I believe these two should handle everything I need right now.

 

50

General Mach Discussion / Re: If using Mach and a Smooth Stepper, did you reduce your max servo speed?

« on: February 20, 2009, 04:53:26 PM »

I've read that on many build threads on a couple forums and was curious just how many people have reduced their max speed for this reason.  If my max speed is really not feasible or doesn't leave much reaction time, then I would feel confortable going with the smaller rated drives on my retrofit.