Messages

31

PoKeys / Re: Pokeys, MPG, and MachTurn

« on: October 16, 2009, 03:43:18 AM »

OK, I will install it tomorrow.

Yep, its hooked directly to the motherboard.

-Jerry

32

PoKeys / Re: Pokeys, MPG, and MachTurn

« on: October 15, 2009, 09:03:39 PM »

Step mode is the one I am having the most issues with. The slides move back and forth at seemingly random when I turn the MPG.

33

PoKeys / Re: Pokeys, MPG, and MachTurn

« on: October 09, 2009, 10:00:02 PM »

Checked out the link and i have everything set up like in the instructions and every thing is still herky jerky.

Running plugin 4.12 and firmware 2.0.5.

I need to start figuring out how to use the brains. Any good tutorials?

34

PoKeys / Pokeys, MPG, and MachTurn

« on: October 08, 2009, 04:28:22 PM »

Got my Pokeys installed and running on my Hercus lathe. They keyboard mapping works great. Resurrected the original 23 year old keyboard by rewiring it into a 8x8 matrix.

Like other have mentioned the MPG sucks. Horribly laggy. And something weird. In step mode it goes back and forth randomly as I turn the wheel. Looked at the encoder read out in the pokeys app and it shows a steady increase if I turn the wheel one way and steady decrease if I go the other. But in mach the axis just goes back and forth at random. In velocity mode it travels the right way.

Another thing I have notice is the response from normal buttons is delayed. I have to hold the button for at least a half second to make sure it catches the key press. The keyboard response is great though. Just like a real keyboard.

Another thing is I see there is another screen for the pokeys. How do I get to it in MachTurn? I need to set up additional inputs for OEM keys and have ran out of the 15 available.

35

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help with tool turret on lathe

« on: September 05, 2009, 03:55:47 AM »

It all works now! Went to Peter Homann and got one of his ModIOs. He wrote a custom firmware for the turret. Couple little bugs but those have been sorted out now.

Here's little video.

1/2-13 threads in aluminum 2000RPM

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/YKb2g5xalEk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/YKb2g5xalEk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0</a>

36

General Mach Discussion / Re: Water cooled spindle motor safety

« on: June 21, 2009, 03:53:04 AM »

As long as you are not stopping the spindle by using the FWD or REV inputs on the VFD and no just turning the spindle control voltage down to 0 you should never have an issue with the spindle starting during a tool change. Not only would mach have activate the output line controlling the direction but it would also have to output either PWM or Step signal to activate the analog board controlling the VFD.

On my mill I have separate relays for FWD and REV and they are interlocked so they can not be operated at the same time. I have never had an issue with the spindle moving even the slightest.

37

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: What The World's Been Waiting For - Yet Another Power Drawbar Design

« on: June 21, 2009, 03:46:34 AM »

I tried doing this exact thing a couple years ago. The TTS, a 4 piston stage air cylinder, and bellevue washers.

IT DIDNT WORK!

Might be good for a little mill but I could not a good grip on the tool holders and I had all sorts of pull out issues. And this was with well over 1000 lbs of pull.

Simply put, the whole TTS system is flawed. There is no positive retention. Side load on these things just starts pulling them out. Ruined several parts before I gave up. Even with a drawbar I had slippage.

I ended up getting a replacement spindle for mine in 30 Taper. It was only $300 from YCI-Supermax. What a difference!

R8 sucks. You can make it better with some of the other quick change systems out there. There are a couple that use a retention knob system that converts R8 to something similar to CAT or BT tapered spindles. They have a spring loaded drawbar and an actuator on top. They would be well suited to a tool changer.

38

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help with tool turret on lathe

« on: June 14, 2009, 09:16:02 PM »

Yep, home at Mach startup. And mach needs to know that it is at position 8 at startup/home.

It only has three switches. One switch signals home and the other signals at each position and the last shows the turret is locked. So mach needs to count the pulses to know where it is at. Sorry I didnt explain that more clear. The way I said it made it sound there was one switch for each position.

Peter Homann has a changer that operates similar to mine except only 4 positions. You can see it in this picture.

39

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help with tool turret on lathe

« on: June 14, 2009, 04:54:17 PM »

Turret is driven with a 24v DC motor and is all currently running with relay logic. So all I need at this point is Mach to send the signal the turret to home and then index it to the correct position. It has feedback for each index spot and lock.

So all it takes is a pulse on one input home, pulse on the other to index and the software needs to monitor two outputs from the changer, one when it gets to a position and one when the changer is locked and ready to cut.

40

General Mach Discussion / Need help with tool turret on lathe

« on: June 14, 2009, 12:48:54 AM »

I need some help to get my 8 position tool changer turret working on my lathe. I have it wired with two inputs and two outputs. One input homes the turret to spot #8. the other input indexes it one position per pulse. Keep that input on and it will keep advancing without locking. I have two outputs. One pulses at each position and the other changes state when the turret is locked.

How the heck do I program this??? I have never used brains or macros. HELP!!!

-Jerry