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Messages - JohnHaine

611
General Mach Discussion / Compact 5 Mach3 conversion
« on: December 03, 2014, 04:13:13 PM »
In this thread:

http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/7992-Denford-Novamill-Mach3-conversion/page2?highlight=Novamill

on another forum I'm afraid, I suggested a circuit that didn't need a separate power supply.  I managed to track down the other thread I thought I remembered over on the model engineer site, but I misremembered it, it didn't mention that the control input was isolated.  Mc's point is important, actually the control input may be at mains voltage.

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=100230


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612
General Mach Discussion / Compact 5 Mach3 conversion
« on: December 02, 2014, 05:19:36 PM »
I can't recall where the other thread is, I think it's this forum, but someone posting there said you didn't need an isolating transformer, I guess there must be an opto isolator to isolate the control input.


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613
General Mach Discussion / MachTurn G31 problem
« on: December 02, 2014, 02:49:33 PM »
If you get the tool to a zero z position, pull out the stock until it is in contact with the tool, tighten the chuck, machine, cut off, reposition tool at zero z, repeat.  As you observe, probing command isn't supported in Turn.


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614
General Mach Discussion / Compact 5 Mach3 conversion
« on: November 30, 2014, 05:41:46 PM »
Peter, that unit is not suitable.  There is another thread here where someone bought one and has been having huge problems, though the eBay listing says it is suitable for Mach 3 the person who designed it clearly doesn't know how Mach 3 works.  A better unit is eBay item no. 181473818094 - other people have commented that they work ok, I have one to drive a similar motor but haven't tried it yet.  KBIC controllers are also very good, I have one on my Novamill.  Watch out for dc motor speed controllers that are not mains isolated at the control input.  There are a couple of threads here on that.


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615
General Mach Discussion / wrong axis movements
« on: November 24, 2014, 05:09:59 PM »
Yes I think you can, but obviously the inverter will trip or fry if you try to load the motor beyond its capability.


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616
General Mach Discussion / Re: Help Please with PWM Spindle Motor Speed
« on: November 19, 2014, 12:30:33 PM »
I don't know why you think you would need an inverter.  I think you are saying that you may get the motor speed controller and one of Roy's boards.  You can be pretty confident that Roy's board will behave properly without any extras.  Where are you based?

617
General Mach Discussion / Re: Help Please with PWM Spindle Motor Speed
« on: November 19, 2014, 08:51:26 AM »
OK, I think I know where we are now!

First, I think the speed controller you have is designed to get its pulse stream externally, and possibly also from an internal oscillator as an option.  The latter is probably a 555 timer.  An option to control the speed with an analogue voltage, which is the conventional approach, is not provided.  So it expects to get a pulse stream with a variable mark:space ratio which it uses to switch the motor supply on and off.  The frequency of this has to be pretty high, so you have to set the Mach 3 PWM base frequency rather high as well.  But Mach 3 trades off base frequency against speed resolution, the normally expected base frequency is of the order of 25 Hz.  I'm afraid that this makes the controller unsuitable for direct connection to the BoB which clearly just outputs the PWM from Mac directly.  Whoever designed it didn't understand how Mach3 works.

It would be possible in principle to convert the Mach PWM signal at 25 Hz say to a voltage (it just needs an R and a C); then convert that back to a PWM signal at 2500 Hz; but all a bit of a faff.

What I would recommend is that you use a controller that expects to see a 0 - 10V signal, which can easily be derived from the normal PWM output using a normal base frequency.  A possible unit is this one on eBay: 151151353460  I have one of these which I haven't yet used, but have seen good reports on them in other forums.  

Then you will need a simple adapter circuit that smooths the PWM output to produce the 0-10V.  I have posted a circuit somewhere in this forum recently.

Alternatively you can buy a board from Roy Harding at http://www.diycnc.co.uk/html/spindle_boards.html - this one actually uses step/direction rather than PWM but it's just another Mach config option.  Roy's documentation is good - you can download the manual.  As this has reversing relays and things it is probably a good get.

Now, on to the wiring.  It isn't correct to say that the signal is "negative going" as the BoB can only product 2 output levels, 0 v and ~+5V.  The signal might be inverted, but that's a different thing.  Almost certainly the motor controller expects to see a pulse train at 0 to 5V on pin 1 and ground (common) on pin 2.  As you have shown the wiring pin 1 on the parallel port will be connected to the common on the motor controller.  The resistor is there to pull up the parallel port output to 5V since normal TTL high level is only ~3V.  I think it was right the first time.  But frankly I would prefer to see some buffering between the parallel port pin 1 and the speed controller.

I hope this all helps - not the best news I fear.

618
General Mach Discussion / Help Please with PWM Spindle Motor Speed
« on: November 18, 2014, 11:05:23 AM »
Well this is curiouser and curiouser!  There is an exactly similar unit on eBay with the item number 191239446164, but there it says that it uses a variable voltage drive and even supply a potentiometer  for manual control.  Did the supplier send any documentation with the unit?  I think either it has two modes, one in which it uses a variable voltage and the other where it accepts an external PWM pulse (possibly selected by that jumper on the pcb); or it is designed to accept only a variable voltage but the suppliers have tried driving it directly from Mach and found the only way to make it work is to use a high base frequency and hope the circuit does a bit of smoothing internally.  Unless we have some documentation or I can see the unit I don't know what to suggest.


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619
General Mach Discussion / Re: Help Please with PWM Spindle Motor Speed
« on: November 18, 2014, 12:57:14 AM »
I see it!  I'm not sure what you meant by your comment in pin 2 and negative going.  Pin 2 on which connector?  I suggest we try to find out more about this speed controller first before looking for another one.  Suggest you try the test that I recommended.

620
General Mach Discussion / Help Please with PWM Spindle Motor Speed
« on: November 17, 2014, 05:45:09 AM »
Well, if it was just inverted then you would expect the sense of the speed control to be inverted too.  So set it lowest and it would run highest and vice versa.  But if the BoB and controller have a common ground then you would just be grounding the controller input and nothing would happen.

By the way I see no drawing?


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