Messages

91

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 21, 2013, 05:30:02 PM »

You betcha I'm interested, PM sent.
         Rick

92

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 21, 2013, 06:34:54 AM »

Ok gentleman,
    I've looked at the threads linked related to making your own differential line drivers. Looks to me like the ones made by Hood were custom PCB's MADE by Hood,same for the one from BR549,way outta my league. BTW, the one Hood showed with the DB 25f connector & everything labled on the board is as "factory made" & professional as anything I've ever seen,WOW,impressive indeed. But I don't know squat about making a custom PCB, ugly or otherwise.
    If I see correctly the one Overloaded made seems to possibly be on some kind of "off the shelf" universal type board. If that is the case where does one get such a board,the screw terminal connectors,sockets for the chips, etc. How would a know nothing about electronics guy like me come up with a ''stock list" of componets needed so I would be ordering everything I need the first time & nothing I don't need?
    I'm a diy & save a buck kinda guy & if I can't get the drivers from cnc4pc I guess I'll have to attempt to make my own but I gotta tell ya, for $4.25 each this is one diy project I'd be fine with side stepping.(;-)
                           Rick

93

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 20, 2013, 09:23:24 PM »

OK thanks Russ,
    I would already have them on order but website says they are on backorder,none in stock, not even one for me to try. I emailed them to see if they have an idea when they are getting them, I don't want to "lock in" with an order then find them elsewhere faster.
                   Rick

94

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 20, 2013, 08:37:44 PM »

OK guys,
    I checked out the line driver links. Hood, the one you linked looks a little to sophisticated for a non electronics guy like myself and I presume you need a socket for that IC to make connections?
    After looking at the one Overloaded linked (thanks) I think I get the idea & use. I already have some RJ45 modular plugs and the stripping/crimping pliers for them so I have the output end covered and I like the screw terminal inputs. Would it be OK to get the ground & 5 V inputs from the axis outputs on the BOB? BTW those CNC4PC line drivers look pretty small and I didn't see any provision for mounting them, do you just let them "hang" in the wiring or is there a proper mounting method?
                                      Rick

95

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 20, 2013, 07:56:10 PM »

Hey Hood,
    I did some checking with a VOM on my BOB. Checks were made on the same axis (Z), gnd to 24v =21,3,gnd to dir = 3.3, gnd to clk =3.3, there is a 5v that seller didn't say to use and there I have ; gnd to 5v =5. I was late getting home tonite so haven't looked into the line drivers that were linked yet. At this time I'm not sure what they are or how to use them.
    It does seem gnd & com- are the same on this BOB so all those pins COULD be tied together for a test but is 3.3 V going to be a good enough signal at the dir & clk inputs?
                       Rick

96

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 20, 2013, 06:13:24 AM »

OK Hood.
    I think I followed most of that,getting ready for work now,will use VOM to check tonite. I know I have 24 v between gnd & 24v now so if I have 5v between gnd & dir that means they are tied together on the BOB and I could tie gnd & coms together,correct? I also understand you don't like it that way best but I have no choice if I use this BOB.
    Now is where I step wayout of my league, If I understand correctly with this BOB the dir signal will vary from 0 to 5v, but you prefer a line driver (whatever THAT is) because of better noise isolation. Does that mean the dir input receives a wider voltage difference (like 5 to 24v) or just a cleaner 0 to 5v because of the isolation?
     I would like to use this BOB to a least get motors jogging and verify the drives and servo motors are OK but I DON'T want to build a problematic machine susceptible to noise issues, If you think there's a better way to do things now is the time for me to change things but I would need your help to know how & what to change.
     I don't personally know anyone I can talk to that would even have a clue what I'm talking about, let alone answer my questions.Thank you very much for taking your time to help me out Hood, your a gentleman and a scholar!
                          Rick

97

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 19, 2013, 09:08:31 PM »

Hey Dickeybird,
      I think it was a Zenith,used to lay in front of it watching cartoons when I was a kid. And I didn't cover that stuff, that's my ole lady's quilting machine & frame, she ain't real happy I'm with me in HER space this winter.LOL
      Rick

98

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 19, 2013, 08:58:20 PM »

Thank you Brett,
    For anyone who is interested to know I first started dreaming about this project 4-5 years ago. After 2 years of research and being inspired by other diy machines I saw on the net I started saving my pennies. Seemed to me most (but not all) of what I saw was put together by folks who were strong on computers & electronics but mechanical skills,not so much.Yet the work they were getting done with their machines was amazing although the machines themselves looked a little on the crude side to me.
    I'm kinda the opposite myself, I've been building & fixing mechanical things since I was a 10 year old with a go-cart. Wrench turning mechanic, welder, fabricator, amateur machinist,electrical work, but computers & electronics,not so much.
    I bought my first parts,(the drives & motors) a little over 2 years ago and have been gathering new & used parts  from all over the world ever since,(e-bay & the net). Finally had enough pieces collected that about 7-8 months ago I told myself it was time to see if I was up to the task at hand and started building.The aluminum extrusion stock was purchased used & I've done all the machining myself. All the gussets, angles, even the T nuts I machined in my small cluttered backyard shop after work & on weekends. I still have a long way to go & time & energy is limited. I'm hoping if I'm lucky I may have a machine to play with in another 6-8 months. I'm excited to have it done but I make a living working on filthy junk (poor people have poor ways) and this machine is going to be MY machine ,built by ME & I'm going to take as much time as I need  to end up with something I can be proud of.
   So for the rest of you who might be dreaming about it, JUST DO IT ! Ya ain't gonna get started no younger!
                                                      Rick

99

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 19, 2013, 07:09:29 PM »

Thank You Hood,
   Hey I have another question, I've been looking over the input cable rework & we determined pins 28,29,30,12&9 should be 0 volts (com-). The wiring diagram I got from seller says 3.5&7 are GND (ground). Here's the question, are ground & 0 vdc (com-) the same thing in this application, I mean can/should I tie these ALL together?
                     Rick

100

General Mach Discussion / Re: Panasonic servo drive help

« on: March 19, 2013, 06:06:53 PM »

Now before somebody freaks about the height of the gantry I've made it what I hope is way too tall at this point. My thinking was to get gantry mounted & running on Y axis rails,get the table for workholding built,get spindle mounted on Z rails. At that point I will bring Z axis all the way down (-Z), measure distance from spindle nose to workholding tabletop, add length of a "shortish" cutter and cut off gantry uprights by that much. Make any sense to you?
                                 Rick