guys I'm trying to convert an old techno isel router with mac 200 controller to gecko drives and run it off Mach 3 I have rewired the controller but I can't get any readings off of the limit switches . Does anyone know what kind of limit switch set up techno isel uses, is it optic sensor or magnetic ????? Any help will be greatly appreaciated. Thanks in advance.

Chuck

Well I figured it out after a long day of discoveries. First the good news, apparently the machine had just had all the ball screws replaced. But in the process the installers destroyed 1 limit switch, lost a plunger attachment to the Y axis , stole the plunger from the Z axis and placed it on the Y. The Z axis plunger was too short for the Y axis so it never hit the switch, and of course without the Z axis plunger the high limit on the Z axis was useless. So after fabbing a new plunger for Y and moving the original plunger back to Z and getting a new micro switch from Radio Shack I finally have all the Home and limits back together. Now the big question in the instructions for my Cnc4pc C-10 breakout board it shows the the home and limit switches as normally open, that would mean that you would have to parallel all 6 switches together, would'nt it be better to run the 6 in series loop??? Or is this 6 of one half dozen of the other????

Chuck

Hello

I am looking to upgrade a old Techno router with the Mach controller to something that will run on windows - I see you did it any advice?

Thanks

I too use the CNC4pc breakout boards but I modified them to work with Mach3. The cnc4pc needs a low pass fiter installed on the limit switch lines. The switches in the Techno are all wired normally closed. Thus I cut the trace from each switch terminal on the CNC4pc board. Installed a 470 ohm resistor between the +5 terminal and the switch line. I used pin 10 for X, 12 for Y and 13 for Z then I removed the 10K pulldown resistor and install the low pass filter by soldering them directly onto the IC pins. If you need more help contact me at dmauch@camtronics-cnc.com
On the 6 Techno retrofit that I have done I think that the existing control units were subject to stepper motor resonance problem in circular moves because are simple bipolar drivers with no mid band stabilization and aren't microstepper.

Well I figured it out after a long day of discoveries. First the good news, apparently the machine had just had all the ball screws replaced. But in the process the installers destroyed 1 limit switch, lost a plunger attachment to the Y axis , stole the plunger from the Z axis and placed it on the Y. The Z axis plunger was too short for the Y axis so it never hit the switch, and of course without the Z axis plunger the high limit on the Z axis was useless. So after fabbing a new plunger for Y and moving the original plunger back to Z and getting a new micro switch from Radio Shack I finally have all the Home and limits back together. Now the big question in the instructions for my Cnc4pc C-10 breakout board it shows the the home and limit switches as normally open, that would mean that you would have to parallel all 6 switches together, would'nt it be better to run the 6 in series loop??? Or is this 6 of one half dozen of the other????

Chuck

I have done 6 techno retrofits on both the stepper and the servo systems.
I can build you a custom 3 axis unit that runs off mach3. It retains your existing motors and cables if you have the stepper system.
Contact me at dmauch@camtronics-cnc.com


Hello

I am looking to upgrade a old Techno router with the Mach controller to something that will run on windows - I see you did it any advice?

Thanks