Messages

251

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 25, 2013, 03:15:26 PM »

OK. Didn't think about resetting to factory defaults. May be worth a try indeed. No line driver - using a scope right on the drive's connector.

Dan

252

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 25, 2013, 02:16:52 PM »

This is what I have been doing - either under pulley setup or in the ESS config. Problem is that I found that I couldn't re-ran the same thread. It doesn't always pick up the index in the same position of the chuck. Thought if it would be done in the drive it might be different.

Dan

253

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 25, 2013, 12:47:31 PM »

Got  the direction line working today. Turns out I was connecting the second channel of the opto with wrong polarity Now it works fine. Don't know if it's my imagination but I think the steppers got a smoother mid-band sound with this isolation.

Also partially got the index signal sorted. I am getting it through the opto and it works fine. But I am using the unbuffered output from the Ultra 3000. Now I wanted to use the buffered one so that I can divide the counts inside the drive (hopefully it divides the index too), since I have a 2:1 reduction. However there is some strange problem with the buffered Index line - it outputs exactly 8Khz signal at all times - even when the motor is still. A and B buffered outputs are fine, it's just the Index that does this weirdness. Looks like a bad drive, though it is a new one. Will probably have to use an external opto-sensor for the Index

Dan

254

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 24, 2013, 01:55:23 PM »

I have heard that the latest couple of versions had bugs. Don't remember though what version I have on this lathe. Was just at the machine, but forgot to check. will check tomorrow.

I soldered in an optocoupler on the Step/Dir line between the ESS and the Ultra 3000 and another one for the Index going back to ESS. These are the only two lines sharing same ground with the ESS. Thus I was able to use a separate power supply for the ESS. The immediate result I noticed is that moving the Servo power connector had absolutely no effect. Before that, when I moved the connector up/down the GND pin would disengage and the axes (steppers) start moving at a steady feed. I think it comes to show that now I have the wiring done properly with good isolation and it will save me more possible headaches in the future. Besides, I did suspect it was losing a step every now and then, but couldn't confirm this. Hopefully this got solved with this move as well.

haven't yet fully tested and run a program. Replaced two double channel optos, but on both the second channel didn't work so the direction line was not working. have some more spares, so hopefully will find a owrking one tomorrow. Also, was not able to get the Index line through the opto. Will use a scope tomorrow to check this too.

Dan

255

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 24, 2013, 08:48:43 AM »

Thanks Hood. Swapped the Ultra 5000 for a 3000, so using Step/Dir now

Dan

256

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 24, 2013, 08:27:25 AM »

Hi Hood,

That's a shame with the grounding then

Currently using the latest one which supposedly fixes this issue. Haven't tried older plugins. Could you please email me the one that works for you? What controller frequency do you have with it?

Dan

257

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 9x20 Chinese Lathe Conversion

« on: February 24, 2013, 06:59:40 AM »

The lathe has been running for quite some time now. Sorry for not updating with a proper video, been short on time as always 

I have been experiencing troubles with the ESS though. It keeps running out of data and no matter what I do it keeps doing this. Reduced the controller frequency to as low as 250Hz and it's at least usable, but absolutely frustrating with the delay on Feedhold, FRO and SRO. Anyway, seeking for a solution and for a correct way to do the wiring, decided to use a separate 5V supply for the ESS, to get proper isolation from the PC. What I had is a single PC PSU for all the logic - both 5V and 12V. However, unfortunately, I have discovered something weird with the  Ultra 3000 - it appears that its Common (ECOM) for Step/Dir input is grounded to the body and hence to the ground of my machine.

Is it really so (Hood?) ? How do I separate then the 5V logic from the rest?

Dan

258

General Mach Discussion / Re: CAUTION! User LED's Turn on with opening wizards

« on: February 20, 2013, 03:30:28 PM »

I am looking at the state of the Ref LED for starting the loop so I have to de-ref first step so that it is in the correct state.
The Red for the homed LEDs are seen as active state, green inactive (if thats proper terminology )

Not sure I understand. Still think it would work even without that If statement...

I have used the DoLoop for years, first used it on the big lathes turret, found it in a VB for dummies book I think, which incidentally is still too advanced for me to read and understand

afraid we are in the same boat there.

Dan

259

General Mach Discussion / Re: CAUTION! User LED's Turn on with opening wizards

« on: February 20, 2013, 02:13:01 PM »

Thanks for the snippet, Hood. I don't understand your first If statement. You first de-referenced the axes and then you're checking if it's really de-referenced? Why? Also, the conditional is not clear to me - your checking if LED 809 is active? Should it be '1' when red? Just tried to map it to a DRO and it's showing -1 for red and 0 for green.

The Do loop is interesting. Didn't know you could use such syntax to exit the loop. Will read the manual about the Do loop. Was always using While loops.

Dan

260

General Mach Discussion / Re: CAUTION! User LED's Turn on with opening wizards

« on: February 20, 2013, 01:20:43 PM »

The RS485 is out of a box, Ian.

Dan