3) Ok. But every time i startup the system i will need to reference drive my mill in all axis? I tought if i used absolut encoders i would not need to do this? My drives can handle booth inkremental and absolut encoders.
Yes you will need to home on every restart but really you would need to do that in anycase whether you had absolute or incremental as Mach itself is open loop.
5) What do you mean with backlash?
Backlash compensation is where if there is play in a ballscrew you can compensate on axis direction change to take up the slack before the motion is registered. In my opinion backlash adjustment is a waste of time on machines such as a mill because the tool will pull the axis around and backlash compensation cant stop that, much better to sort the backlash mechanically.
6) Ok. i have been looking at this card. Just so i have got everything right. I take the USB from my computer to the SS card and from that card over to the brakeout card right? Will the SS card and drive on my computer need more CPU power or it don't need more power to get this high frequency?
Yes thats correct, Computer USB to SS to Breakouts to machine.
The SS should actually allow you to use a less powerful computer as it takes the pulseing away from the computer and does it externally. However I still recommend that you go with a computer that meets the minimum specs for Mach.
7) But i can also use A / B pulse train for the position wheel and connect to my brakeout card?
Yes you connect them to Inputs and set up in Mach for MPG
8 ) Do you connect your drives to the mach 3 so you can se the position?
Not really sure what you mean here. I have my drives fault signal connected to Mach so that they would inform Mach they have faulted and Mach would stop execution of code and go into reset.
(9) Ok. But then i will have to put the analog inputs to my plc? Do the breakout bord have analog inputs for this?
No breakout boards dont have analogue inputs, or at least none that I can think of. You could use a PoKeys to do that but it only has 0 to 3.3v analogue so your drive would need to be able to scale the analogue signal to that which is unlikeley. If using a PLC you will need to use one that is capable of ModBUS, the DL06 from Automation Direct is the one most people here use.
10 ) Do you have any gearbox then on your mill?
My mill does have a backgear gearbox but I intent not to use it. Previous to me fitting the servo on the lathes spindle it had a normal induction motor and this was driven through a gearbox. The gearbox had electromagnetic clutches which could be changed to give various speeds, I controlled that via the PLC and a spindle speed macro in Mach. I have since done away with that and fitted the AC Servo which gives me infinite speed control from 0 to 2000rpm, the original setup had 16 speeds.
It seems like you are using this alot, What kind of servodrives do you use in your machines?
I use Allen Bradley DSD drives
All things like tool data and so on are supported by the software?
Not really sure what you are meaning here but if you are meaning a tooltable with length and dia offsets then yes, there are tool offsets available
Is it possible to have one home position with the switches on my mill and then have more zero points, Like if i put up my work piece and make X, Y and Z zero to that piece? I hope you understand what i mean.
You can set 253 different offsets and call them via G54 to G58 and G59P7 TO G59P253
Do you have an postprocessor on the outside were you make all your G-Codes?
A lot of CAM software already has Post Processors for Mach, you can also use the wizards within Mach for doing simple stuff like Bolt Circle, Pockets (circular and square/rectangular) and a lot more. You can also purchase an addons package from NewFangled solutions which will allow you to chain a lot of different things such as pockets, circles, bolt holes etc and produce code for a completed part, all depends on how complex your work will be whether you will need a CAM package or not.
Hood