Help with CNC Boss 8

[masspfei]

I have been searching the archives and have a question that I cannot find an answer to.

A little history on the machine. I picked it up for a fixture and a program from outside a shop in SA. The previous owner informed me it ran when they disconnected it. One of his employees also assured me of this.

I have hooked up my 1984 Series 1 CNC with a Boss 8 control to a 7.5 HP Rotary phase converter. I have hooked air up (85psi)to it. I have way oil in it. All of the limit switches are free from obstruction. When it comes up, it has an axis limit error. Normally, I should see home axis. I cannot move any of the axises. I don't think the drives are actually on. When I push the enable axis push button, it turns from red to green like it should. Still no movement. Is there a way I can override the machine in limit to move it? Is there a secret two button combo that I can make the machine move with.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Steven

[HuFlungDung]

I suppose if the machine starts up and thinks it is on a limit switch, that the drives will be inhibited.

Look for a loose connection or broken wire on any of the limit switches or cabling. Movement during shipping can loosen screws etc. Check the switches for sticky coolant residue as well.

[machintek]

The BOSS 8 has large chokes (electrical devices that look like transformers) on the drives. They "sing" very load when the drives are on. Enable the drives as you have done then go to jog. Jog each axis off the home switch. They will move very slowly and stop when they are off the switch. The exception is the Z axis. I believe there is a software flaw that allows a quill up before the machine is homes. If this happens, then the Zaxis can jam. The front panel box is hinged and can be moved away from the head. there is a metal plate held by 4 phillips head screws behind it. This covers the Z axis limit switches and the Z axis home switch. There is a plate attached to the quill to actuate these switches. If the Zaxis jams, you will also find this plate bent and will have to be corrected. BUT to release the z axis, I usually have to grab the motor pulley with a pair of "channel locks" and use a bit of force to move it. Looking from the top, this pulley moves CCW. I mention all this only in case you need to know. Do you have the Maintenance manual? Look at the wiring diagram. In the cabinet in the back, there is a terminal strip that runs left to right. You can see where the 24VDC stops and know which switch is open by looking at the wire numbers on the wiring diagram.
keep us posted.
George W.

[masspfei]

The axises are not on any of the limit switches. I cannot get the drives to turn on. I am thinking I don't have the 3phase hooked up correctly. I am going to make sure that that is correct before trying anything else. I don't have an elec. manual, but am going to purchase one online. Will keep updated with periodic whineing and beggin for help. Thanks for the help and keep the good ideas coming.

Steven

[machintek]

None of these machines like a phase converter. One "leg" is always very unstable. Bridgeport put out a service bulletin that warranties will be voided by the use of a phase converter but some shops did not have 3 phase power. Some of the newer machines, I rewired so the phase converter wild leg went to the spindle motor only. The two stable legs went to the control and drive transformers. I would check all the fuses as the control seems to want to turn the drives on. I would especially look at the 24VDC supply, as well as the logic supply to the FMDC board. The FMDC is haning on the back of a white swing out door in the bootom right of the large cabinet. It has 8 LEDs along the top. The two green LEDs should be blinking at a dissimilar rate at one end of the string. This means it has booted correctly and is talking to the rest of the control. It turns the drives on. Check machinemanuals.net for a maintenance manual in PDF format on a CDROM. I hope all the transformers are set to 230VAC.

George W.

[masspfei]

I went out and checked some of the stuff you are talking about. I checked every fuse that is visible. I also found that some of the are stategically hidden behind the motor drivers. I do not know where the 24vdc supply and the logic supply are located. I checked the FMDC " whatever the heck that stands for " and the little blinky lights are blinking at a dissimilar rate at the end of the string. Will have to wait for the new year to get the manuals. I checked the voltage out of the transformers and they are 121.2 on each of the legs.

I am running out of things to check.

Here is a list of what I have checked.
I hooked up air to it, same error. "Does it have to have air"
Made sure the way oil is full.
Made sure the spindle oiler is full.

What else could it be?

[machintek]

I tried to send more but it was returned. The wiring schematics have tables for the way to configure the transformers for a specific voltage. Check those. Are you using a digital meter? Or an analog?
The "monitor" is actually called the fist monitor. It hooks up to the K3 connector of the FMDC. This allows you to access real time errors, an error log, and staus of the boards with the use of a PC. The 2 line LCD display is grossly inadequate for trouble shooting. It can display an error in a 4 digit code that must be decoded. Each digit means something. I use an old DOS version of Procomm (chat mode) to communicate with the FMDC board. It is also very useful to upload/download programs and to edit programs in the machine. All BOSS machines have very powerful editors built in.

George W.

[masspfei]

Chapter 8 would cover the monitor issue. My email is empty now, please try sending again.

[mc_n_g]

I know on my BOSS 5 when the axis limits come on I have to continually push the reset and move the axis until it gets past the limit switches. If your limit switches are not the problem I am not sure what your problem is. Have you checked the switch itself. I had to screw in my limit switch one time because the light was loose and the switch would not reset. After tightening it I was able to run the machine.
mc_n_g

[masspfei]

Fixed it... Wire 41 was loose. This was causing the axis error cause no power to the xy limit switches.

[machintek]

Glad to hear you are running!

George

[masspfei]

I may have spoke to soon. See new thread "Boss 8 Error 4000"