Dynapath Delta 20 Troubles

[davidshearer]

I've just acquired a Tree Journeyman 310 Mill with a Dyanapath Delta 20 Controller. When I start it up I get the usual E-Stop error which I can clear. That is followed by instructions to "Reference the axes." I have been using the following procedure without success.
1) "Mode"
2) "0" (for Jog)
3) "R" (for reference)
4) "Enter" (with or without this key, no action)
5) "Start"

I get no response following these steps, which I got from a previous post. The boards inside the controller show all of the proper settings. The power is good and correct. When I loosen the cables at the servos I get limited and eratic movement. The connections are all tight and clean.

Any ideas? I'm awaiting the factory's manual arrival in the mail, but I'm not pinning all my hopes on that.

[donnelson]

I THINIK YOU MUST FIRST MOVE THE AXES AWAY FROM THEIR STOPS THAN HIT R THAN MOVE EACH AXES BUTTON TOWARDS THE STOP IT WILL TAKE OVER AND HOME EACH AXES BY ITS SELF FOR EXAMPLE YOU MUST LOWER THE Z TOWARDS THE TABLE THAN HIT R THAN START TO MOVE IN THE POSITIVE DIRECTION AND IT WILL TAKE OVER AND HOME OUT THE Z REPEAT FOR X AND Y

[kwhizz]

The machine is programmed with travel limits that are preset at the factory......If you look on the Saddle and Table....you will see a round contactor that is mounted to the Table/Saddle and a electric contact switch that is solid mounted.......when you get to the reference mode.....(Move the spindle down before) .....then you hit the "X","Y' and "Z" axis travel control in the + direction......the machine should automatically move along the Axis until the Mechanical Contact hits the solid mounted switch........Make sure the feed control is not turned down............Until the Reference proceedure is performed.........The Machine doesn't know where it is or how far it can move without hurting itself.......The Home position can be changed and has nothing to do with machine reference..............Hope this helps

Ken

[davidshearer]

Thank you Donnelson and Kwhizz for your suggestions. But they didn't work. On closer inspection I discovered that a couple of red LEDs are lighting up inside the controller. On the "PIC" board there is a red LED on for "Run." But like the other "good" lights, I would expect it to be green. And, on the "Auxiliary" board there is a red LED for "Proc WDT Fail." Any thoughts on the matter?

[davidshearer]

Well, digging even deeper I have discovered that some of the output terminals on the DC voltage supply to the controller have no voltage whatsoever. This could be the problem,no? Does anyone have any idea what the output voltages should be? I read it in an earlier post, but can't seem to find it now.

[donnelson]

I THINK THEY ARE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE BOARD -5 VOLTS + 5 VOLTS
THE BEST PERSON TO ASK IS PARTS AND SMARTS JULIUS IS HIS NAME I CAN GET HIS NUMBER TOMORROW VERY GOOD WITH DYNAPATH CONTROLS

[jagardner4]

I regret to inform everyone that Julius Gertz passed away several months ago. He was a good friend and colleague and, yes, very knowledgeable on DynaPath controls. He will be sorely missed.

As to the voltages on a Delta 20, they are +24, +5, +15 and -15. A bad power supply could cause the WDT (watch dog timer) fault, so the power supply is a good place to start your troubleshooting.

[donnelson]

i am sorry to hear that. now who will we look to for our support I did not even know he was ill do you know what happened to julius
don nelson

[davidshearer]

I count eleven terminals on the DC power supply for the controller. So which voltages go to which terminals?

And, what is the "Watch Dog Timer" (WDT) and what purpose does it serve?

Actually, I had a great phone call with Al Strelbicki of Parts and Smarts. I put the fate of my controller in his hands. I bundled the whole thing up and sent it to his shop in Wisconsin where he has agreed to troubleshoot the system for $200.00. I'm keeping my fingers crossed in hopes of a economical fix.

I too am sorry to learn of the passing of Julius Gertz.

[jagardner4]

Originally Posted by davidshearer I count eleven terminals on the DC power supply for the controller. So which voltages go to which terminals? And, what is the "Watch Dog Timer" (WDT) and what purpose does it serve?

There were a few configurations of the Delta 20 hardware, but the most common power supply wiring can be found at:

http://www.dynapath.com/page_support_powersupplies.htm

The Watch Dog Timers (WDTs) are hardware circuits, one on the PIC (programmable interface controller) and another on the main processor. If the associated processor doesn't "service" the WDT every few milliseconds, the hardware circuit trips and the CNC will go into E-Stop. In short, it's a fail-safe to make sure the processors are running and updating the servo loop. When the power supply fails, the WDTs never get reset because the processors never start up properly.

[davidshearer]

This just gets more interesting by the post. It just takes the right explanation, and a little while to get my mind wrapped around the ideas, for it to begin to make sense. Thanks for your input "jagardner4." I am beginning to think the root of my problem may be the DC power supply. Dynapath has an interesting idea on the why and how of power supply degradation. It boils down to aging mostly.

[davidshearer]

Well, I sent my whole Delta 20 controller for repair to Al Strelbicki at Parts & Smarts in WI. They diagnosed a faulty DC power supply as the culprit. They also reloaded the machine parameters, which had been corrupted. It was about $1100.00 plus shipping but I have a Tree Journeyman 310 that works like a charm now. I was impressed with the level of service and knowledge at Parts & Smarts. I highly recommend them if you can't fix it yourself.

A couple of notes might be worth sharing with other novices who stumble upon this post.

1) If your machine has a feed rate override knob, don't forget to turn it on. "Off" overrides the axes feeds entirely, defeating any intended movement. (How many hours did I spend pondering this predicament; I'd hate to say)

2) If you had your parameters reset, you will most likely want to "Intilize" the machine. You don't have to do this, but it saves a heck of a lot of time by not having to reset the controller every time you accidentally travel past the machine limits. The process is described in the Dynapath manual. I know; they are expensive ($210.00), but worth every dollar if you are serious about learning what this baby can do.

I'm still pretty new to this control, but I've picked up a lot already, and I have the manual! So, if you've got a problem feel free to drop a line and I'll give you my best unqualified advice, or share a few pages from the Dynapath manual with you. But don't ask me to post the whole book. Dynapath is still in business and guards their copyright jealously.