Kflop right for me?


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    Default Kflop right for me?

    Howdy,
    I recently picked up a Frankenstein's monster, 4x6' cnc router table build with a box full of mismatched parts. Along with a couple Chinese breakout boards I plan to ignore, it came with two large Wantai nema 34's (85bygh450C-012B) for the X and Y axis, nothing for Z yet. To drive them I have two
    Wantai DQ860MA and one DMA860H.
    My experience is with Mach3 but based on my reading, dedicated motion control is the way to go, and the Kflop seems to stand out as a clear winner.

    Want to make sure it will function well with the step drivers and stepper motors, any potential issues anyone can foresee etc.
    Not sure if I'll ditch Mach3 entirely, but if I do, any reason to stick with Windows XP, or have my computer options opened up? Recommendations?
    Also if anyone happens to know anything about the step drivers and the difference between them?

    Additional details, the table is made of almost inch thick aluminum with extra bracing and five steel legs, lots of 80/20 on the gantry, ball screws on either side of the table joined by right angle bevel gear driveshaft, one ballscrew on the gantry as well as the z axis, ball rails all around, it has the feeling that someone really wanted this to be overbuilt. Plan is to do everything from plastic to aluminum.

    First post so let me know if this is the wrong place to ask, thanks!

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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Not sure why this got missed , usually some one is quick to answer ,

    I can say that that if you get a kstep also you can drive your steppers .

    Can not say much about mach3 other than I know of people having issues , kmotion i feel is better and free.



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gregore View Post
    Can not say much about mach3 other than I know of people having issues , kmotion i feel is better and free.
    I agree, no reason not to use kmotioncnc.



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Thanks for the replies, I already have 3 60v power supplies for the Wantai drivers, so I'd be reticent to spend the extra 200 for the kstep and then have to also get all new power supplies in the acceptable range, but then again if it will be a more bulletproof/elegant solution I might.



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    If you did go with the kstep then you are only going to need one power supply that is less than 48 volts , is it a better solution than using your existing drivers rather than the kstep ?

    I could not say as I only have ever used the kstep in a control system.

    Usually tom chimes in by now , maybe you need to ask more specific questions so it does not come across as he is advertising his wares over what you already have .



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    If the Wantai drives are working, I wouldn't personally change them for a KStep, especially as Nema34 motors are being used. The higher the voltage you can get the better 34's will perform.
    FWIW, you would probably get better performance with Nema 23/4's, as the smaller motors geared suitably will accelerate better with lower voltage drives than Nema34's, which really need high voltage drives to get the most from them. (the typically high inductance of 34's means you need a lot of voltage to get good performance).
    The DQ860MA has a 20-80VDC input, whereas the DMA860H is a higher voltage drive which will accept 36-80VAC or 50-110VDC.

    As for if a KFlop is suitable for you, that's entirely up to you.
    It's not the most beginner friendly of controllers due to the C programming needed, but if you've just got a basic setup, the required code is pretty simple, and usually only involves a couple small changes to one of the example files to get running. If you get stuck, somebody will be able to point you in the right direction.

    As for computers/OSs, KFlop will work with most versions of windows. Even Mach3 will run on Windows 10, provided you are using an external motion controller (the only limit on Mach3/4 is if you want to use the parallel port, where the newest version useable is Win7 and must be 32bit).



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Hi Gregore,

    I agree with m_c on keeping your Motors, Drives, and Supplies if you already have them. Although I also agree size 23/24 motors are likely to provide more performance than those big size 34 motors. Size 34 stepper usually provide high torque but not as much power. There is a puzzle I like to ask people regarding size. Most everyone answers with too low of a value.

    If you double the size of any object how many times harder is it to spin?
    (by doubling the size I mean to double all dimensions ie. 1 inch cube vs 2 inch cube - how much does the moment of inertia increase?)


    I'd recommend newer versions of Windows than XP if you decide to use KFLOP. Our latest Test Versions compiled with Visual Studio 2015 the Mach3 Plugin won't run under Windows XP and we can't figure out why

    HTH
    Regards

    Regards
    TK http://dynomotion.com


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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Awesome, really appreciate all the input from everyone!
    Good to know about the nema 34's, I've found it difficult to ascertain optimal running voltages for stepper motors, perhaps there is a formula based on the information given in manufacturer specs?
    Because i've already got the 34's AND the wantai drivers AND the power supplies, I'll probably just start with the Kflop since it's minimal investment and risk, and at a later date I can always choose to spring for a Kstep and switch to some geared nema 24's should this setup turn out to be...lacking.
    I'm no stranger to problem solving across a wide spectrum of applications, so figuring out the C programming etc doesn't intimidate me too much, and its nice to know that I'll have backup should I get stuck
    It seems like Kmotioncnc is the superior choice, and there will be no need to mess with a Mach3 license. What version of Windows is ideal for running Kmotion? There's no chance it can run on linux is there? Will it work decently on XP without Mach3?
    Thanks again



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Hi Badarzewska,

    Windows XP or later should work with KMotionCNC. No Version of KMotionCNC for Linux at this time.

    Regards

    Regards
    TK http://dynomotion.com


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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    I am hitting some walls, and have some questions.

    I currently have the steppers moving, they are connected to the 0-2 default I/O pins, and have loaded a default stepper profile, which works, but what would be the best way to optimize the stepper profile for these specific motors?

    How do I tweak the actual distance traveled on my machine to match the readout in kmotioncnc?

    I have some simple Off-Mom limit switches, what are the actual steps to set up limit switches/assign I/O pins and link them with their corresponding axis?



    I would like to take the time to understand this board in and out eventually, but for now I have potential orders, and I really just need to get it barebones up and running, with 3 working axis and limit switches.
    I appreciate all the help so far!



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Hi Badarzewska,

    I currently have the steppers moving, they are connected to the 0-2 default I/O pins, and have loaded a default stepper profile, which works, but what would be the best way to optimize the stepper profile for these specific motors?
    Its basically trial and error to see what your system is capable of. You might read this article:
    Dynomotion

    How do I tweak the actual distance traveled on my machine to match the readout in kmotioncnc?
    Use the values in KMotionCNC | Tool Setup | Trajectory Planner | Axis Motion Parameters | Axis Parameters | Cnts/inch See:
    Tool Setup Trajectory Planner

    I have some simple Off-Mom limit switches, what are the actual steps to set up limit switches/assign I/O pins and link them with their corresponding axis?
    Once they have been interfaced to some input they can be configured in the Axis Parameters Limit Switch Options. See:
    Configuration Screen

    HTH
    Regards

    Regards
    TK http://dynomotion.com


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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Thanks again, I've gotten everything jogging, but unfortunately the NEMA 34's are resonating rather violently at lower frequencies, and missing steps as a result. They don't have encoders.
    I know the KFLOP has some noise management features, but can those be applied without encoders?
    Both motors seem to resonate at similiar frequencies, mounted or not.
    Should I be investing in different drivers alone? add on encoders? perhaps some nicer closed loop motor/driver/encoder systems that come all together? Any recommendations for specific brands? My Y axis is a giant soundboard of aluminum, so i'd really like to get something as whisper quiet as possible.



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Try increasing the microstepping on the drives.

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    As Gerry suggests, changing the microstepping is the easiest option to try.

    Resonance is where modern digital drives excel, as they'll try their best to compensate to avoid it (best I know of are currently Leadshine EM or AM series drives). Even by fitting encoders, the KFlop can't do much about resonance as it's a result of the interaction between the driver, and the motor. The only thing an encoder can achieve in that situation is to tell things are resonating.

    However, the main cause is likely to be the fact you're using Nema 34 motors. Most of these really need high voltage drives to get the best from them, as they typically have relatively high inductance.
    Using a higher voltage will usually mean the resonance occurs at a faster speed, which can mean it's less of a problem, as resonance is often amplified by the motors load.

    If you are going to start changing drivers, it can be worth swapping to Nema 23/4 motors. You can often get better performance from a smaller motor spinning faster, than you can from a bigger motor spinning slower.



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    Default Re: Kflop right for me?

    Hi Badarzewska,

    Size 34 motors have large mass and therefor lower resonant frequencies (no one tried answering my puzzle in post 7). Adding KStep or Encoders is not likely to help. Some advanced drives with anti-resonant damping may help some amount. Although the Wantai drives seem to claim to do this.

    Consider going to Servos for smooth and high performance.

    Regards

    Regards
    TK http://dynomotion.com


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