Ques. about camsoft

[Chriss F]

Ok I bought a tree j300 from my old job it has cnc light and a retro fit kit installed already. It came with one book my ques. is when you buy it from camsoft is that the only instructions that come with it? If not were can I buy the other stuff. I have many ques. but camsoft says they'll help one min then they want to charge a ton of money the next it's like one guy here says no problem then I get an e-mail that says you just have to pay us $xxx. I just need info to understand this product the one book I have is not much help. Thanks

Chris

[Karl_T]

There are two main manuals,"Reference and User Guide" and an installation manual. Plus a Galil command reference and Galil card installation manual. There may also be a separate AS3000 CAM manual. On my software there is a lot more available in "search for solutions". Plus, the are several other files of information that you can open in a word processor on detailed things like how to install an IO card. all the Galil manuals can be downloaded from galilmc.com

I know Camsoft gets $500 a year for support and maintenance(new software). Well worth it for the best support around. My understanding is you basically have to pay up the back years if maintenance lapses.

Karl

[Chriss F]

Thats what they want payment for but the machine wasn't mine then so I can't pay for what I didn't own. The kit is installed on the machine and it runs but the spindle runs wrong way and the f12 home button is not assinged. We did get the limit switch buttons to work. When I set zero on any axis it resets the others to zero. Then tool heights get lost so I don't know if I set them last or what? I had my x axis encoder rebuilt because it wouldn't repete by the manufacture now it seems to move on it's own back and forth. I'm not sure if its the coder or the software or if I have to reset up the coder now it's different. Also I have a rotary phase converter I don't know if it coud be picking up "noise" from it. Any help is very much appreciated thanks. Karl I wish you were closer to me.

[Karl_T]

WAY BACK, I bought a machine with Camsoft on it. Camsoft transferred the licence to me after i paid the support and maintenance bill. In my case it was about $1500. I never would have got that machine running without their help.

[Al_The_Man]

I had my x axis encoder rebuilt because it wouldn't repete by the manufacture now it seems to move on it's own back and forth. I'm not sure if its the coder or the software or if I have to reset up the coder now it's different.

That sounds to me like the encoder phasing maybe reversed since the rebuild, if so exchanging the A and /A encoder outputs would cure it.
Personally if you need to test a particular axis, I prefer to do it by communicating with the Galil Motion card direct by the terminal software, down loadable from the Galil web site.
This usually very quickly establishes if and where there is a problem.
Al.

[Karl_T]

That sounds to me like the encoder phasing maybe reversed since the rebuild, if so exchanging the A and /A encoder outputs would cure it.
Personally if you need to test a particular axis, I prefer to do it by communicating with the Galil Motion card direct by the terminal software, down loadable from the Galil web site.
This usually very quickly establishes if and where there is a problem.
Al.

Good advice. But I don't know how to do this with the free Galil terminal. Galil Tools or WSDK ($200) does a wonderful job on this.

Karl

[Al_The_Man]

WSDK is basically the tuning software, there are a few free different versions of the terminal that will communicate directly to the Card to use the native commands, including following the manual tuning routine if WDSK is not available, actually the phasing can be corrected by programming the reversal by command MT etc and storing it in the 'Burn parameters' feature.
BTW, Chris F, if you find out what card you have you can at least download the manual for it from the Galil site.
Al.

[Chriss F]

Thanks Al and Karl I'll go to the Galil site and look around. But I have to ask whats WSDK?

[Al_The_Man]

Thanks Al and Karl I'll go to the Galil site and look around. But I have to ask whats WSDK?

WDSK = Windows Servo Design Kit!
Essentially helps in automatic servo tuning.
Al.

[Karl_T]

WDSK = Windows Servo Design Kit!
Essentially helps in automatic servo tuning.
Al.

It does a few important checks first.
1. lets you visually see encoder counting - reports errors and you can verify direction is right.

2. checks servo polarity.

3. One more check - forget what now.

4. then just click "tune servo" and walk away.

it also has a nice screen showing all settings in the galil, probably for advanced users.

Karl

[Chriss F]

Oh nows it clear as mud.LOL If I take some pics of what I have in my cabinet is there a way to upload them here so you guys can see if it looks like it's supposed to? There is another type of box I think came with the kit that has nothing going to it. The other box is the main black box that has the encoder wireing going to it. I'm not asking for a mirical by looking at it just some ideas.

Thanks chris

[Al_The_Man]

If you go to post reply and go below to Manage Attachments, you can add a pic.
The black box the encoder goes to is the ICM break out box.
See the PDF.
If you identify the particular axis encoder input, you could swap the two wires identified as the A+ A- for that encoder, to see if that is the problem.
Al.