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Author Topic: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help  (Read 12598 times)

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Offline Hood

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Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2011, 04:21:49 PM »
Looks to be quite an unusual design, is the cross axis supported in any way?
Hood
Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2011, 05:39:42 AM »
Hi, Thanks for the interest,

there is a zoomed (on the picture) view of the cross block which holds the "Y" axis in place. It is actually holding it really well, nearly rigid, and I hope I'll be able to machine aluminium on it (not steel though, it would take ages milling 0,1mm at time).

I based this design on that little "toy" unimat 1, which has more or less some "plastic" blocks with same dimensions (50x50) and if you are VERY careful you can machine something. Then I thought if the parts were made out of solid aluminium I would have a much better rigidity and stability, lets see......I'm very close to do the first experiments......
I also based my design on my reall micro milling machine (axmister SIEG X1) where the Y axis is centered therfore it never takes any "cantilever" loads since the milling head is always on its center.
Some quick static calculations (on SolidWorks/cosmos 3D) gave me about 18kgf to deform 0.3 the Y axis (on its extreme), and 22kgf to bend the vertical colum about 0.3mm (if that was welded though).
Those preliminary calculations gave confidence enough that is is going to work with reasonable precision. This is also a prototype, and some improvements are already written down to be implemented on the next model....

I could be talking about what I did to eliminate the backlash on the screws (cheap threaded bar) and motor coupling.....but this post is already too big. Feel free to ask anything if you want.

Changing the subject a bit, could anyone give me a link of an external motion controller (smothstepper or similar) that is the cheapest the money can buy and which still works well.
As we agreed yesterday, the 64bit parallel port DOESN'T work with mach3. I'm sorry but I had to fell in my skin the "no driver sensed" message, I had all the system ready to go so I didn't spend more than 1 hour anyway. Thats all part of my slow "learning path" and I had to experice it myself......(bloody stubborn I was, LOL)

Regards
« Last Edit: January 11, 2011, 05:51:44 AM by demenicis »

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2011, 07:12:52 AM »
The pics let me see how it works now, thanks. Looks like it should work well for the intended purpose.

SmoothStepper is the cheapest at approx $150 and you can get it direct from Greg at www.warp9td.com or a few other places that sell them, www.soigeneris.com/default.aspx   www.homanndesigns.com, www.cnc4pc.com etc

Hood
« Last Edit: January 11, 2011, 07:15:23 AM by Hood »
Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2011, 08:26:06 AM »
Hi thanks again for the repply,

I think I have a final question.

which are and in which order should I put my hardware together?

1- computer USB port -> smothstepper -> (through parallel port) -> rubish chinese stepmotor controller -> step motors

2- computer USB port -> smothstepper -> (through parallel port?) -> breakout board -> step motors

3- computer USB port -> smothstepper -> step motors

I went to the first link you sent me and they mention the break out board but they don't sell it, am I wrong?

Regards,

Demenicis
« Last Edit: January 11, 2011, 08:31:33 AM by demenicis »

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #14 on: January 11, 2011, 09:07:24 AM »
You go from computers USB socket to SmoothStepper then I personally would use a breakout board then to your stepper drives then finally motors. A breakout is not essential but adds ease of connection and usually an element of safety.

The first link is the guy that designed and makes the SmoothStepper and that is all he sells, the other links stock the SS and sell other components as well.
Hood
Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2011, 09:28:38 AM »
Thank one more time,

I think now I know everything I need so I shouldn't bother you again with such basic questions.

I will let you know once I'm succeful (hopefuly)

Best regards and happy new year!

Demenicis

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2011, 01:56:48 PM »
Dont worry about the basic questions, I like them, they are easy to answer ;D

Hood
Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #17 on: January 17, 2011, 06:21:28 PM »
Hi,

finaly done.

I installed win XP32 bit in another partition on the same hard drive where my C drive was.
Now I have both XPs (32 and 64 bit).

No mistery at all. Mach3 installed fine and the "no driver sensed" message never came. It said "driver installed succefully"!!!

Now I got the hang of it and the steps I found out myself are:
1-After restarting the computer straight after mach3 installation, I plugged the parallel cable into the stepmotors control board (TB6560 4 axis 3A). But the power supply is still OFF.
2- now the power supply can be connected to feed power into the control board. I did that several times and I never "burnt" the control board (YET!!)
3- Run Mach 3
4- set the pins and ports according the the control board PDF instructions supplied together with the board.
5- for a stepmotor type NEMA 23/part code 51BYGH56-401B/2.8Amps/12.6KG.cm (a bit over designed just in case!), I'm using haf step. In "motor turning" (in mach3) then, I'm using 400ateps/turn, 500mm/min (just as a test, I think It would go even faster if I need), 11 for the acceleration.

There are some links for the videos of my first try.

basic movements through the keyboard arrows
http://www.4shared.com/video/r44YHEFH/XY_basics.html

machine doing a 40mm circle path with a pen attached (badly attached) representing the future milling head
http://www.4shared.com/video/118EIFQX/milling_circle_40mmdiam.html

Best regards

Demenicis
___________


Offline Hood

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Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #18 on: January 17, 2011, 06:38:50 PM »
Good to hear you are running, I am sure you will have lots of fun, nothing like putting a CNC machine together and watching it run :)
Hood
Re: Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2011, 07:07:29 AM »
Hi,

Because I bought a 4 axis controller, I'd like to install a step motor on the spindle, so now I'got two questions about that:

1- can I program 1 of my motors (lets say the "A" axis) to turn indefinitely, being the spindle?
2- can my system interpolate 3 axis at once so I can machine a thread/spiral, for example, where I need 3 axis synchronised (spindle, vertical "z", and the cutting tool "x"or "y"?
If the interpolation is fine, my idea is to use the milling machine as a vertical lathe where the work piece would be grabbed by the chuck and the cutting tool fixed on the xy table.
My system consists in one of those basic 4 axis TB6560, Mach3&LazyCam softwares. I don't know if either the control driver or the softwares would have any limitation to interpolate 3 axis at once.

Thanks for any info given,

Regards,

Demenicis