Messages

3781

General Mach Discussion / Re: CS Labs CSMIO/P-A

« on: August 22, 2018, 03:34:10 AM »

Hi,
the origin of these fine pitch plugs was for ribbon cables. Get a plug and crimp the cable in and your done, no soldering.

Next point is that you will not need to populate the whole thing anyway. You'll need 6 wires for the encoder, probably one analogue input,
possibly a couple of digital inputs for enable etc and a couple for error outputs for a total of 11 wires. If you had to solder them....tough get on and
do it.

I seem to recall saying earlier in this thread 'don't overlook the cost of the cables', I know I was surprised how difficult/expensive/time consuming
it was, I rather hoped you could buy all these cables new and no fuss.

Craig

3782

General Mach Discussion / Re: How fast can you send G90 and get accurate feedback on the current XYZ position

« on: August 22, 2018, 03:24:49 AM »

Hi,
I've just had  a look at the default plugin frequency of the ESS Mach4 plugin, its 40 Hz. You can change this which allows Mach to respond faster
but it requires your PC to work faster.

If you were to use Mach4 and increase the plugin frequency to 60Hz, then at your intended 'scan speed' of 60ipm, or 25.4mm/sec:

distance between successive samples= 25.4 / 60
                                                     =0.42mm

So you could push the ESS into service if you used Mach4.

You have not said how the laser scanner works or more importantly how it signals it output.
Is it digital or analogue?
What vertical resolution do you require?
How often can you sample it?

If the laser output is digital or can be converted to digital with sufficient resolution Mach could read it and construct data entries in a file.
I imagine that Mach3 can do it, but I don't know (or care) about VB. Mach4 has Lua and a substantial API and to have Mach4 construct a data file
would be easy, even fun.

If you think that the ESS and/or Mach is too slow then a dedicated microcontroller is the way to go. I personally find the wee 8 bit Arduinos a PITA,
I use a Texas Instruments Lanchpad which is equipped with 90 MHz 32bit single cycle Floating Point processor with all the periphials you could ask
for to control rotating machinery. The Lauchpad has an opto isolated JTAG built in and is ready to rock, all the free development software from
Texas Instruments you can eat, for under $50. For instance the processor has a periphial to read quadrature encoders in hardware with minimal CPU
supervision.

Craig

3783

General Mach Discussion / Re: “New” computer (windows 10) won’t turn motors

« on: August 21, 2018, 08:36:50 PM »

Hi,
laptops of any description are not recommended for parallel port operation.

They should all work fine with an external motion controller like an ESS.

Craig

3784

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Using a macro to "ref all home"

« on: August 21, 2018, 08:04:05 PM »

Hi,
Gerry is way more experienced in VB than I, if he suggests:
Not IsLoading() that is the correct syntax.

Craig

3785

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Using a macro to "ref all home"

« on: August 21, 2018, 07:36:17 PM »

Hi,
I don't know VB but:

Not() IsLoading()

Doesn't look right to me.

Try:
 Not(IsLoading())

Craig

3786

General Mach Discussion / Re: CS Labs CSMIO/P-A

« on: August 21, 2018, 06:39:12 PM »

Hi,
on the Element14 links I posted to both the plug and receptical  there is a link to the
data pages which give the dimensions.

Both of the ones that I looked at were 3M series 101 for the plug and series 102 for the receptical.

If I understand the D shell is standard, that is to say that the length and width of the shell are in about
one of six standard sizes. Thereafter there are a number of styles for the arrangement of contacts,
including 'standard' which is two row 0.1 pitch, high density which is three row, Centronics, a copy of
a proprietary design and micro.

While Mick gave the spacing for the retaining screws the defining dimension is the D shell. There is a variance
of the inside and outside D shell but it imediately defines many of the dimensions.

Craig

3787

General Mach Discussion / Re: CS Labs CSMIO/P-A

« on: August 21, 2018, 05:57:33 PM »

Hi,
the one that I was looking at had two indentical plugs, you might be able to get one and cut it in half.

Craig

3788

General Mach Discussion / Re: How fast can you send G90 and get accurate feedback on the current XYZ position

« on: August 21, 2018, 05:54:35 PM »

Hi,
 kool, that looks like an incremental encoder thus if you wish Mach and ESS can read and display it directly.

You may be right about the 10Hz rate of the ESS.

I think you would be advised to make an enquiry on the Warp9 forum about that. I now use Mach4 for which I believe
the ESS reporting rate is very much higher.

The reasons that I would do that is that it is possible for Mach to generate a file of data points directly. There is a
probe file feature which could be useful to you.

Craig

3789

General Mach Discussion / Re: CS Labs CSMIO/P-A

« on: August 21, 2018, 05:26:35 PM »

Hi,
no, it may not work, but it wont do any harm.

Given that the 'encoder signals' are actually synthesized in the drive I assume you have considerable
flexibility as to what resolution they are and may therefore choose a resolution such that the max
frequency is 100kHz or so. Remember that with quadrature encoders that means a 400kHz count rate.
100 kHz signals could be transmitted single ended ie not twisted  pair over short distances no problem.

Craig

3790

General Mach Discussion / Re: CS Labs CSMIO/P-A

« on: August 21, 2018, 05:06:39 PM »

Hi,
to be honest at the price of the cable I was looking at I'd have a go even if the cable pairs
were not quite correct. I'd be gambling that the mismatch of the twisted pairs doesn't matter.

Otherwise you are going to have to solder it all together, not easy, I've done it.

All these delays....are going to cost you a fortune in flowers etc to keep your missus sweet!

Craig