Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: Pico Motherboard a Good Option??

« on: August 12, 2009, 09:54:37 PM »

Hood:
I have read about noise (drivers etc) causing problems with SS USB cables. I am looking into an AMOS 3000 & was wondering where it is safe to mount the SS?
Amos 3000@ http://www.wdlsystems.com/modperl/view_services.cgi?r=detail&prod_num=1EAMOS3&aisle_id=1230

I am planning on using a 6" USB cable from the PC to the SS. I was wondering if it should be mounted in the present cabinet (will it be too noisy) or mount it on a separate monitor cabinet I am installing on top of the cabinet shown at the link below. We don't have a monitor on our system now so we are making one that can accommodate a monitor & the AMOS easily.

Here are a few pics of our present system I am updating
http://picasaweb.google.com/Share.Pic.53/VextaDrivesMotors?authkey=Gv1sRgCJTBqseVwrnhpAE#

12

General Mach Discussion / Pico Motherboard a Good Option??

« on: August 11, 2009, 11:41:14 AM »

I am setting up a 2 Axis Gantry & was wondering if a Pico Motherboard with 8GB flash disk is a good way to go. I will ONLY install XP Home & Mach3 on the computer, nothing else. I realize I will need Smoothstepper. I noticed Hood wrote about the Pico MB last year & liked it then, what about now? Our gantry is very simple with 1 "Y" axis stepper & 2 "X" axis motors slaved. I am in Florida without air conditioning so the temperature can go up to 100 Deg F in the machine cabinet.

8GB Flash Disk @ http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=SF8GB5Y41&src=FR&pid=61f314d6796ff23a7fde340f3d24a5d66ec42b1ade63783ccc585e22ba5d406d

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: Manual "Z" Axis wireless problem on Large Gantry on Mach installation

« on: August 07, 2009, 09:19:46 AM »

Bill:
I hope I can make myself clear here...
On our waterjet gantry we have a pendant with a "Z" momentary up & down toggle switch that is ALWAYS hot & can be moved at any time WHEN cutting or not when cutting. Can I use a the Logitech Joystick to continually bump the "Z" up & down manually WHEN cutting & not when cutting without Mach wanting to stop me from moving it? I am not an electronics person so I hope I made sense.

Steve

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: Chopped Micro Stepping Controller

« on: August 05, 2009, 08:27:03 PM »

When I watch YOUTUBE videos the Mach run machines are whining very loud. Our machine is a little loud once in a while but nothing like the ones onYOUTUBE. Is the whining due to lower cost drivers & motors. What are good steppers & drivers for Nema 34 size motors? Medium light duty.

15

General Mach Discussion / Chopped Micro Stepping Controller

« on: August 05, 2009, 06:57:28 PM »

I just read in section 4.4.1 of the latest Mach3 documentation & found a little over half way down the page steppers need to be driven by a Chopped Micro Stepping controller. What is that I have a 1995 gantry that has run well with the Oriental 5 Phase steppers & drivers. I just need better motion system software. There is no resistance load on the gantry just the weight of the cross member. Anyway we will be replacing a 486 PC to use Mach3 for our motion. Could I have problems with old electronics? Will the drivers know the difference?

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: 25 Pin Parallel Signal Tester with LED's for each pin WANTED

« on: August 04, 2009, 09:29:52 PM »

Sorry Hood... On the CW CCW I meant how does it look different than a G01 (line). Does a CW CCW pulse use a different parallel port pin? I have a really old system I am having to reverse engineer. No real good schematics.

17

General Mach Discussion / Re: 25 Pin Parallel Signal Tester with LED's for each pin WANTED

« on: August 04, 2009, 10:06:05 AM »

1 more question? How do I tell the difference between a CW CCW & Line move while testing signals?

18

General Mach Discussion / Re: 25 Pin Parallel Signal Tester with LED's for each pin WANTED

« on: August 04, 2009, 10:01:02 AM »

I have 2 parallel ports. How do you read both? I guess 1 at a time?

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Manual "Z" Axis wireless problem on Large Gantry on Mach installation

« on: August 04, 2009, 09:38:18 AM »

Bill:
Do you use them on the machines you build also?

Steve

20

General Mach Discussion / Manual "Z" Axis wireless problem on Large Gantry on Mach installation

« on: August 03, 2009, 09:32:16 PM »

We have a large waterjet gantry that I am trying to convert to Mach & have found a Bluetooth wireless device for a pendant but my "Z" axis is manual only. It is wired to the BOB but it looks like it is wired to an isolated terminal, it looks like it doesn't have to be on the BOB at all. Is there a way to have the "Z" be manipilated by Mach with a Bluetooth device? It has to be pretty reliable, we don't want it to crash the head. I assume I have to add some electronic devise to be the communicator from Mach to the "Z" Anyone gone through this before?