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  1. #121
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Connect to the HM input, I think. I need to think about that a bit. The normal way of using this is to hit an actual home switch, then move to the index mark to set the actual home position.
    Yup that's what I was thinking as well, to me it sounds like by doing it this way your just skipping the step of actually hitting the switch first. My guess is that you would probably have to approach slower than usual since it will be a narrow window to easily overshoot. Unless you could program the same type of routine, fast travel to detect the mark and then back up slowly to get right on.

    My desire for the home inputs is really for the ability to shut the machine off all the way and easily be able to reference any known locations, tool offsets, etc. after re-starting. The seller is including a few pieces of scale that sound like they will work for everything except for the X axis. Probably a long-shot, but you don't happen to have a 30" piece left over I could purchase from you?



  2. #122
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    There is actually a homing routine built into the Galil, HM command. It does almost exactly what you describe, it's also easy to write a homing routine. That will be included in my software.

    I shut my machine off, but I leave the computer and the Galil up just to keep the electronics temperature constant. The only time position is lost is on power fail. Even that is not a problem if you know where you parked the machine. The parking position values are saved in the parameters.

    Sorry, I don't have any extra tape. There was an ebay vendor that had quite a bit of it.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  3. #123
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Friggin hell, one step forward and two back. I was waiting for a 50 pin MDR cable to come in for the Electrocraft drive to hook up the signal wires for the Z axis. I had a field wireable connector for it but soldering all those tiny wires made me value my time a little more and spend the $25 when I finally figured out what kind of connector it was. Unfortunately after finding the pairs of wires I needed, the electrocraft drive uses some non-standard pins for the inputs. The list starts off ok pairing 1/2, 3/4, and so on until you get to 13 where it uses a single for input common. That makes motor command inputs 22 and 23 which does not follow the pairing list for the twisted pair cable I ordered. 20/21 is one pair and 22/23 is the next. The cable is double shielded, what are your thoughts on using the wires in different twisted pairs for this? I'm sure its a no-no



  4. #124
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    You normally use a single ended input on the drive. GND from the Galil would go to Common, and MCx would go to 21 or 22. I would have to study the Electrocraft drive inputs a bit to confirm this. I think you can get away with not using the paired wires.

    EDIT: I don't seem to have an Electrocraft manual.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  5. #125
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Just email'd you the manual. Must have forgotten about it last time



  6. #126
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Getting ready to order the pulleys for the motors and ballscrews, this is probably a dumb question but will rounding errors from using a non standard ratio have any effect on accurately calculating steps per inch? Seems like everything on SDP-SI in a 2:1 or 3:1 is always out of stock or the large pulley is like $160. But then a 72T one is $32?? Planning on ordering a 28T for the motor and a 72T for the leadscrew for a ratio of 2.57142857. Another example: a 56T pulley in the same aluminum alloy for a 2:1 is $276!!?? what gives?



  7. #127
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Since you are using 1 um mag scales, the pulses / inch is going to be 25400 without regard to the lead screw ratio. The only time it gets a little crazy is if you are using stepper motors where you have discrete increments.

    Take a look at these guys for pricing also American Metric Inc, Online Store

    And also https://www.automationdirect.com/adc...eys_(Sprockets)

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  8. #128
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Since you are using 1 um mag scales, the pulses / inch is going to be 25400 without regard to the lead screw ratio. The only time it gets a little crazy is if you are using stepper motors where you have discrete increments.
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but somewhere you will have to set in the software the distance that 1 revolution of the servo will travel the axis?? Thanks for the alternative links!



  9. #129
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Quote Originally Posted by sohcpwr View Post
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but somewhere you will have to set in the software the distance that 1 revolution of the servo will travel the axis?? Thanks for the alternative links!
    Nope, just the encoder pulses / inch. Having said that, if this system had stepper motors or were using step & direction motor commands, then we would adjust the steps per inch as close as possible to some integer factor of the encoder pulses / inch.

    You're welcome !

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  10. #130
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Ok, sounds like were talking the same thing then... encoder pulses per inch on the servos. So will an odd ratio make that hard to calculate? The main encoder won't need it like you were saying before since its table mounted. But will the same calculation be needed for the servo mounted encoder connected to the drive?



  11. #131
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Not at all, unless the drive requires the value. If the drive and motor are matched, then there should be nothing to do there. The only thing the Galil cares about is the table position.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  12. #132
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Haven't had too much time to work on my project recently but last week and weekend I was able to get a good bit done. I am starting to get pretty good at modeling parts and assemblies in Autodesk Inventor. I think I am finally used to most of the commands and can actually do stuff in a timely matter now. A couple months ago it took me forever to just extrude a basic shape but last week I modeled the complete servo drive assembly for the X axis. Having CAM software built in to the CAD is friggin awesome, if you make a change to measurements or anything it automatically updates the tool path in CAM if the part is programmed already. Very neat...

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-x-servo-drive-model-1-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-x-servo-drive-model-2-jpg

    I sent the side brackets out to the HAAS we have here at work and taught myself how to use the machine and the probe after work one day. 30mins later I ended up with this:

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-haas-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-side-bracket-machine-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-side-brackets-finished-jpg

    These were the first parts I made on a CNC machine since college and they came out pretty much dead nuts. With basically no knowledge of how to run the thing I was also able to figure out how to offset the Y work offset a little bit so I would get a full cleanup on the back part of my stock that was up against the fixed jaw of the vise. (I didn't square up the stock at all before machining the profile)

    I also played with some of the funky machining strategies in HSM, to do the pocket on this I used morphed spiral machining which uses a bunch of circular moves to keep the tool load even, and instead of just plunging down in Z, I set a helix down to each depth it was profiling the pocket with. I like that ALOT. More to come on the updated electrical panel, aside from a few odds and ends its pretty damn close to done. Although I just scored one of these so I have a bit more wiring to do now.

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-renishaw-mp1-probe-jpg

    The Ebay deals just keep coming, while a little outdated, $180 for a BRAND NEW Renishaw probe with 2 styli and all the accessories was a pretty good deal to me. Plus, having a Bridgeport without a toolchanger means a hardwired probe is of little downside.



  13. #133
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Very cool !

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  14. #134
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    some updated pics of the panel with all the main encoders wired: Just got the termination resistors in the Renishaw manual recommends in between the inputs, gotta figure out a way to hook them up in between the terminals without the bare leads touching. Tried to shrink tube one of them but didnt have anything small enough for the tiny wire. Electrical tape seems a little too unprofessional for how things look so far

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1347-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1346-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1348-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1349-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1351-jpg

    A few pics of the probe and the mostly finished servo mount for the X axis:

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1356-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1357-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1362-jpg



  15. #135
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    only 8 pics per post... here's the rest: Forgot to take one of the finished assembly with the plate the servo actually bolts to in there as well.

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1363-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1365-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1366-jpg

    Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise-img_1367-jpg

    Trying to figure out what probe module to buy now. There is a MI5 and MI8-4 on ebay for pretty good prices. I'd like to use the MI8-4 since it will fit in the panel but that one wants an input for the axis that's moving in order to trigger the output. I suppose I could do the same thing as with the inputs to the motion controller and just wire them in parallel so it will always output a signal when the stylus is off center? But thinking about that, would you want power going to it all the time even when your not using the probe? What would happen if it got triggered sitting in its holder or something while you were running another program? It would stop the machine?



  16. #136
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    Quote Originally Posted by sohcpwr View Post
    only 8 pics per post... here's the rest: Forgot to take one of the finished assembly with the plate the servo actually bolts to in there as well.

    Trying to figure out what probe module to buy now. There is a MI5 and MI8-4 on ebay for pretty good prices. I'd like to use the MI8-4 since it will fit in the panel but that one wants an input for the axis that's moving in order to trigger the output. I suppose I could do the same thing as with the inputs to the motion controller and just wire them in parallel so it will always output a signal when the stylus is off center? But thinking about that, would you want power going to it all the time even when your not using the probe? What would happen if it got triggered sitting in its holder or something while you were running another program? It would stop the machine?

    Looking good !

    You want to wire the probe inputs to X-1, Y-2, Z-3, that way the position can be captured to 1 encoder count using the _RL command. I would have to think about how to tell the probe module which axis is moving, we could use 3 outputs that are turned on by the _TS command. It would be best to allow the Galil to handle the stop on probe input since it is controlling everything. The FE command would be useful in this case. The probe can be locked out programmatically when not running the probing routine.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  17. #137
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    The other weird thing I noticed from the manual is the probe only has 2 axis of outputs. Its X and Z in both directions, so even if you used an outputs on the galil to tell it whats moving it says you would need X+, X-, Z+ and Z-. I don't get what happened to Y? Common sense would say X is when the probe is moving side to side in X or Y direction and the Z input is when it pushes in and out axially. But its almost like its set up for a lathe even though it says milling machining center in the manual.

    So I'm thinking if I went with that one you could just wire it so its sending a signal no matter what axis of the machine is moving and let the software figure it out if possible?



  18. #138
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

    The easy way would be to let it fire any or all of the inputs (1, 2, 3) and just log the X, Y, and Z positions. The software knows where it's at and what direction it's moving.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise

Another bridgeport retrofit, need advise