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Author Topic: Centipede product review!  (Read 2599 times)

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Offline poppabear

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Centipede product review!
« on: July 18, 2011, 09:13:20 AM »
I put the Centipede board on a “Bridge Port II CNC” machine (a retrofit, that is running “DuGong” Drives and DC servos with 500 count encoders.
It has 3 axis X/Y/Z, and Spindle control (analog over TCP Modbus), coolant mist/flood, auto oiler, Powered Knee.

On Set up:
•   Documentation was good, but I would recommend a “Set Up” video for a standard 3 axis mill, that users can watch as an overview.
•   Board quality, and PCI where all VERY well done!! No recommendation here, super good looking product.
•   Mounting:  I would recommend selling an optional external board mounting kit (with standoffs etc.).

On Configuration:
•   On an XP machine, the setup was typical mach3 for a PP, I was VERY impressed with the seamless and painless integration.
•   Recommendation to the above:  I don’t think there is a reasonable answer for this, but I would LOVE for this product to be able to work
With Windows 7 (or evil vista),  64 again, I would recommend a Video here as well.

On Use:
•   I have run the Mill now, for daily use. I have had ZERO problems with the hardware.

Overall impression:
Good product, well documented, open source code, on all products.
Customer support: Got GREAT technical support, and customer support.
NOTE: the card also now does LATHE threading!!!
COST:  This product is NOT for the Cheapo buyer, it is intended for those who want Pro-level quality and performance with out the PRO price, but still pay a mid-level price point.

-Scott "Poppa Bear" Shafer

FusionCNC | Rhino3D | SSsystemsLLC | Automation Direct | Artsoft

« Last Edit: July 18, 2011, 06:35:05 PM by poppabear »
fun times

Offline Hood

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Re: Centipede product review!
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2011, 10:29:44 AM »
Thanks for the review Scott, I talked via email with Sergey quite a bit when it first came out and it looked like an excellent product. The killer for me was the max pulserate of 100KHz, if only it was capable of 500KHz or more and I would have had one.

Hood