Looking for Advise/help -Setting up a new 3-axis CNC Mill Melb-SE: Stuck w/Controller

[ExoticEl]

Hi Guys I am New here.
I would really appreciate some help or advise from the more experienced people here.
I have just got a Chinese Mini 3-Axis CNC Milling Machine which came with a PCI Controller Card and some software on CD..
The problem is - The only software that i can successfully install is the MACH3.
The NC STUDIO files are corrupt ( I found another copy of that)
and the PCI Controller card driver(s) can not be found anywhere and installation does not work..
I have emailed the manufacturer with this problem but they still won't respond and it has been 3 weeks now..
The Controller Card has not any kind of markings or brand or model number on it by which i could find out more about it. All the chips on it seem to be generic with a chunky PLLC controller chip in the middle.

I wonder : if i would have to ditch this controller card - What kind of interface/controller would i have to get to make this machine work..?

The Machine uses 3 x MICROSTEPPER DRIVER Units and 200v-1.5Kw Frequency Convertor module for running a water-cooled high-speed motor..

Could I get this to run from a parallel port somehow or perhaps i get a USB controller etc etc... ??

I am based in Noble Park - Melbourne South East
Some help from local machinists would be hugely appreciated.
O4O268724I

[jallitt]

does the PCI card connect to the router with a 15 pin cable?

I bought a used NC studio machine with a PC already set up so I didn't have to install the card or the software. I wasn't really happy with NC studio compared to mach3 on my other router so I added a parallel port breakout board.

Here's where the 15 pins went inside my router (YMMV so confirm by tracing the wires with a multimeter)

1. input for "mobile calibrator"
2. Z Step
3. Y Step
4. X Step
5. output for controlling vfd
6. Z high limit switch
7. Y low limit switch
8. X low limit switch
9. X Dir
10. Y Dir
11. Z Dir
12. output for controlling vfd
13. output for controlling vfd
14. ground.
15. 5V (COM on stepper drivers).

So, a basic parallel port breakout board will get you going with MACH3 although controlling the VFD can be a pain - especially if you don't have the manual. In theory - some combination of on/off on the 3 VFD outputs should get the spindle running at various speeds. I have mine hardwired to give 12,000rpm at the moment from one output (via a spindle relay on the breakout board). That's not ideal since the relay closes when the PC boots and the spindle starts - then stops when mach3 starts.

I wired the breakout board to a 15way ribbon cable with a 15pin IDC connector so I can just plug it into the 15pin socket on the router. I'll wire it in permanently when I figure out the best way to control the spindle (probably via RS485).

[ExoticEl]

Hi Jon Thanks so much for your reply.
Yes the cable is a 15 pin Standard D-shape computer connectors
I have partially disassembled the machine to see what goes where and buzzed all the wires/pins and here is the pin out:

Pin 1 / marked CUT goes to a plug on the side of the machine marked CUT and connected to what looks like a proximity sensor sitting in a metal pocket – see pic..
Pin 6 / marked ZO goes to what looks like a Limit Switch on the Vertical Axis Rail inside the machine
Pin 7 / marked YO goes to - - - a limit switch on the Horizontal IN-OUT Axis - - -
Pin 8 / marked XO goes to - - - - limit switch on the Horizintal LEFT-RIGHT Axis - - - (Switch ON in pressed state)

Pin 9 / marked CWX goes to DIR – (direction) on microstep driver X
Pin 4 / marked CPX goes to PUL - (pulse) - / -
PUL+ and DIR+ are connected together to +5v Red wire – Pin 15

Pin 10 / marked CWY goes to DIR – microstep driver Y
Pin 3 / marked CPY goes to PUL - - / -
PUL+ and DIR+ are connected together to +5v Red wire – Pin 15

Pin 11 / marked CWZ goes to DIR – microstep driver Z
Pin 2 / marked CPZ goes to PUL - - / -
PUL+ and DIR+ are connected together to +5v Red wire – Pin 15

Pins 5, 12 and 13 (plus GROUND pin14 and +5v pin15) are sitting on the connector that is not used:
Pin 5 marked MHS
Pin 12 marked MLS
Pin 13 marked MMS
I am not sure what these mean – perhaps it provides an option to connect the Frequency Converter and control the spindle speed.. maybe the letters stand for : MOTOR HIGH SPEED ; MOTOR LOW SPEED ; MOTOR MEDIUM SPEED yet as I said these are not connected to anything .
I am able to get the spindle motor to spin with the manual controls on the front panel so the spindle seams to be running independent of software control…

After comparing all this to your pin-out it appears they are identical – which is great !

So this seams to be a pretty standard kind of setup.
Which break out board would you recommend and where would I find it ?

Also could you perhaps enlighten me what is the proximity sensor there for ? and why it's sitting in a metal pocket on the side of the vertical rail ?
it looks like it's meant to be able to move around or something .. ??
Thanks again for your info !

[jallitt]

You can get a breakout board from Homann's - they're in Oz so you won't have to wait a week for shipping.

MB-02-V6 Bidirectional Breakout Board [MB-02] - US$39.50 : Homann Designs!, The preferred CNC Component Supplier

My VFD has 3 inputs for controlling spindle speed - which, theoretically, gives 7 possible speeds. NC-studio only seems to activate one output at a time so the highest speed I could get was the 4th speed which was 9000 rpm (@150Hz). After finding a manual for the VFD I could tweak the settings and set the speed. My plan is to control the VFD via RS485 though - then I can set the spindle speed from Mach.

Simplest thing in your case would be to configure the VFD to turn on/off from a relay output and set the speed from the potentiometer on the front. You'll need to find an english manual and figure out how to tweak it's settings to do that. What make/model is the VFD?

The "proximity sensor" is for zeroing the z-axis. NC-studio calls it a "mobile calibrator". Basically you stick it on the top surface of whatever you're cutting directly under the tool, press the calibration button and it'll move the z axis down until the tool tip hits the sensor - then it sets Z to whatever the thickness of the sensor is so zero is at the top of the stock. Really useful if you're changing tools.

Mach has a "auto tool zero" script which can do the same thing if you can hook up the sensor to mach's "probe" input.