Ron22,
Yes, I have enabled the axis's. The CNC machine was originally set up with the limit switches configured for "Normally Open". The Delta Tau manual suggests "Normally Closed", so I changed it to that way. I hooked up the "Amp Enabled" connection on the amplifier to a toggle On/Off switch to ground so that I can control each axis independantly. I can get the auto-tune software to move the axis's, but it seems like no matter what I do, the machine axis will not hold position steady...it drifts. But that is in Open Loop mode. I will close the loop and start debugging from there.
To answer your questions:
The CNC machine is a 1981 Wells-Index Model 810 (looks like a manual bridgport model). Travel is X28.5 Y11.7 Z5.0. It had a Sharnoa controller on it which had its limitations, plus the boards where not that reliable. I got tired of dumping money into an obsolete controller.
The amps are Kollmorgen Model KXA-175 (I bought off of E-Bay - Brand new). I have it set to Velocity Mode since I have Tachometer Input.
The servos are ElectroCraft (original equipment)and are rated @ 2000 RPM no load. The CNC spec has a rapid traverse speed of 150"/minute. The ballscrews are .200"/rev.
I am using PEWIN for setting up the PMAC ISA card (running WindowsXP). I am going to use PMAC-NC (not the newest version). I bought DPRAM for the 8 axis card since it didn't have it and I read it is required if I was going to use PMAC-NC.
The machine has optical rotary encoders coupled to the end of the ballscrews that have 1000 lines/rev resolution.
The motors are on the machine right now. I don't plan on taking them off for debugging. I have been using my X-Axis for debugging first (with 28 inches of travel, theres a lot of room for me to stop a runaway axis!
I bought the PMAC 8-axis card off of E-bay with the amplifiers as a set. When I went to buy the DPRAM, I found a whole Delta Tau Advantage 600 Pendant w/ a computer and a 4-axis PMAC ISA card which I ended up buying also. That setup came with the PMAC software and PMAC-NC software. I swapped out the 4-axis card with the 8-axis card. After I had problems trying to tune the axis's, I put the 4-axis card back in and had the same results. The 8-axis card is back in now.
This is a hobby machine for me. I thought I was at the point where I would have to pay the big bucks to get a Delta Tau technician in so that this doesn't become a "boat anchor"! You guys have given me direction to continue on. I really appreciate your help.
John  |