Bridgeport Interact 412 MPG Issue

[smirob]

Hello guys.

I've not posted in a while because, well, all was going good with my machine. Happily making parts, ect...

Well, Saturday, I fired up the machine, which like the subject line says, its a 1989 Bridgeport Interact 412, with a Heidenhain 350 contoller, and during the homing process, the X axis when into what looked like a rapid mode and threw a fault at the control, of a positioning error. I've seen this error before, when I try to run the machine at more than 50% of run speed. For some reason the axis, won't let me go at 100%, but I've grown used to that and have doubled my feed rates to composite for it. But I digress, as that is not the issue at hand, I only mention it in passing. The problem is, now the machine will home out fine, but my MPG handwheel at the control is not working. I've tried the perverbial re-boots, and cutting the power, but it seems to be Dead.
I'm no electronics Guru, but has anyone seen this behavior/phenomonon? If so, how do I begin to address the problem.

It is very difficult to set tools, when I have to use the + or - on the control, and can't control, the movement in small .001 or .01 increments.

Any help would be appreciated. Hopefully, I've given enough information for a diagnosis.

Thanks,
Rob, MI

[RMARCH]

Hey Rob,

Did you lose your parameters recently ?

Have you tried to change the Interpolation Factor ?

Is the Hand wheel Dead on all 3 Axis ?

[smirob]

Thanks for the follow-up.

No, I have not lost the parameters.

I've tried all interoplaton factors from 2-10, with no result.

And yes, all 3 axes are Dead by the handwheel.

Thanks,
Rob

[Al_The_Man]

Do a test at the handwheel and see if it is output a pulse on both A & B, If it is a differential output there will be A /A & B /B.
measure the supply for 5v+, then with the meter common lead on the 5v common, put the meter on first A then B in turn and get someone to turn the HW as slow as possible.
You should see a transition on both outputs of 0v to 5v.
Al.

[smirob]

Thanks Al.

Forgive my ignorance, but I did take the Handwheel out of the Control panel, and saw that it was in a what looked to be sealed (watertight) enclosure. Are you saying to test in at the leads inside that enclosure or somewhere else at the end of the cable, wherever that ends up being?
If at the handwheel, do I loosent the small slotted screws on the from of the handwheel to get at the guts of the unit?

Thanks again,
Rob, MI