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Proposed New Mach 3 + Grex installation
Hi Guys I'm a newbie to the group, and Mach 3.
I have recently purchased an AVON 2200 CNC vertical mill with faulty Anilam Crusader M series controller. Have fixed much of it, but it's not reliable. This has massive 120V SEM 2000RPM, 15A servos on all 3 axis with 200 thou pitch ball screws, and 254 pulse encoders. I am looking to upgrade it to Mach 3, and then Mach 4, and use a GRex G100 controller, but it would appear I have landed in the middle of a development phase. It is important I can get something up and running as a basic 3 Axis CNC mill (at least as good as a parallel port version) in a couple of weeks. Hi speed is not presently important. Looking at Arts video's it would look as though I can connect a GRex G100 as a basic interface controller and it will work satisfactorily, without all the fancy capabilities of the GRex, Am I right in this assumption? If not then perhaps I need to pick up a isolated serial port breakout box to get things going and run that in tandem with the GRex until it is fully working. Since my motors are 120V, 15A, the Gecko servo controllers only run to 80V so I will be looking to use either Rutex, or Teknix servo controllers, I assume there is no preference between either of these, and no problems to interface to the GRex Rutex are similar price, and capable of a lot more current and I would therefore assume a little more bullet proof. My present DC supply is 150V, which gives out about 120V to the servo's, but no problem to adjust this since I have a big multi tapped three phase transformer. I should also say, I have no 3 phase supply at my shop, this is being generated from a 7.5HP TECO inverter / VFD and I may need to sine filter it, but have not at present. Motor runs fine, three phase transformer wines a little. For encoders I am looking at 2000 pulse differential A+, A-, B+, B-, and N+, N-, this appears to be a common pulse count and should give pretty good resolution. When it all starts to work, I will be adding forth axis to the knee. I have to go away on business later this week for a few days, so I would like to get parts ordered before I go, and start when I get back. Can you please throw me your opinion guys both good and bad. Thanks Mark |
Thanks Chris
I though the servo drives were some form of +/- analogue input. If the servo's are +/- 10 V it won't be difficult to switch the direction and pulse signals to drive these. However they have been repaired several times, are very messy, and one seems to run off. I have repaired much of the Anilam control, the switch mode PSU was down, the screen was down, got these working, but have very low signals from the CRT driver PCB so the monitor will only occasionally sync. If anyone is interested, Anilam used their own expensive CRT units, however the only thing special is that they invert the vertical sync pulse, if you use another 74 series chip to re invert it, you can drive a standard monitor. I will probably change the driver chips since if I can get it working, it's worth a few hundred pounds to sell on. I don't have much confidence it will stay working for long for long though being 15 years old. AT least its not 1990's lead free jap pcb's that are very short lived. Thanks for your reply, and thanks to Art, I think I have plenty of spare parallel cards though knowing my luck they will all be ISA bus. I'll do a parallel bus system first, but also buy the GRex so it has allocated space. I was also looking at AJAX cnc controls, but after having their trial software loaded, I don't like it, and boy are simple add ons a rip off. Regs Mark _____ From: mach1mach2cnc@... [mailto:mach1mach2cnc@...] On Behalf Of Chris Sent: 05 June 2006 22:50 To: mach1mach2cnc@... Subject: [mach1mach2cnc] Re: Proposed New Mach 3 + Grex installation I have a large VMC I have retrofitted with mach as well. Currently I'm using Mach3 with the LPT control, and will upgrade to Grex some time after the new dll plugin control for it is released. I'm not familiar with your anilam control, but I'd bet your existing servo drives are functioning and it's your controller that's going on the frtitz? If so, you can keep all the existing servo drives etc and just run some step/direction to +/- 10v analog cards that your servo drives likely take as direction input. This is what I did using cards from skyko technologies. www.skyko.com great price and great product if you're servo drives take +/-10v signals. You can use the printer port for step/direction signals for the time being, and install a Grex later for the increased speed as I will be doing. I have a DirectLogic DL-06 PLC for the numerous I/O that my VMC craves. If you're in a pinch for a few more I/O through the LPT, you can get a parallel port expansion card (with 2 ports) for under 20 bucks at www.tigerdirect.com Hope this helps! Chris --- In mach1mach2cnc@..., "Mark Vaughan" <mark@...> wrote: Anilam Crusader M series controller. Have fixed much of it, but it's notreliable. thou pitch ball screws, and 254 pulse encoders.GRex G100 controller, but it would appear I have landed in the middle of adevelopment phase.weeks. Hi speed is not presently important.G100 as a basic interface controller and it will work satisfactorily,without all the fancy capabilities of the GRex, Am I right in this assumption?breakout box to get things going and run that in tandem with the GRex until it is fullyto 80V so I will be looking to use either Rutex, or Teknix servo controllers, Iproblems to interface to the GRex Rutex are similar price, and capable of a lotmore current and I would therefore assume a little more bullet proof.servo's, but no problem to adjust this since I have a big multi tapped three phasefilter it, but have not at present. Motor runs fine, three phase transformerwines a little.B-, and N+, N-, this appears to be a common pulse count and should givepretty good resolution. www.machsupport.com - Web site Access SPONSORED LINKS Craft < +craft+supply&w3=Cnc+controller&w4=Mach2&w5=Machine+controller&c=5&s=100&.si g=cBft-fsVfkIutJXEr21PAg> hobby Hobby < 2=Hobby+and+craft+supply&w3=Cnc+controller&w4=Mach2&w5=Machine+controller&c= 5&s=100&.sig=AeiMFbnYxCA9lS62UwM4nA> and craft supply Cnc < and+craft+supply&w3=Cnc+controller&w4=Mach2&w5=Machine+controller&c=5&s=100& .sig=BNvIHBCbQxm5peO5XjUsUA> controller Mach2 < +supply&w3=Cnc+controller&w4=Mach2&w5=Machine+controller&c=5&s=100&.sig=JTe_ zZdXxJwMndrD0NMpUA> Machine < bby+and+craft+supply&w3=Cnc+controller&w4=Mach2&w5=Machine+controller&c=5&s= 100&.sig=y-LUrHzNJPAOhrE-lTFMAA> controller _____ YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS * Visit your group "mach1mach2cnc <> " on the web. * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: mach1mach2cnc-unsubscribe@... <mailto:mach1mach2cnc-unsubscribe@...?subject=Unsubscribe> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! <> Terms of Service. _____ |
Chris
I have a large VMC I have retrofitted with mach as well. Currently
I'm using Mach3 with the LPT control, and will upgrade to Grex some time after the new dll plugin control for it is released. I'm not familiar with your anilam control, but I'd bet your existing servo drives are functioning and it's your controller that's going on the frtitz? If so, you can keep all the existing servo drives etc and just run some step/direction to +/- 10v analog cards that your servo drives likely take as direction input. This is what I did using cards from skyko technologies. www.skyko.com great price and great product if you're servo drives take +/-10v signals. You can use the printer port for step/direction signals for the time being, and install a Grex later for the increased speed as I will be doing. I have a DirectLogic DL-06 PLC for the numerous I/O that my VMC craves. If you're in a pinch for a few more I/O through the LPT, you can get a parallel port expansion card (with 2 ports) for under 20 bucks at www.tigerdirect.com Hope this helps! Chris --- In mach1mach2cnc@..., "Mark Vaughan" <mark@...> wrote: Anilam Crusader M series controller. Have fixed much of it, but it's notreliable. thou pitch ball screws, and 254 pulse encoders.GRex G100 controller, but it would appear I have landed in the middle of adevelopment phase.weeks. Hi speed is not presently important.G100 as a basic interface controller and it will work satisfactorily,without all the fancy capabilities of the GRex, Am I right in this assumption?breakout box to get things going and run that in tandem with the GRex until it is fullyto 80V so I will be looking to use either Rutex, or Teknix servo controllers, Iproblems to interface to the GRex Rutex are similar price, and capable of a lotmore current and I would therefore assume a little more bullet proof.servo's, but no problem to adjust this since I have a big multi tapped three phasefilter it, but have not at present. Motor runs fine, three phase transformerwines a little.B-, and N+, N-, this appears to be a common pulse count and should givepretty good resolution. |
art
Hi MArk:
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Just me opinion, some do use MachIV, but Ive found experiences seem to vary widely. IT really isnt ready for prime time by my estimation. The Next version will be, but it will take up to 3 months to complete to full status.. I recommend, if your ina hurry, that you use a breakout baord and printer port to do the control, its very easy to switch such a system to G100 when its ready for it. As long as you have the appropriate drivers, it wont matter if you use printer port or G100 for now, the port will simply be slower. All your other specs look good, I dont htink you shoudl hit any major snags.. Thanks, Art www.artofcnc.ca Videos And Support Forums Users Map: ----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Vaughan" <mark@...> To: <mach1mach2cnc@...> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 9:19 AM Subject: [mach1mach2cnc] Proposed New Mach 3 + Grex installation Hi Guys I'm a newbie to the group, and Mach 3. |
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