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Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« on: March 19, 2012, 08:44:31 AM »
 Is anyone using the Mach3 software to control a Denford Mirac Pc lathe. I have just purchased a Mirac PC and having no software with it I need to get it working.
 Will the software run the machine
 Do I have to make any changes I understand it can only be windows 32bit
New to CNC

Offline Hood

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Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2012, 09:32:21 AM »
How does the computer connect to the lathe at the moment, in other words is there a PCI card in the computer or does it use a printer port or something else?
Hood
Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 10:32:57 AM »
It connects via an RS232 cable.
The hand book states:-

3) Connect the 25 pin D male end of the RS 232 cable to the 25 pin D
female port mounted on the electrical control box, as shown below
left. This port is labelled RS 232.
3: Connecting your PC to the CNC Lathe
25 pin D male
connector fitted to
Denford Machine
Link cable.
25 pin D female
connector fitted to
electrical control
box end panel.
9 Pin D
Female
Connector.
25 Pin D
Male
Connector.
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Offline Hood

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Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 11:46:50 AM »
It may be possible that you could still use the hardware in the lathe and just connect a parallel port. It would definitely require you knowing the pinouts and re-soldering a plug onto the cable. However that is probably unlikely as serial ports wont have the precise timing required for Step/Dir signals that the parallel port does which suggests that the  hardware may have some internal cards that do the motion/pulsing and that would mean it wouldnt be a simple swap out. You may be able to bypass this board (if there is one) but really info on the hardware inside the lathes control would be needed.
Do you have any documentation in pdf format that has wiring diagrams?
Hood


Hood
Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2012, 12:23:17 PM »
Sorry I do not have much infomation but this link will give you the user manual if that helps.

http://www.denfordata.com/pdfs/mirac_pc_600dpi_hq.pdf
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Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2012, 08:04:08 PM »
Had a quick sqint at the manual but doesnt seem like much info. Can you take some pics of the internals?
Hood

Offline Hal

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Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2012, 08:44:50 PM »
Matchless,
Looks like the control box is a type of smooth stepper contol box. The wiring connectors show a dongle. Do you have the dongle? If not, I would suggest wire cutters and a new contol hardware. You could still use the box for the enclosure.
Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2012, 08:56:36 PM »
Mach3 will run the Mirac fine, does the mirac have a toolchanger.
Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2012, 07:50:19 AM »
Yes the machine has an 8 position tool changer and a tailstock as an optional extra. The machine is in good condition having spent its life at a school. I believe it has not been used for 10 years and very little prior to that, no one at the school had CNC knowledge. It has completed only demonstrations with the installed programme, the installed program and control software is lost from the machine memory and the installation disk's were not available from the school.
I have nothing to make the machine run, I know nothing about Denford machines but I do have CNC programming knowledge so once it is able to run I should be able to do some work.
New to CNC
Re: Using Mach3 with a Denford mirac PC lathe
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2012, 08:57:26 AM »
there are a few versions of this machine, does yours have two inverters or one in the control box.