Messages

81

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Servo drive recommendations

« on: June 27, 2015, 10:27:21 AM »

I have been slowly starting a big mill retrofit. I got my ess issues all solved, at least in testing and design stages. Next is the servos. The current drives are 80vdc 15a. The actual voltage from the supply is 80v. I am looking for drive suggestions that will match or excide the original. The original analog drives have issues and it is t cost effective to use them. So a step/dir drive is what I was looking for. Currently I can run the full size knee mill at rapids of 250ipm. What are my options, greatly considering ease of tuning and support available.
Thanks
Don

82

General Mach Discussion / Controller design

« on: June 08, 2015, 08:24:39 PM »

Thoughts on less susceptible to noise. Breakout board and ess in the cpu cabinet with only 24vdc I/o devices and longer wires from the bob to the servo amp or keep the ess and bob in the main enclosure and just the Ethernet cable and I/o wires to the cpu enclosure?
Don

83

SmoothStepper USB / One ess multiple machines

« on: May 31, 2015, 08:17:02 PM »

Any issue using the same ess for multiple profiles? I have I portable console I can move from machine to machine, it is on my lathe w/mill head now and I use it with two profiles, turn and mill. I am adding a ess to the system and would like to use it for the big mill whenever I convert that to Mach. Any issues?
Thanks
Don

84

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: ST-V2 5 axis breakout board

« on: May 28, 2015, 07:18:02 PM »

There is a guy selling these on eBay as repaired. He states they don't work as is. He has a web site too I think it is Hubbard cnc or something like that. He state that the inputs don't work as the board was made.
Don

85

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Any FET servo drive gurus here?

« on: May 28, 2015, 06:21:08 PM »

I have an old hurco with FET servo drives. I have not converted it to Mach yet but plan to so I don't want to work backwards. I am getting a motion error, I don't know if it is the drive, encoder, or the cpu. If the drives are good I would use analog motion controller, if not probably replace the Drives with vipers. Any parts I would like to use for the full conversion. So my questions are encoders are 1000 ppr have +5, psc, a,b, and marker. What is marker? How to a find what encoder would replace it? Next when the motion error crops up the top light on the drive comes on, what is this telling me? Basically ideal situation would be find some encoders that will work with the old bx control to do some testing, but which will also work with the viper or dugong drives. This would allow me to keep making parts while starting the retrofit. Is there his a pipe dream or should I shut down operations for a month and break the visa out and go at it completely?
Don

86

General Mach Discussion / DC servo drive recommendations

« on: May 15, 2015, 04:47:33 PM »

Current drives are FET rated at 80vdc 15amp. Motors are max cont amp 9.6a.  Max peak 45a. Do I need to size them for the peak or will a gecko 320 work? I would like to keep the proformace the same as the old drives. The drives are getting tired and fault out often with no motion error. So I was getting ready to convert it to mach3 to use the same controller as my small mill. Any suggestions.

87

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle stopped during code running

« on: May 13, 2015, 01:41:19 AM »

Good thought. Just put a hand off auto switch inline with it. Hand allows non spindle use. Auto estops the system?  You can get a relay is most voltages. How about adding a hawkeye (current sensor) on a spindle lead then program it to look for the input as a run confirmation? Someone else here would need to give the programming info. I'm not a programmer, just a dumb electrician.
Don

88

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle stopped during code running

« on: May 12, 2015, 05:36:29 PM »

You can alway hardwire in a safety relay. Something as simple as an ice cube relay with the same coil voltage as the spindle motor. Parallel the relay with the spindle motor and add to the estop loop. Anytime the spindle is off Mach would be in estop. This would also prevent you from running a code without the spindle on. Not ideal but works.  Ideally you should have a full safety system.
Don

89

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jog speed quit working

« on: March 15, 2015, 11:26:34 AM »

Ok found it. It reversed the active state on the limits and it was in override mode. I saw the light flashing in the settings screen. Any idea what caused this?

90

General Mach Discussion / Jog speed quit working

« on: March 15, 2015, 11:16:09 AM »

I had a power outage and after rebooting the system I can't adust the jog speed. Motors are set to 25 ipm in tuning but run at 12.5 when jogging. Doesn't change no matter what I set the slow jog rate to. Doesn't matter if I hold down the shift key or not. Also when I fired the system back up it gave me a external estop requested error even though my msr was pulled in. I had to change the active state in the ports in pins settings. Where should I look for this jogging issue? I rebooted a couple times and same issue.
Thanks
Don