Hi Folks,
Everything was going TOO well I guess.
Finally making chips...and then....X axis DEAD !  Motor free as if enable went off.

The dang cooling fan on the enclosure failed and the driver overheated and crapped out.   

I am wondering if it is possible to incorporate into Mach a fan power sensor or enclosure temperature sensor and have it trip the E Stop and disable the drivers. Even run a message in the alarm box by the RESET button. The threshold could be adjusted to shut down well before any damage is done.

How is this dealt with on commercial machines ?

The driver manual mentions Max. Junction Temp 150C and a thermal shut-down circuit at 165C. It is supposed to be OK after cooldown but this one won't come back from the DEAD.

Thanks,
Setbackabit

Hi,
sorry about your overtemp problem. It should be fairly easy to include a temperature trip in the E Stop line. There are a whole range of Bi-metallic switches available in both normally closed & normally open. They have operating points of 50 deg C to 160. An example is Farnell code 178-801 which opens at 80 deg C & closes again at 55.


Tony

I can see the need for a warning - but why go to the bother of wiring it into the computer. Overheating doesn't happen suddenly, it builds up over time, so I would have though a light or a bell on your housing would be sufficient.

If you already have an external E stop switch, then by all means, add a relay in the circuit to close this if you are over heating, but otherwise a warning of some sort, will enable you to hit the E stop on the computer to shut down. You will also know why it has shut down as well.

BRAVO ! ! An EXCELLENT plan.
The machine will never be TOTALLY unattended. I have some rotating beacons that would be noticed from anywhere in the area.
(I've got buzzers too, but my eyes are in better shape than my ears)

Thanks TonyP,
Dittos Jim