CNC router build from Adept robotic cartesian slides.

[machiningfool]

I have gone over and over the diagrams and think I have it this time, but I am still a bit nervous. Thanks for your encouragement. The designer, Sergey Kabashian, KSI Labs, has all of the ground wires routed to one station on the machine directly from the drives, brk board, power supply, both 12 vdc and 140 vdc, which I didn't have originally, but I have rewired it to specs. I guess he wanted continuity from the source without any chance of an open. Had I have done that in the first place, I probably wouldn't have mis-wired it. Bob.

[machiningfool]

Well, good news. I connected everything and no smoke, everything seems to be operating correctly, now for the setup in Mach 3 and then tuning, I'll do that tomorrow. Thanks for everyone's patient and support, Bob.

[machiningfool]

Thanks guys. Well I have been tracing problems with the Mach3 setup, not really a problem with Mach3, but misdrawn diagrams. I couldn't get a reset for two reasons, first Sergey found that his board going to the drives messed up the signal to the E stop switch, and when we bypassed that board, the E stop worked, still must do more work on that board, but for now, the E stop works. Then there was a problem with the Z axis minus limit switch which was also a problem with a misdrawn diagram, and after some detective work, the problem was solved, two days later. So, now getting the servos running. I will let you know when they are turning and in the correct direction. Bob.

[machiningfool]

OK, I got the test servo to run in both directions, fairly simple by following Mach directions. So then I hooked up the servo cables to the Y servo on the machine and it would only move in one direction. The servos are the same, so this is a mystery. Sergey only programmed one servo and drive, so for this servo and drive, he forgot the configuration settings so I will have to use a program from Granite Drives and a usb cable to discover the settings and transfer those to the other two drives. However I was happy to see the servo move. Absolutely no noise. It seemed as if it had moved by magic. After I get the servo drives configured and the servos moving in the correct direction, then calibrating them as far as correct input as compared to results. I thought I was done when the mechanical parts of the machine were done, well I can throw that thought out the window, so I will be reading the Granite drive manual and installing the "GD tool" program to reset the configurations. I will be busy for the next couple of days, when I am threw with that, I will let you know how it went. Bob.

[machiningfool]

I finally was able to use the Granite Devices, GDtool to reconfigure the other two drives, but I will wait until Sergey gets back from San Francisco so I can make sure that I do everything correctly. Made a copy of the parameters of the good drive so I will know what to load into the two. Servo still only turns in one direction, I think that it is a brk board problem, needs re configuring. That is all until Monday. I said yesterday that the servo operated in both directions, that was not the case. My imagination I guess. Bob.

[machiningfool]

Today I successfully loaded the Y axis parameters to the X drive, with the GDtool program, and tested it and it worked, so far as turning and in the same direction. What I proved is that the drive is good and the new parameters were put into the drive. I haven't been as successful with the Z drive for some reason. When the drive is ready, it flashes a steady green light. The X and Y flash green, but I can't get the Z to do the same thing. I am not sure the Z drive is accepting the new files, that might be the problem or maybe I have a bad drive, I am going to switch drives tomorrow to test that theory. From here, have to wait on Sergey to work out some other problems with signals not appearing properly. The Centipede brk. board has red led's when a signal is operational and some of them are not working. Some of this trouble might have been caused with my original mixing up some wires, I don't know yet, but I will find out eventually. Bob.

[machiningfool]

OK, today I installed a new Granite Devices drive and installed the parameters and now I have a blue steady led, that means that it is configured and ready to go. So I have three steady blue led's. Now I have to wait for Sergey to return to tackle the brk. board to try to get six red led's for the step and direction outputs to the drive, might have to buy another brk. board, don't know yet. This is all that I can do for now. Bob.

[machiningfool]

Tried everything, couldn't get any thing to work properly, so I must have really messed everything up by crossing some wires. So, I am sending all of the electronics back to KSI labs so he can figure out how much damage I did. I am sending a servo motor, cables, brk board, ad-hoc board, PCI board, and Centipede cable, so maybe he can see what a screw up that I managed to accomplish. He has been very understanding and is working with me to the end, and I appreciate that. So, that is all for a while. Bob.

[machiningfool]

Thanks Paul Jones and PJs, It arrives today in Henderson Nevada, so I should hear about the damage today or tomorrow. Sergey is going to send me a new PCI Centipede board and a new brk. board and maybe a new ad-hoc board. The ad-hoc board had to be made as a go-between from the brk-board to the drives, a custom board. This time it should work very smoothly, I have my hopes up. I will post a video when the servos are working on all three axis'. Does anyone out there have experience with Mach3? If you do, please tell me your experiences with the controller, and maybe it will help me or someone else, thank you, Bob.

[machiningfool]

OK, on the 5th. of Nov. I sent to KSIlabs the following. Servo, drive, cables, ad-hoc board, brk. board, Centipede pci board. I asked him to make sure that everything worked in all three axis', and direction. That way, if my configuration doesn't work, I will know where to look, like setup, or the other servos, or Mach3 incorrect setup. He won't be back from New York until Friday the 13th. so I will have to wait until sometime next week for any news. I have watched on YouTube some Granite drives installed in a CNC router in action, and what a show. They are very fast. and smooth. Mine should be even faster with the 20mm pitch in the ballscrews, if I choose to go that fast. Well that's all for now. Bob.