Hi all

Does anyone know how to upgrade a Boxford TCL 125 running on old BBC computer to PC driven? Any help or spec would be helpful. The reason for the change is that I have no software to run the lathe which is very frustrating!!!

:cheers:

Michael

Does the machine work in manual?. If so I have the circuit diagram. It's 1 large sheet but could scan in areas and let you have them. With a working machine and the circuit diagram. Mach3 lathe software should drive the machine. I have a Boxford tcl 125 but the wiring has burnt out. This is my next project after just completing a refit on a Dynamite DM2400 mill

Hi again.
Just had a look at the circuit diagram.
Here are the pinouts on the microprocessor board
1 ov

4 analog out (motor spped control 0.1 - 8volts)
5 forward spindle
6 reverse spindle
7 X Direction
8 X clock
9 Z Direction
10 Z Clock
if you remove these wires and connect them to your printer port (for sfety sake connect via opto isolators) they should drive the lathe.
Many circuits are available online for pc parallel port connection via opto's

good luck Ray
machine

hi
I can let you have a copy of software to run on a pc (some thing like an old 386 or 486 works well. it also runs in win 98
richard

Does the machine work in manual?. If so I have the circuit diagram. It's 1 large sheet but could scan in areas and let you have them. With a working machine and the circuit diagram. Mach3 lathe software should drive the machine. I have a Boxford tcl 125 but the wiring has burnt out. This is my next project after just completing a refit on a Dynamite DM2400 mill

Hi
It works in manual without a computer connected. I would be very interested with anything you could help me with.

:cheers:

Michael

hi
I can let you have a copy of software to run on a pc (some thing like an old 386 or 486 works well. it also runs in win 98
richard

Hi

That would be much appreciated Thank you

:cheers:

Michael

The boxford uses 2 differant types of circuit board, one will connect straight into the pc and the other will need rewireing and extra bits added.

I have one that ran on the archameedies (spelling) and beleive it has the boards that can be simply rewired to go into a pc, i dont know the differances im afraid.

These machines regulary pop up at palces around the UK very cheap with very little wear as they were made as a training machine for schools and collages, mine runs in manual but theres no decent control to use it properly, i was planning to use a differant set of boards and get it working that way until i was told about the direct wire part,

On my other pc i have scans of the wireing diagrams and also contact details for someone who knows these machines and how to modify them, ill sort the stuff out and host then ill provide the links on here.

They are a very light machie with small work contrictions but if working can be used for all those small parts you want to make, personally i would prefer one of the small teaching millers if anyone fancies a swap?

Thanks for that, I'll look forward to the links.

Cheers

Michael

Hi I'am thinking of buying a Boxford TCL 125 but want to talk to the boxford with RS232, I'm experianced in electronics and I can program PIC devices, but need to know the connections to the boxford processor ie I need a circuit diagram I would be willing to share the design if I buy the Boxford but need to know the complications involved first as I have limited time available. also any knowledge of the command set would be useful.

Hi again.







Just had a look at the circuit diagram.
Here are the pinouts on the microprocessor board
1 ov

4 analog out (motor spped control 0.1 - 8volts)
5 forward spindle
6 reverse spindle
7 X Direction
8 X clock
9 Z Direction
10 Z Clock
if you remove these wires and connect them to your printer port (for sfety sake connect via opto isolators) they should drive the lathe.
Many circuits are available online for pc parallel port connection via opto's

good luck Ray
machine

Hello I wonder if you can help me the board you quote is this the board that connects to 1 Meg bus cable that came fromm the BBC Plug which on the board refers as plug PL3 which then goes down to the drive control board if so would it be possible to give me a ring on 0115 9389014 (Nottingham) as it might help to have a talk about it to make sure, also I have a complete spare processor board and control board if this is any help.
Cheers for now Colin.

hi i hav just aquired a boxford tcl 125 training lathe i have no experiance of cnc lathes although i have programmed cnc lasers for 10 years so i got this as a training thing for myself as i already have a manual lathe.

i have not got any sort of controler with the lathe i see people say they have used 386 pc's 486pc's and bbc computers as well as windows 98.

i have no idea what to use. im told it was run with a 386pc

can anyone help? is there an operating package for this machine? do i need an input/output (i/o) card? how is the pc linked to the lathe????

as you can see im a bit of a novice here and i got no instructions with the machine

many thanks Paul

Picked one up cheap, but without software. Have serial cable but what is the pinout? or more critical the format of the (G-Code)file?

hi all
my first post,

i just purchased 125 tcl , it has 1mhz ribbon leaving lathe which enters i/0 - box 3000 [unilab 532.011 ]
it also has 15 pin analogue port ??

and 3 other user ports ribbon type a,b,c ???

this connects into acorn pc which has 3.5" floppy .

i have sofware for 5" floppy .

my problem is i have mach3 on new pc ,how can i connect this to lathe, can i wire this directly to new pc with printer port ot does it need i/o box .

any help woud be great .

Hi, I have a TCL 160 and is working fine at the moment. But being nosy I looked inside to see how they are built.

Each axis driver has a step and direction pin.

You will need to purchase a breakout board (eg: CnC4Pc) which connects via a parrallel port cable from the breakout to your computer. then connect the step and direction pins (usually marked on the pcb) to the breakout board.

You will also need something to control the spindle motor. I suggest a digispeed as it will convert a pwm signal from Mach3 to 0-10v for your controller and give you an accurate speed for thread cutting. please note that in a previous post on this thread the correct spindle voltage mentioned only goes to 8v so you will have to configure mach3 to account for this.
You will also need to setup a spindle rpm counter to mach3. The Boxfords already have an optical sensor which you could wire to the breakout board with a little modification.

You will then have a machine that works far superior that when it was first built.

I dont advocate any manufacturers mentioned, just gives you an idea of what you will need to make the machine run with Mach3.

I hope this helps.

thanks allot
just ordered breakout board ,mach 3 looks so user friendly, i cant
wait to get it running.

Hi, Yes Once you have learned how to set up Mach3 for a machine and it's all running fine, Mach3 is very easy to live with. I make quite a few of the same parts almost every day and it is so nice to be able to chuck billet, measure the z offset for Z zero and enter into Mach and press button away it goes churning out parts whilst i'm drinking tea, and staring at the magnificent view from my workshop window.

Most problems arise with the mechanics of the system like dodgy limit switches and inaccurate homing positions and more exotic items like toolchangers.

If you plan to retro a machine then use known good items or test each component before you fit it and your halfway there.

Lucky for you the Boxford already has reasonably good limit switches which I belive are magnetic, but you may want to add homing switches for better repeatability either optical or proximity sensors are best.

After I posted my last message, I thought that more explanation as to why I suggested using a digispeed type control for the spindle. My lathe is controlled by sending an 8 bit word from Mach3 using 8 outputs to a D/A converter and then I had to add changes to the macro to setup values for each 10 RPM increments.

The previous owner built it this way, and the trouble is I can't use constant surface speed and after reading up on why, it appears that Mach needs total control and this can only be achieved by the PWM feature Mach has.

I may be wrong but i've never got it to work with the system I have.


Good luck with the project.

hi all
sill waiting on breakout board for for 125 , would anyone have a the wiring ,for 32 ribbon it will save me tracing . or any other advice

,also waiting on 5"floppy drive to look at old software ,i wouldent mind only i bined a few last year .

still testing mach3 dam its good .
if i get it going i .. might .. sell old acorn+ software+io box3000 .

im thinking of scratch building a miller now .

Boxfords are on Youtube you might get a link from there

Did you every get round to sorting out the stuff for the BOXFORD TCL 125.
I am just thinking about taking guts out of working lathe TCL and upgrading to Mach3..
but would be interested in other options ?

Many Thanks Dave