Messages

381

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Windows 11

« on: February 28, 2022, 02:05:37 PM »

Well progress anyway!  You will probably have to trace the wiring between the connectors on the ESS board, the "breakout board" (if there is one), and the motor drivers.

382

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Windows 11

« on: February 28, 2022, 11:41:04 AM »

OK, well you should be able to get the required plugin from the warp9 website I guess.

https://warp9td.com/index.php/sw
https://warp9td.com/index.php/documentation/doc-ess

Ethernet is general purpose - the physical port and the electronics behind it dont't care if you connect it to the Internet via your router or a CNC machine.  It's the higher level software which tells the difference.  One thing, you may need a "crossover" cable to connect.  The documentation above should tell you.  They have a "system configuration utility" which hopefully will do all the hard work of setting up Windows to talk to the unit.

383

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Turn - Diameter problem

« on: February 28, 2022, 04:21:20 AM »

Something else I noticed is that having made a cut in the -z direction at a given radius the tool returns at the same X setting using a G0.  Best practice would be to withdraw the tool slightly before moving back as the tool will cut on the return move otherwise.

384

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Turn - Diameter problem

« on: February 28, 2022, 04:04:34 AM »

I agree with Graham - as well as his point between lines 715 and 725 the g code says cut 7.4mm whereas you said you were aiming at 7.  Also in the finishing pass the X value increases as Z decreases which wouldn't work very well if the backlash isn't exactly eliminated.

What machine are you using?  Does it have ballscrews?  Have you tried some simple parallel cuts using the Mach3 wizards with BLC turned off?

And an obvious point, have you checked the calibration (i.e. steps / unit) using for example a dial gauge?

385

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Turn - Diameter problem

« on: February 27, 2022, 12:03:15 PM »

Hi Dave, there could be a few issues here.

First, how did you set the tool to the X value (4mm)?  Was it by touching the tool to the stock, and if so how did you judge "touch"?  Was the stock running concentric?  Was the tool accurately on centre height?

How much was the stock projecting from the chuck, could it have been bending under the cutting force?

Did the G code generated by Lazyturn have the correct X values in it, i.e. finishing at 7, 5, and 3mm?  Could you post the code?

I always use the lathe in diameter mode and find it much less confusing - it's more or less standard on metric manual lathes to work in diameter and the X slide handwheel is calibrated in mm off diameter.  I have a ballscrew on X axis though I haven't converted the Z yet, but I've never been convinced that backlash compensation works very well in M3 Turn so I don't use it, just avoid moves where it will be an issue.  Depending on how you have it set up and how you are moving the tool before each cut it could contribute to your problem.

386

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Windows 11

« on: February 26, 2022, 04:27:28 PM »

Hi Ts, I guess we are not being very helpful but we don't have a lot of information to work from!

First, I have recently upgraded to using Mach 3 under Windows 10 using CNC Drive components and it was fairly painless.  I therefore think that Win11 should work.  So hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel for you!

From what you say you have a CNC Drive Ethernet motion controller (that is, the connection to your laptop is via Ethernet).  Please could you tell us which driver you have?  It might help to look at their website at http://cncdrive.com/products.html - it's probably either a UC300ETH or UC400ETH.

I would guess that you have a modern laptop that doesn't have an integral Ethernet port - this is quite common these days since the Ethernet connector is too high for thin laptops.  So I would guess that you have USB-C ports, which are quite fast enough to support Ethernet up to 1 Gbps, and a USB-Ethernet "dongle".  Is this correct?  I can't see why this should give any problems, if it supports general Ethernet connections up to 1 Gbps I doubt that Mach 3 can throw anything it can't handle.  (I have a Huawei Matebook Pro that is 2 years old and it doesn't have any Ethernet ports either, though actually I have a mini Win10 machine for the CNC.)

Now, where did the Mach3 software you have come from?  As supplied (e.g. on a CD or downloaded from the NFS website), it has a "plugin" that converts commands from the main program into pulses to drive the stepper drives and output these through the parallel port.  However modern PCs, especially laptops, don't have the old-fashioned 25-pin parallel ports; and they aren't supported under modern Windows either.  So you need a separate motion controller (such as the one you have from CNCDrive) and a different Mach3 plug-in that outputs the commands from the main program over Ethernet (or, in a different version, USB) to the motion controller.

You can download the required plugin free from the CNCDrive website and if it's like the UC100 one it can auto-install into the right place in Mach.  There is good documentation on this on the CNCDrive website.

So I suggest you check which moption controller you have and download the plugin and documentation, and follow the instructions to install it.   You should then find when you launch Mach3 that it puts up a screen where you choose which plugin to use, the Ethernet one or parallel port, you choose the first, then things should start to work.

Try these things, then come back and tell us how you get on and whether you need further help.

John.

387

General Mach Discussion / Re: What controls the main spindle drive

« on: February 22, 2022, 07:45:53 AM »

Good news Jim, always nice to find an easy fix!

388

General Mach Discussion / Re: What controls the main spindle drive

« on: February 21, 2022, 08:44:35 AM »

.75hp is 560 watts, just a bit marginal I'd say.  Would probably work most of the time but controller might trip out when pushing the cut.  I think there's a slightly larger sprint that will supply 6.8 amps?

389

General Mach Discussion / Re: What controls the main spindle drive

« on: February 20, 2022, 06:51:49 AM »

Jim, happy to help.  It is just possible that the fault is the motor brushes, so worth checking those before you spend money on the drive.  Given the age of the machine it would be worth replacing them anyway.  Mind you if the Triac is made like my Novamill actually getting at the motor is a nightmare!

390

General Mach Discussion / Re: What controls the main spindle drive

« on: February 20, 2022, 05:32:15 AM »

Hello Jim, well first a few questions.  From your description of the problem it seems you must be using Mach 3 to control your machine so I guess it has been converted from the original Denford controller but kept the spindle drive - is this correct?  And you can currently control the speed from Mach 3?

Assuming that the answer to these is yes, then probably there is a PWM to DC voltage converter in the breakout board between your computer and the stepper and spindle drives.  Could you check that there is a wired connection to pin 3 of the Lynx card? 

The Triac seems to use the Lynx 08 drive from the Denfordata forum.  I have found the manual for this online and will attach a copy.  It confirms that the drive DOES have an isolated input, which is fortunate.  The Parker 508 DOES NOT have isolated control inputs and is NOT suitable.

You can buy a refurbished Lynx-SM-08 drive from these people:

https://nicontrols.com/uk/lynxsm08-control-techniques.html

The SM bit just means that it uses "surface mounted" components on its PCB, yours (being made in 1988) would have used "leaded" components.  This looks like it should be a direct replacement for your board.

I think people have also used Sprint drives, for example the 400i, which also has isolated inputs.  However that can only supply 4A, but there are other Sprint products with greater capability.  (I believe that the Novamill (which I have) originally used a Sprint drive.)

https://www.transdrive.co.uk/shop/products/dc-drives/sprint-electric/analogue/2-quadrant/sprint-electric-400i-0-55kw-4a-240-110vac-2q-isolated

So you should be able to buy a replacement Lynx drive - if not then there is probably a suitable Sprint one but the wiring will need changing round a bit.