Hello guys, greetings from Slovenia!

I have been reading this forum for a while now and it is really full of usefull information.
After reading about Mach3 I decided it is time to retrofit our home made milling machine.
The machine is really good mechanically but the controls are causing problems most of the time (I exaggerate a bit )
The problem is that the software was written by a local person some 15 years ago, nowadays he has no interest in the software.

Because the machine uses DC servo motors and the drives are OK I ordered Mach3 CNC Kit For 3rd Party Drives With PLC.
I allready received the package from USA!
I know that some of you out here are using product from Ajax, so I hope I will get some answers about Ajax kit!!!

So much for now, I will be posting questions in a while and I will also upload some pictures of machine.

Regards Luka


 

Get those pictures posted. I can't read...thus need pictures to look at....
RICH

Hello RICH

here are some pictures for you!

Hi everybody!

As I said I allready have a kit from Ajax for 3rd party drives. Looking at manuals and schematics for I/O board GPIO4D I see it has 16 inputs and 16 outputs. I think there are enough outputs, but I do have some worries about inputs. It looks like some inputs are predifined!? Looking at schematics of the GPIO4D (see attached pdf) I see:

INPUT 1 = 1 ST AXIS - LIMIT
INPUT 2 = 1 ST AXIS + LIMIT
INPUT 3 = 2 ND AXIS - LIMIT
INPUT 4 = 2 ND AXIS + LIMIT
INPUT 5 = 3 RD AXIS – LIMIT
INPUT 6 = 3 RD AXIS + LIMIT
INPUT 7 = ROTARY HOME
INPUT 8 = ROTARY CLAMP
INPUT 9 = LOW LUBE
INPUT 10 = E- STOP
INPUT 11 = TT1
INPUT 12 = SPINDLE FAULT

I

Sorry I don't know why but I can't modify my previous post.
I will finish the post later today!

Regards Luka

Hi everybody!

As I said I already have a kit from Ajax for 3rd party drives. Looking at manuals and schematics for I/O board GPIO4D I see it has 16 inputs and 16 outputs. I think there are enough outputs, but I do have some worries about inputs. It looks like some inputs are predefined!? Looking at schematics of the GPIO4D (see attached pdf) I see:

INPUT 1 = 1 ST AXIS - LIMIT
INPUT 2 = 1 ST AXIS + LIMIT
INPUT 3 = 2 ND AXIS - LIMIT
INPUT 4 = 2 ND AXIS + LIMIT
INPUT 5 = 3 RD AXIS – LIMIT
INPUT 6 = 3 RD AXIS + LIMIT
INPUT 7 = ROTARY HOME
INPUT 8 = ROTARY CLAMP
INPUT 9 = LOW LUBE
INPUT 10 = E- STOP
INPUT 11 = TT1
INPUT 12 = SPINDLE FAULT

Is it really necessary to have separate inputs for + and – limit switch? Is it not possible to use one input for both + and – limit switch? The thing is that I would like to have some free inputs that I can use for index pulse. The machine has beside the limit switches also a switch on all three lead screws (see attached picture). This switch is triggered by rotation of lead screw and I think this is what you call index pulse. I would like have homing sequence like this:
1.   Axis moves until the limit switch is triggered
2.   Axis moves in opposite direction until the index pulse (switch on lead screw) is triggered
3.   Home position is set

Do you think this is possible?

I hope you know what I mean? I'm struggling a bit with English and technical terms!

Regards Luka

Luka,
Clarificatuin on index pulse. Th index pulse  is used for threading and reading rpm of the spindle.  Basicaly a slotted disc is attached to the spindle and an opto or equivialent  senses the slot opening. I use a Halls effect sensor so no index wheel and use a rare earth magnet instead. So that index is used to provide true  rpm info and additionaly used as a timing trigger to start the threading.
RICH

RICH,
I know that I have read on this forum about the option of homing to index pulse on linear axis??
But I don't know if this index pulse comes from encoder or additional switch?
Do you think it would be possible to maybe write brains for MACH3 to have homing sequence as described above?

Regards Luka