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UC400ETH
« on: December 25, 2017, 10:18:16 AM »
I did get the UT400 ETH controller yesterday and have yet to try out. Zero doc's or paper came with it, no required circuit board connector to parallel port, no way to connect power via screw terminal, just some oddball plug connector.... not included. Not a happy camper. You would expect for $160 the screw terminal connector would at least be in the box!!  The rest of the connectors and cables I had ordered but they are required for the board to work.  The connector for power??  We no longer have a Radio Shack so If I can not find one in my junk box its another expense.

  Merry Christmas and Hanukah  season!!
Retired Master Electrician, Commercial HVAC/R Service and lots of Hobbys.

Offline ger21

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Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2017, 02:52:23 PM »
The green screw terminal connector that plugs into the board should have came with the board. Email or call whoever you bought it from and let them know you didn't get it.
It doesn't come with a parallel cable, because cables come in a variety of different configurations, and they can't supply them all.
Gerry

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Offline beefy

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Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2017, 02:56:10 PM »
The screw terminal connector should have been in the box, seems like a mistake. I'd ask Cncdrive if they can send it out if you can't get one locally.

There's a lot more electronic suppliers than Radio Shack. If you want the connector quick, ask on an electronics forum (and on the Cncdrive forum) if they recognise the connector and google for any electronics suppliers near you.

Documentation is in the UCCNC folder after you do the installation. The user manual is also available for download from their website.
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2017, 03:49:09 PM »
The screw terminal connector should have been in the box, seems like a mistake. I'd ask Cncdrive if they can send it out if you can't get one locally.

There's a lot more electronic suppliers than Radio Shack. If you want the connector quick, ask on an electronics forum (and on the Cncdrive forum) if they recognise the connector and google for any electronics suppliers near you.

Documentation is in the UCCNC folder after you do the installation. The user manual is also available for download from their website.


 There are NO electronics suppliers in this area, and mail order its usually a shipping charge that exceeds the cost of what was ordered. I finally kluged together some pins and got it powered up and set up in Mach3, I have yet to try.  One of the support staff from where I purchased answered my email and is sending me the proper connector.  Thanks for the reply!!
Retired Master Electrician, Commercial HVAC/R Service and lots of Hobbys.
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2017, 05:15:24 PM »
Yes its up and running now.  Got it doing a test file, the one with lots of movements, especially Z's.    Windows XP not the easy set up for a Network but it got done.  I did set the pulse Frequency at 25,000 so I would not need to retune the motors and the OEM settings I had in Mach3 work just fine.  When the file gets done and it seems to be a lot faster, maybe.  I will do the permanent install, thanks guys!!  (Gals)   Yup its faster, old parallel port running Mach3 40 minutes, new UC400 running same file 24 minutes and the motors are a Lot smoother.
« Last Edit: December 25, 2017, 05:28:36 PM by wmgeorge »
Retired Master Electrician, Commercial HVAC/R Service and lots of Hobbys.
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #5 on: December 25, 2017, 05:34:15 PM »
Hi,
a new external motion controller for Christmas, kool....

The 400ETH has two ports. It is pretty much mandatory that pins 2-9 of port 1 are outputs, for your motors. However you can with port 2 change pins
2-9 from outputs to inputs. Note you can assign them as inputs OR outputs, not half and half. All those extra inputs will give you a lot of options.

Many CNCers have limit and home switches combined. A hangover from the parallel port days when there were so few inputs. You don't have to do that now.
You can have separate home and limit switches which 1) saves on confusion and 2) means that Mach does not have to ignore a limit switch while homing
with benefits to reliability of limit switch operation. You can also have a separate probe input, in fact with Mach4 you could have up to four probe inputs.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2017, 07:32:45 PM »
Its working fine, Home all works as I combined Limit  and Home.
Retired Master Electrician, Commercial HVAC/R Service and lots of Hobbys.
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2017, 08:04:19 PM »
Hi,
yeah it works but is it optimal?

When homing Mach has to ignore the limit switches because they are being used as home switches at the moment. When do you suppose you are most
likely to have some sort of issue for which limit switches provide protection? Exactly a run away axis is more likely to ocurr when homing just when Mach
has no limit switches.

I would recommend that the home switches be separate then the limits switches will always be limit switches and be recognized by Mach as such and provide
the protection that is otherwise absent when homing.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #8 on: December 25, 2017, 08:20:44 PM »
So from what I understand Mach3 knows when you Home All the switch is now a Home and instead of stopping and faulting it just reverses.  So when the Home sequence is started the Z if first, then Y and then X. I do not see an issue. If your Homing the machine your sitting or standing right by the machine if it screws up the its E Stop time.  When the Homing is complete then it goes back to the limit mode.  My other commercially built router did exactly the same thing it was not a Mach control system.
Retired Master Electrician, Commercial HVAC/R Service and lots of Hobbys.
Re: UC400ETH
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2017, 09:12:22 PM »
Hi,

Quote
I do not see an issue. If your Homing the machine your sitting or standing right by the machine if it screws up the its E Stop time

When you crash remember these famous last words.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'