Tree mill

"The Kid" just bought a mill.

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The control is dead. Anyone know if this control is worth repairing? Or has my son just bought me a winter project?

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend
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I used to work on a tree mill years ago at the shop I worked at. I didn't know anything about the control computer but it had Baldor servo motors and drives IIRC.

If the controls don't come up easily I'd consider converting to a more modern PC based control. I like EMC2 because it's free, hardware is reasonable, it's very configurable, and many users & developers to help you get it working right.

RogerN

Reply to
RogerN

I feel so lucky that you talked me out of repairing my old Heidenhain control.

EMC2 is Awesome.

Thanks RogerN.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus8757

I'm not sure what vintage it is, but the serial # looks like a date, as in 1985. If so, I REALLY would advise against repair if it is more than a blown fuse or loose connector. If you replace a board, then another board will die within months. I had a slightly older control that I hacked onto a manual Bridgeport, and had to do board-level repairs 3 times in 9 months. I was overjoyed to become one of the first outside users of EMC back in

1998.

Since this is a servo machine, I would recommend using LinuxCNC (the new name of EMC2) which is most at home driving servos.

You may be able to save the servo amps, depending on the make, some of them are quite reliable.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Well ... it depends. I've never used them, but the serious machinist where I used to work considered them mechanically very good, but that there were mostly problems with relays developing poor contacts. This was back around 1990 or so, and I don't know how old the machine itself was. (No, I did not get a chance to see it -- except once at a distance going past on a truck to the surplus sales place (Army base, FWIW.)

If this is of similar vintage -- the first thing is to try plugging in new relays and see what that does. If that doesn't do it, and if you don't get better advice, plan to upgrade it to a modern control.

It appears to have servo motors, and linear encoders, so it is a really good starting point for a conversion using linuncnc (was EMC2), but it might be more of a problem if you were using MACH instead, I think that is more focused on steppers.

Good Luck, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

1998 huh? That's the year i decided to go Camsoft after switching my Bandit to Ahha and not liking steppers. I'm suggesting EMC to the kid as it is SO MUCH more economical. Plus I expect Camsoft to be out of business in less than ten years.

Now, I REALLY LIKE using Opto 22 brand isolated 24 volt IO and the PCI bus cards to control them. what are the chance EMC will run this card?

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Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

That serial number sure looks like a date code to me. If it really was made in 1985, then the control is not likely to be very sophisticated or reliable in the long term.

That is so typical, for it to not work after a move, it is easy to believe.

Well, I think Karl and the "kid" need to get it home first.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

trouble finding a motherboard the card will even FIT into the connectors, now.

My interface boards for LinuxCNC already have optoisolated inputs built in, and place to plug your SSRs for output. Mesa can interface to Opto-22 boards, I think. But, you really won't need much digital I/O on this machine. Spindle forward and reverse, coolant, and servo amp enable are the outputs, and maybe there is a tool release cylinder. And, a few limit and home switches for inputs. Does it have a spindle encoder? If so, then you really want to go with LinuxCNC for rigid tapping.

Really, the cost of the control program is small. But, with LinuxCNC, you know you can get stuff fixed, often within a day or two, when a problem is discovered.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

I know nothing about this mill. But, since you say that the "control is dead", I assume you mean that nothing works at all. I'd say this is likely to be good news. It could be as simple as a blown fuse or a bad power supply. I'd start with google. Apparently, at least, the company is still in business. I got to a site (findamachine.com) that says it'll give me a phone number if I sign in. I'd call them and ask some basic guidance and then for service and operations manuals and see where it goes from there.

Even if they say you need to buy a new control or whole new machine, you will be ahead of the game.

A couple of years ago, a friend had a failure with his optical/torch cutting machine. The mfr said they didn't repair boards or sell them, but did supply a manual that included a schematic. The friend took the problem to a local electronics guy who diagnosed the problem and fixed it. I think it was a $10 IC. If you can find a good old-fashioned TV repair type guy who really understands discrete component electronics, that would be the way to go.

Pete Stanaitis

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Reply to
Pete S

You seen that too. I asked camsoft and they told me any card using an

8255 IO chip will work with their software. This just happens to be the vendor I've bought from.

Doesn't have to be this card, I'm just asking if LinuxCNC can do 96 I/O cards or similar with cables to Opto 22 modules

I'm used to TONS of I/O. Don't think I can go back now Most of it is inputs for a real nice operator panel. From my perspective this is the only area LinuxCNC is still lacking. Of course all this I/O must be opto isolated and I think 24 VDC is the best for control power.

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

Have you ever looked at these? 16 relays per board, with 16 control inputs & SPDT outputs. A couple 8 bit parallel outputs can easily give you 256 relays. You could even do it with a couple USB to parallel adapters. It can be done with a single parallel port, if you use a microprocessor, or a string of 74HC595 ICs.

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Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Jon Elson fired this volley in news:qsqdnfLapMDVCGHSnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

And if you're just bent on scanning the keyboard yourself, you could use a matrix instead of a separate input for each key.

There are lots of very simple ways to save on inputs. One 8255 (antique as it is) could handle hundreds of I/Os, properly arranged.

LLoyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

Well, in general, somebody has to write a device driver. I see a driver for an Opto-22 AC5 card, don't know what that is. It apparently handles up to 4 of them, however. Also, there is an 8255 driver, it can handle up to 16 of those. Can't say for sure it is compatible with your particular board.

Ah, there are a number of solutions for operator panels, such as USB and serial, that get rid of the massive cables and dozens of Opto-22 modules.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Urrk! That's SO 1980's. I can't IMAGINE drip feeding today, it would be like torture. (water torture??)

As for the wiring diagrams, they are only of the "top level", with no schematics of the boards.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Look at X-Keys for some nice programmable, legendable and keycap reconfigurable keyboards are very reasonable prices.

Reply to
Pete C.

"Pete C." fired this volley in news:4ffc9c4b$0$14668 $ snipped-for-privacy@newsreader.readnews.com:

Nice! That Jog and Shuttle job would be good for EMC!

Lloyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

I'd like that XK-12 joystick for EMC! Very nice indeed. Thanks, Pete!

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

Speaking of which, kindasorta, has anyone bought and used one of these Chinese thangs on a CNC router? I'm wondering if they would be useful for signmaking/carving.

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-- It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Larry Jaques fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Oh, man... even if I have to put a restaurant condom over it, I'll use a 'real' keyboard. I don't want no stinkin' membrane keyboards.

Just when you need them, they start to bounce or balk.

LLoyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

I may have persuaded you in that direction but it seemed a natural fit for you with your programming, linux, and machining interests.

Thanks for taking the photos and taking us along through the conversion process with you. It gives others details of what's involved and hopefully some encouragement to convert old controls instead of paying big money for old obsolete controls.

Making anything else on it? AR receivers or anything?

RogerN

Reply to
RogerN

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