I made a CNC Dictionary for those who want to learn more. Since I am in that category, there may be some errors and ommissions!

http://www.thewarfields.com/MTCNCDictionary.htm

Cheers,

BW

you've been a very busy man , pretty good i'll have to remember this thread ,
you missed one in "C" crash , but then again i suppose we all know that one already

I made a CNC Dictionary for those who want to learn more. Since I am in that category, there may be some errors and ommissions!

http://www.thewarfields.com/MTCNCDictionary.htm

Cheers,

BW

Nice Dictionary Bob. That must have taken a while. There are a few more ommissions I found at a glance.

CNC Programming option Incremental (G91 for Milling)(U&W for Turning)

File Extensions for CAD;
ASE Files; 3ds MAX ASCII Export files AutoDesk
DWG Files; Pro/Engineer and AutoCAD/AutoDesk
3dm Files; Rhino Files
STEP Files; ISO-10303 STEP Product Data

It looks really good and is informative.

Nice work!!!!!

under N you need to add newspaper with the statemant that read "Paperwork that is done every day by operator"

Thanks all, I have added the suggestions, except for the one on Newspaper, though I did get a good giggle from it!

The STEP standard sounds interesting from what little I read about it.

Cheers,

BW

Is it simple to add 'NEXT' and 'PREVIOUS' near your 'BACK TO...' at the bottom of each page. For those of us who don't have a life and read dictionaries for relaxation it would save (two ... wrong) one mouse click per page. :D

PS: Delrin is pure acetal, no filler.

Bob, Regarding the definition of quadrature, it is often used wrongly and can cause confusion. The first part of the definition is right:
"The name derives because there is a 90 degree phase difference between the two signals."
The next line is where it is often used wrongly to describe the increase in resolution:
"The quadrature technique also produces more resolution."

It maybe should read 'The basic resolution can be increased by multiplying the quadrature signal by 4.'
because the quadrature signal does not on its own increase the resolution, the four edges of the two signals are used for this.
I often hear a comment like 'I have a 1000 quadrature encoder', when what they mean is they have a 250 count quadrature encoder and it is 1000 counts when x4.
Sorry to be pedantic, but although you may have intended this, it could be misconstrued.
Al.

Very well done. Thanks for sharing it.

Way to go Bob!
Have you been Googling much?

Too bad something like this can't be accessable from a simply button on the Zone, instead of getting snowed under by thousands of new posts!


If I'm not mistaken, deleting the cookies on your computer removes your ability to edit and change your posts on CNCzone! But there may also be a time limit set by the SYSOP at the server level as well!


Also, adding a POLL to the post keeps it alive much longer too!
Keep up the good work!
Eric

Gentlemen, thank you so much for your kind assistance in correcting and enhancing the CNC Dictionary. I've incorporated all the latest suggestions.

By all means, please be pedantic and critical. As I mentioned, I'm a student here too. The corrections are a vehicle to correct my misapprehensions before they become too firmly rooted.

Best,

BW

PS Widgit, a gold star, aw, you shouldn't have! :cheers:

I suppose the moderators could choose to make it sticky, add a link somewhere on the Zone, or put it into a FAQ somewhere.

DNC - Direct Numerical Control is synonymous with Drip Feeding.

The definition you have is the one for Distributed Numerical Control. There was a discussion about this in a thread recently; one of Widgitmaster's polls if I remember correctly.

DNC - Direct Numerical Control is synonymous with Drip Feeding.

The definition you have is the one for Distributed Numerical Control. There was a discussion about this in a thread recently; one of Widgitmaster's polls if I remember correctly.

To add a little to what Geof is saying.

DNC-Direct Numerical Control is synonymous with Drip Feeding from a PC to the Machine Controller via RS232C, RS422, FACIT4070 Interfaces, or Ethernet Connection.

Sorry to correct your definition Geof, but students need to have just a little more info. And this is a dictionary for the experienced as well as the inexperienced. No Pun intended. :wave:

Great work, Bob! Been looking for something like this since I joined the 'Zone! Now this noob can get readin'!
:banana:
Keep it up!

widgitmaster,
Nice star; shouldn't there be five of them? ;)

I got to the C's (slow reader); you have omitted Cartesian and Coordinates also in your picture of axes I think your arrows point the wrong way. You have shown the direction of table movement and sometimes I think it is better to think in terms of spindle movement. Partly this is because when doing G02 and G03 circular interpolation the spindle follows a clockwise (G02) or counterclockwise (G03) path around the workpiece but the table is moving in the opposite manner.

After skimming through I think you are either very dedicated or have way too much time on your hands :D . It is an impressive effort.

Reading the Thread "What Baud Rate Do You Use for Your HAAS", I had a revelation. :idea: Bob, can you post links in your dictionary to provide pictures and company products? This would be great for new members as well as old members that need fast information for quick decisions.

What do you guys think? Would this take all the fun away from the site? Do you think this would take anything away from the learning of new/old members?

BTW; The Idea of a CNCZONE Dictionary Link could be slapped into the "Quick Links Tab" for a quick reference.

Should we post a Poll for this, or wait for the zone?

:cheers:

I got to the C's (slow reader); you have omitted Cartesian and Coordinates also in your picture of axes I think your arrows point the wrong way. You have shown the direction of table movement and sometimes I think it is better to think in terms of spindle movement. Partly this is because when doing G02 and G03 circular interpolation the spindle follows a clockwise (G02) or counterclockwise (G03) path around the workpiece but the table is moving in the opposite manner.

After skimming through I think you are either very dedicated or have way too much time on your hands :D . It is an impressive effort.

You should probibly do the Cartesian Coordinates for Lathes as well. Including G2/G3 movements.

Hello Geof :wave:

Geof, the arrows point the way they do in my CNC books. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :banana:

Toby, it is not a problem to link from the dictionary to other spots. As I am fond of telling my boss, "This is software, we can do anything except ship it on time." :stickpoke

With that said, and bearing in mind Geof's earlier comment about dedication, it is something of a function of the time I apply to the project and my own (ahem, :cool: ) artistic sensibilities as the editor. I'll give it some thought. I have started inserting a few pix. For the time being, I'd like to focus on the basics and not write a book. This thing ran to 50 pages in the original Word document. The good news is I already knew most definitions and didn't have to Google to figure it out (been reading a lot of CNCZone threads!). It has taken me about 10 hours I would estimate to bring the project to its current level. I will likely slow down a bit after a week or so. I just wanted a convenient place to track all this info I keep researching.

I do think it is an excellent idea to link to more detailed information. For example, I added the links to the bearing catalogs that NCCams frequently refers people to under "Angular Contact Bearings." I'll try to keep a lookout for really useful reference data like that and link to it where possible.

Incidentally, the lathe coordinate system is called out right below the mill's in the entry for "Axes". Another desirable thing is to have the "See's" take you to whatever the reference is. Again, it is a function of time.

Best,

BW

Geof, the arrows point the way they do in my CNC books. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :banana:

Toby, it is not a problem to link from the dictionary to other spots. As I am fond of telling my boss, "This is software, we can do anything except ship it on time." :stickpoke

With that said, and bearing in mind Geof's earlier comment about dedication, it is something of a function of the time I apply to the project and my own (ahem, :cool: ) artistic sensibilities as the editor. I'll give it some thought. I have started inserting a few pix. For the time being, I'd like to focus on the basics and not write a book. This thing ran to 50 pages in the original Word document. The good news is I already knew most definitions and didn't have to Google to figure it out (been reading a lot of CNCZone threads!). It has taken me about 10 hours I would estimate to bring the project to its current level. I will likely slow down a bit after a week or so. I just wanted a convenient place to track all this info I keep researching.

I do think it is an excellent idea to link to more detailed information. For example, I added the links to the bearing catalogs that NCCams frequently refers people to under "Angular Contact Bearings." I'll try to keep a lookout for really useful reference data like that and link to it where possible.

Incidentally, the lathe coordinate system is called out right below the mill's in the entry for "Axes". Another desirable thing is to have the "See's" take you to whatever the reference is. Again, it is a function of time.

Best,

BW

Bob,

I'm sure you have worked vary hard on this and it shows. You have done a great job and personally I wish I had this as a reference/dictionary 13 years ago when I started in the Machining Industry. I rated this Thread at 5 stars for creativity and usefullness.

:cheers:

I would like to add my thanks for a job well done. This is a very helpful dictionary even for people who have been exposed to CNC for awhile...Tobyaxis has a good idea for the CNC Zone.

Adobe ( old as Dirt)

Dimensionally challenge-what an operator tells an inspector about a part that’s real close to being right

Dimensionally challenge-what an operator tells an inspector about a part that’s real close to being right

;) I second that. Good observation Mike :cheers:

Bob,
I saw that you had:
HMC - Horizontal Machining Center
VMC- Vertical Machining Center

What about these?
VTC - Horizontal Turning Center
HTC- Vertical Turning Center
AGC - Automatic Grinding Center

Tapping Head & Tapping Attachments


Just thought I'd throw ya a few more!
Keep up the good work !
Eric

Thanks guys for all the help and kudos.

Eric, I've added your suggested topics as placeholders. They'll get filled in shortly.

Best,

BW

I feel honored to have one of my contributions to the 'Zone being granted a link in the CNC dictionary.

We simply all must try to pass on a bit of proper education as we go thru life. Kudos to you for doing your share and more.

Attached is my "cliff notes" - use it as you see fit in the dictionary.

NC, it is uncanny that you have chosen to attach somthing labeled "Stepper vs Servo" in your note, although I realize it contains a lot more wisdom than just that. The reason I mention that is that while driving home, I decided it would be fun to try to write a quick and dirty simulation of the effects of open loop vs closed loop and backlash while drawing a circle. I know the latter is one of your pet concerns, and it is indeed an excellent test, as well as being easy for these crude simulations. I won't dwell on it too much here as I want to start a separate thread on the simulation so people can comment as they see fit.

I will say that I have added a section to the bottom of the CNC Dictionary page called "CNC Tutorials", and it is there that I have placed the simulator page. I plan to use that section for things that are too lengthy to stick in the Dictionary.

I do think I have the explanation for your issue of needed to run your cam machine more slowly than expected even though it is a servo system, and discuss that at the bottom of the page.

The simulator page is:

http://www.thewarfields.com/MTStepperServoBacklash.htm

I must say, I am spending entirely too much time on this, but it is a fascinating way to organize my own research and learning, so it's worth it. I have also been able to find some time to make actual chips in the shop as well as progress on my CNC lathe conversion, so perhaps all is not lost.

Best,

BW

The attachment started out merely being Marris' "stepper vs servo" dissertation at the bottom of the submission.
However, things kept getting added as time went on and I never went back and renamed it.

Knowledge isn't knowing everthing, rather knowledge is knowing where to find the answer to your or someone else's question.

The circle cutting thing is something we stumbled across during our cam profile cutting project. We jumped in to trying to cut a cam profile. The code would puke as we used parts of canned code to get a combo of arcs in concert with point to point milling to cut the shape.

Once we got that issue resolved, we uncovered massive hysterisis in the system and it showed up at direction changes and also at 45 deg from the direction changes. On a hunch, we tried milling a circle using ONLY canned code and POOF, the problems stuck out like a sore thumb. At that point, it was either lame code (unlikely as it was proven commercial code) or hardware anomalies.

Using the circle cutting test, we slowly but surely uncovered and fixed the various mechanical vagaries that simultaneous sin wave velocity profiles cause (motors see these when circle cutting). Besides, we were able to simply cut the same part a bit smaller and not waste master blanks while testing.

ALthough we verified via our tests and with a Haas that the circle cut test does effectively challenge a servo control system, we never gave steppers a though - we don't have any on our milling equipment.

Recently, the same problem areas showed up in a thread were steppers were having problems at the 45 deg points - points where both motors are concurrently encountering max velocity and varying accelerations.

Turned out this was the same point where steppers were being induced into resonance. From what we learned and what we saw with the stepper problem another member had, it became obvious that there is a complex interaction that takes place for a machine to cut a perfectly round circle - regardless of the type of controller.

This simple test readily shows how well your system can rub its head and pat its stomach. Once we got our system to cut round circles, we then worked on speed. Only by doing iterative work with feed rates did we learn that slower IPM's gave even less error potential than faster ones.

When we looked into the velocity feed back loop via iterative servo tuning did we learn that higher speeds resulted in higher errors in f/b loop and vice versa for lower errors .

Some things you are taught, some things you're born with and other things you simply stumble across by dumb luck and persistance.

I have added some brief tutorials to the CNC Dictionary (as well as a bunch of additional definitions over time) that may be useful for beginners:

- Breakout Board I/O: Round up of the different kinds of boards, some of their I/O capabilities, and some other considerations.

- CNC Control Panels: A survey of commercial and hobbyist panels and pendants.

- CNC Software: Just a high level view of what the different software does and how it works together.

- Stepper/Servo Backlash Simulator

The tutorials are at the bottom of the main page:

http://www.thewarfields.com/MT/MTCNCDictionary.htm

Best,

BW