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Author Topic: WHat options work with Mach 3 and Analog servos  (Read 3158 times)

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Offline kf2qd

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WHat options work with Mach 3 and Analog servos
« on: May 01, 2016, 01:25:04 PM »
It has been a few years since I have been active here on this forum and my present job may afford an opportunity to convert/update a machine and so I am looking for information.ideas as to what might be the way to go.

I am working for a small granite counter top company and they have several older Italian made CNC profiling machines - kind of like a cross between a router and a mill. One of them uses Yaskawa drives, so a stepper interface is no problem there, but the other uses Fagor drives, and from the documentation they are analog only. The third machine uses Siemens, and everything is integrated and not much hope for that machine without doing a complete drive replacement.

Okay... What are the options for interfacing Mach 3 with analog drives? And what are the options for being able to interface to more inputs/outputs? And what other questions might I ought to ask?
Re: WHat options work with Mach 3 and Analog servos
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2016, 03:41:50 PM »
Hi kf2qd:

The dspmc controller is one I have used for many years, and it is an excellent unit. Another one is made by CS labs, which I have no personal experience, and a third one is Galil.
All of the external controllers have more I/O than you will probably ever be able to use, so that is not a problem.
The dspmc unit is made in Phoenix, Arizona, and they are very responsive to any questions. They have a section in this forum, as well as the other systems mentioned. None of these controllers are cheap.

The only downside to using an older analogue driver system is availability of drives if you need a repair or replacement. Since a big portion of the cost of a system is the servo's and amps, this should be considered. The servo's were brush type DC motors. Retrofitting an older system can be costly in many unseen ways, and there is no "cheap way" to build a good system. Going with a newer controller will also involve fitting newer design shaft encoders of the differential type.
Analogue systems are no longer being manufactured, as the CNC machines have evolved into brushless AC servo's at the high end, with built-in encoders, and PID auto servo tuning software. They are faster, smoother, more accurate, and simpler than the older vintage machines.
It would be worth considering a newer retro-fit to a well built, solid machine foundation. The older machines were usually very well built structurally, and make an excellent starting point for a state-of-art machine. You want to end up with a machine that is stable, trouble free, and easily repaired of need be.

You can do a lot of reading on the respective sections in this forum, regarding the analog systems, and see what the various builders went through to get their machines working. Many have entire machine build histories covering months. Very interesting.

John


Offline Hood

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Re: WHat options work with Mach 3 and Analog servos
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2016, 04:59:29 PM »
There is also the KFlop with Kanalog addon which will work with with analogue command drives.

I have never used it or the DSPMC or Galil but do have the CSMIO/IP-A on my Chiron FZ12S.
It is an excellent controller, the base unit has
16 digital outputs
24 digital Inputs
6 channels of +/- 10v
6 channels of differential encoder inputs
2x  0-10v outs
4x  0-10v inputs

There is an Encoder module that can be used to hook up a spindle encoder for use for rigid tapping.

An MPG module that can be used for extra I/O and a MPG wheel

You can also expand the I/O with extra modules (up to 16 I think) which have 16 digital inputs and 8 digital outputs.

The CSMIO can access the I/O via its internal modbus via VB or Brains or you can set up the standard way in Mach via Inputs and Outputs and OEM triggers in Ports and Pins or you can use a mixture of all three methods.

Hood