Messages

7181

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Huanyang VFD problems?

« on: January 27, 2017, 07:14:39 PM »

Hi,
line filters $10-$40 don't do a bad job for EMI but the real deal is something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRAKO-TR98230-Single-Phase-Reactor-208V-60Hz-22-7A-/331859248184?hash=item4d445a4438:g:WjYAAOSwn9lXKRaC

Craig

7182

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Huanyang VFD problems?

« on: January 27, 2017, 05:26:24 PM »

Hi Jacko,
you provide the air tickets and I'll be there!

From your description you are looking at input noise probably being conducted thru supply wiring to other more sensitive components.
Input filtering is the answer. I'll do a bit more reading and some market research and may be able to come up with a device which will
help.

For safeties sake you should get your spindle insulation tested. Can you take it off and take it to any electrical repair shop? A five minute excerise
to test it out.

Craig

7183

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Huanyang VFD problems?

« on: January 27, 2017, 02:45:10 PM »

Hi,
the VFD is generating noise which is affecting your stepper drivers. Has anything changed, wires re-routed, new spindle motor, anything?

Usually if a VFD goes faulty it blows up often quite spectacularly. The fact that it still works suggests to me that the fault is elsewhere. Do you
or an electrician friend have a Megger? I would be disconnecting the spindle and insulation testing the spindle. VFD driven motors are subject
to insulation damage which makes them potentially dangerous as well as plain faulty.

The most likely transmission of noise from the VFD/motor is conducted noise in either input or output circuits. Trick here is to make some
reasonable tests to localise the problem.

One suggestion along these lines is to make a balanced 3 phase load to temporarily replace the spindle. I would suggest 3 large say 500w light
bulbs or spotlights hooked up in delta configuration. If you fit such a load and the noise problem disappears or is significantly reduced then
a line reactor solution is the way to go. The manufacturers manual should give you a starting point.

The other main and highly probable noise path is at the input of the VFD. Can you separate the input supplies from the VFD and the stepper drives?
A line input filter is highly recommended for VFDs no matter wether noisy or not. Small/cheap line filters WONT do, you need something with probably
20A rated or more, and plenty of surge overhead, 40A or better.

In New Zealand at the current time ther has been a major upsurge in the use of VFDs for irrigation pumps. They commonly top 150kW. They play merry
hell with the electricity supply in rural locations to the extent that the power authorities are insisting that farmers fit noise suppressing equipment
both line reactors and input filters. They often cost as much as the VFD itself and the farmers are whinging big time!

I make this point because noise suppression in VFDs is NOT trivial. Just because the VFDs we use are baby ones does not mean that they can be treated
lightly. Make sure that whatever you use complies with the manufacturers specs or at the very least is industry rated for the purpose otherwise
you will ensure that your VFD is faulty....for good!

Craig

7184

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 27, 2017, 04:46:37 AM »

Hi Zuxztah,
might be able to take  off your original post and swap it for 

Craig

7185

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 27, 2017, 04:40:09 AM »

Hi,
see an error, try this instead:

Code: [Select]

RPM=mc.mcCntlGetPoundVar(inst,2132);
local OVRenable=mc.mcSpindleGetOverrideEnable(inst);
if OVRenable then;
    local OVR=mc.mcSpindleGetOverride(inst);
    RPM=RPM*OVR;
end;
local range=mc.mcSpindleGetCurrentRange(inst)
if RPM>mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) end;
if RPM<mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) end;
local freq=RPM/6;
local hfreq=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,"modbus0/freq");
mc.mcRegSetValue(hfreq,freq);
scr.SetProperty('dro(128)','Value',tostring(RPM));
Didn't have 'range' set correctly in the second mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) or mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range)  statements.

Craig

7186

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 27, 2017, 04:33:32 AM »

Hi Zuxztah,
last instalment of code.
This needs to go at the end (or near the end) of your PLC script:

Code: [Select]

---------------------------------------------------------
--          set Target RPM DRO
---------------------------------------------------------
RPM=mc.mcCntlGetPoundVar(inst,2132);
local OVRenable=mc.mcSpindleGetOverrideEnable(inst);
if OVRenable then;
    local OVR=mc.mcSpindleGetOverride(inst);
    RPM=RPM*OVR;
end;
local range=mc.mcSpindleGetCurrentRange(inst)
if RPM>mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,0) end;
if RPM<mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,0) end;
local freq=RPM/6;
local hfreq=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,"modbus0/freq");
mc.mcRegSetValue(hfreq,freq);
scr.SetProperty('dro(128)','Value',tostring(RPM));
Note that I have a DRO (dro(128)) that I display the target RPM. Also I used pound variable 2132 to get the current commanded speed,
there is an API function but it didn't work for me.

Just as a matter of interest do you use the 'Always on Top' feature of the Diagnostics/Regfile expand modbus0? Its the pin icon, click it
and you can view your two Modbus registers as you fiddle with the buttons/MDI/Speed_OverRide. Really handy.

Craig

7187

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Backing up a Screen Set

« on: January 27, 2017, 02:52:47 AM »

Hi DTG,
kool! Its the second time I've done something like this- and haven't been able to get back to the editor. In this case its only my laptop
but the last time it was my machine, I had to do it all over again, good for practice but frustrating as hell!

Craig

7188

Mach4 General Discussion / Backing up a Screen Set

« on: January 27, 2017, 01:14:58 AM »

Hi All,
just shot myself in the foot. Was messing around with the PLC script and elected to put a wxMessageBox statement
as a diagnostic check. Bad mistake now the message box displays repeatedly to the extent I can't open the
Screen Edit and fix my mistake. Trying to open with a backup profile didn't help because the fault was in my customised
screen set.

What I was able to do was manually edit my ini file to open with the wx4.set. As it turns out my customised screen set
is really only a modestly edited version of wx4.set anyway, so not a huge loss.

It does make me ask; does anyone back up their screenset and how did you go about it?

Craig

7189

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can i edit or add to a Predefined Macro?

« on: January 26, 2017, 08:01:14 PM »

Hi Steve,
thanks for the explanation, something I seem to say to you a lot!

Craig

7190

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can i edit or add to a Predefined Macro?

« on: January 26, 2017, 06:45:05 PM »

Hi,
just read thru (again) the mcSpindleSetDirection() doc.

I tried using the ENUM mc.MC_SPINDLDE_FWD and that works fine. I take it that using the ENUM is considered
better programming practice?

I notice also that the call has a return code.

I have coded:
local rc=mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst,mc.MC_SPINDLE_FWD)

I am not testing rc and so I made it local that it may be garbarge collected soonest.

I have at other times coded:
mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst,mc.MC_SPINDLE_FWD)

It works fine too but I'm unsure what happens to the return code, does it get ignored and therefore not
require garbage collection? Is there a preferred method for dealing with unspecified return values?

Craig