Digest Number 1 & homebrew DRO

[email protected]

In a message dated 5/7/99 4:49:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
rmcilvaine@... writes:

I got the US Digital PC interface card. It has 4 channels, so, while I'm
 only using 2, one for X and one for Y, I can expand to a Z axis if
 necessary. At this point I don't know what I'd do with a 4th dimension,
 speed I suppose.
A common usage for the fourth channel would be for a rotary table, or 
something along that nature, 
Bill

[email protected]

#24

Well I got the digest #1 last night (the second digest, since there was
a digest #0). Since my introduction was labeled message #1, anyone who
signed up after it was posted didn't see it (unless they signed up for
digested as well), so I included it below.

As I noted below, I'm in the process of doing my own DRO. Resolution of
the encoders is probably biggest $ consideration. In other words, the
more resolution you want the more $ you need.

US Digital can provide linear encoders that will provide resolution of
.0006". These cost around $50 bucks each, depending on length, shorter =
cheaper. The are also manufacturers that have linears with .0001"
resolution, they'll cost around $500 for an 18" version.

I got the US Digital PC interface card. It has 4 channels, so, while I'm
only using 2, one for X and one for Y, I can expand to a Z axis if
necessary. At this point I don't know what I'd do with a 4th dimension,
speed I suppose.

The actual display was cheap, that old PC that been gathering dust since
the last upgrade was free!

I wrote the software, so I can make it do what ever I want. Currently,
it displays X and Y travel as well as feed rate. It can do presets,
zeros...the usual stuff.

Show quoted text

Message: 1
   Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 08:14:47 -0400 
   From: rmcilvaine@...
Subject: Starting point

Hi all,

I subscribed to the digested list and have not received the first
digest. Therefore I don't know what, if anything, has been discussed.

Maybe a good starting point would be for those who were at NAMES, to
tell those of us who weren't, about the conversation that 
brought about
the creation of this list.

Are we going to talk about homebrew EDM/DRO?

If so I'm in the process of mounting X & Y .0001" res. encoders to my
Bridgeport. These are connected to two channels of a US Digital 4
channel encoder interface card in an old 286 PC.
I wrote the software for this card.

Are we going to talk about CAD?

I've had the dubious honor of spending the better part of the last 25
years in the CAD industry.

Are we going to talk CAM?

I started my computer career designing CAM machinery for the ancient
technology of wire wrapped digital circuit boards. We used small
computers back then, they were only 6 ft. high in a 19 inch wide rack
cabinet, with the latest storage media available...paper tape readers!

So, let the games begin! 

Mac
Homebrewer and tinker by choice, Computer geek by trade.

Marshall Pharoah

#27

I've been looking at this for some time as I would like to add it to a
miniature vertical mill I have.  Questions I have are:

It appears that the scales are a flexible mylar.  How do you attach
them, with some sort of light spring arrangement maybe?

What about temperature stability? My shop is not heated.

COuld you post some pictures in the drop box showing your mounting
schemes?

Maybe you should do an article on this for HSM.

My background:
While I can and have written some windows software, my real area of
expertise is in the area of microcontroller programming for control of
telephony devices, (real time control).  I am familiar with the
6802/68HC11/68705/PIC processors.  I muck with woodworking and
metalworking.

Thanks for the info.

rmcilvaine@... wrote:

Show quoted text

From: rmcilvaine@...

Well I got the digest #1 last night (the second digest, since there was
a digest #0). Since my introduction was labeled message #1, anyone who
signed up after it was posted didn't see it (unless they signed up for
digested as well), so I included it below.

As I noted below, I'm in the process of doing my own DRO. Resolution of
the encoders is probably biggest $ consideration. In other words, the
more resolution you want the more $ you need.

US Digital can provide linear encoders that will provide resolution of
.0006". These cost around $50 bucks each, depending on length, shorter =
cheaper. The are also manufacturers that have linears with .0001"
resolution, they'll cost around $500 for an 18" version.

I got the US Digital PC interface card. It has 4 channels, so, while I'm
only using 2, one for X and one for Y, I can expand to a Z axis if
necessary. At this point I don't know what I'd do with a 4th dimension,
speed I suppose.

The actual display was cheap, that old PC that been gathering dust since
the last upgrade was free!

I wrote the software, so I can make it do what ever I want. Currently,
it displays X and Y travel as well as feed rate. It can do presets,
zeros...the usual stuff.

Message: 1
   Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 08:14:47 -0400
   From: rmcilvaine@...
Subject: Starting point

Hi all,

I subscribed to the digested list and have not received the first
digest. Therefore I don't know what, if anything, has been discussed.

Maybe a good starting point would be for those who were at NAMES, to
tell those of us who weren't, about the conversation that
brought about
the creation of this list.

Are we going to talk about homebrew EDM/DRO?

If so I'm in the process of mounting X & Y .0001" res. encoders to my
Bridgeport. These are connected to two channels of a US Digital 4
channel encoder interface card in an old 286 PC.
I wrote the software for this card.

Are we going to talk about CAD?

I've had the dubious honor of spending the better part of the last 25
years in the CAD industry.

Are we going to talk CAM?

I started my computer career designing CAM machinery for the ancient
technology of wire wrapped digital circuit boards. We used small
computers back then, they were only 6 ft. high in a 19 inch wide rack
cabinet, with the latest storage media available...paper tape readers!

So, let the games begin!

Mac
Homebrewer and tinker by choice, Computer geek by trade.

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welcome to CAD/CAM/EDM/DRO@..., an unmodulated list for the discussion of shop built systems in the above catagories.

-- 
Marshall Pharoah
Software Engineer
Adirondac Software

Steve Lindsay

#44

I didn't know that US Digital had a PC inerface card.   This would
be the way to go for a dro.  Life is probably much similar this way rather
than
using my   program.
Mine will work fine but some people have a heck of the time getting the lpt
port right to work with the program.    I would think an interface card
would be faster
and US Digital is probably doing a lot of the work on the hardware/interface
that
I was doing in code.
Steve


PS.... What a great group!

Show quoted text

Message: 1
   Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 07:46:17 -0400
   From: rmcilvaine@...
Subject: Re: Digest Number 1 & homebrew DRO

Well I got the digest #1 last night (the second digest, since there was
a digest #0). Since my introduction was labeled message #1, anyone who
signed up after it was posted didn't see it (unless they signed up for
digested as well), so I included it below.

As I noted below, I'm in the process of doing my own DRO. Resolution of
the encoders is probably biggest $ consideration. In other words, the
more resolution you want the more $ you need.

US Digital can provide linear encoders that will provide resolution of
.0006". These cost around $50 bucks each, depending on length, shorter =
cheaper. The are also manufacturers that have linears with .0001"
resolution, they'll cost around $500 for an 18" version.

I got the US Digital PC interface card. It has 4 channels, so, while I'm
only using 2, one for X and one for Y, I can expand to a Z axis if
necessary. At this point I don't know what I'd do with a 4th dimension,
speed I suppose.

The actual display was cheap, that old PC that been gathering dust since
the last upgrade was free!

I wrote the software, so I can make it do what ever I want. Currently,
it displays X and Y travel as well as feed rate. It can do presets,
zeros...the usual stuff.

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Digest Number 1 & homebrew DRO