For newbies - How to operate the Excitech

[Inuk]

I tried a bunch of different types of memory sticks and scored the net for help/info, couldn't get a anything to work with the DSP.

Proc Spd 3000.00
- cutting travel speed mm/min. Setting 'GCode Read' on DSP should allow speeds to be read from file.

Trvl Spd 3000.00
- travel speed when not cutting - mm/min

ZDown Rat 1.00
- down travel speed

Spd Rati 1.00
- ratio of speed. if VFD is set to 24000rpm (400hz) then setting this to 0.5 will result in spindle speed of 12000rpm

Spd Grad 6
- no idea, never figure this one out

X Axis: 400.00
Y Axis: 200.00
Z Axis: 400.00
- believe these is ratio between motor and lead screws threads ??? if not set correctly your cut path will be distorted.

A Up mm 100.00 - height of cutter when not cutting
Drilllval 1.00 - no idea.

What I understood is after loading the program from USB memory I need to change the details through DSP manually. - Prior to running a cut file the DSP will ask you to confirm settings.



Or I can preset the spindle (rev)speed via the VFD. - Yes.

[bananafish]

I found the posts people talking about USB stick for DSP.
I'll post if I find something works.

After loading the file from USB, I found the way to change the first 2 settings ( proc speed and trvl speed )with DSP but I can not get other settings(numbers) highlighted using cursor. Is this normal?

By the way, INUK did you buy your machine from Excitech?
If so, could you tell me who was the sales person?

[Inuk]

I bought my machine used. I did have questions early on and had communication direct with ' excitech.sherry@sh-cnc.com ' . They responded quickly.

I did get a 'manual' but the language hurts my head.

Not sure why you can't change the other settings, should be via the same process by scrolling down and pressing Run/Pause /Delete to allow the value to be modified, then OK to confirm.

I was able to get the machine to read feed rates from VCarve gcode by changing the 'Gcode Read setup' to enable.

[king9558]

Thanks Inuk and Simon,
So Vcarve can not control the machine speed right?

What I understood is after loading the program from USB memory I need to change the details through DSP manually. Or I can preset the spindle (rev)speed via the VFD.

By the way another dumb question if I'm allowed to ask.

The DSP setting appears on the controller

Proc Spd 3000.00
Trvl Spd 3000.00
ZDown Rat 1.00
Spd Rati 1.00
Spd Grad 6
X Axis: 400.00
Y Axis: 200.00
Z Axis: 400.00
A Up mm 100.00
Drilllval 1.00

What's the meaning of all these numbers?
Are they distance, frequency, or ratio??

And another question, Is any USB memory stick compatible with DSP ?

G'Day Bananafish,
the dsp controller can control the speed by the F code if you enable it in the menu. but it will still show the parameters of the controller include the prc speed etc, it just need your comfirm that the parameters are correct before starting process.
Proc spd which means working speed, it is invalid if you enable the F code;
Trvl spd means Travel speed, when the Z does not work, the moving speed of the machine, so its figure always bigger than process speed in order to save time;
ZDown Rat means the speed ratio of Z axis when it goes down, in order to protect the bit from damage, it needs the Z goes slowly at the beginning, you can set from 0.1--1.0;
Spd Rat means the process speed ratio, which you can adjust during the machine is working by press Y+ and Y-;
Spd Grad means the spindle rotate speed, because the dsp can control the spindle, so you set the spindle's parameter;
X aixs, y aixs and Z aixs means the pulse equivalent as you know;
Z up 100mm which means the height of Z axis can go when the machine is working, for Z axis, the controller knows how much it goes down from G code file, while it also knows how much it should go up form G code, sometimes in order to save time, Z axis does not need go up as high as the G code file askes but less than that, such as: the default of Z+ is 100 from Type3, then it will cost more time when Z goes up, so there are two means to change it: one is to set in the software, the other is to set a lower Z up in the menu;
DrillVal means Drill speed which is similar with Process speed;
All the parameters are set in the menu, so it shows here just for comfirmation, some of them can not be change here.
the dsp can not support all USB memory stick.
Alan king9558@msn.com

[bananafish]

G'Day Bananafish,
the dsp controller can control the speed by the F code if you enable it in the menu. but it will still show the parameters of the controller include the prc speed etc, it just need your comfirm that the parameters are correct before starting process.
Alan

Thanks Alan
That make sense to me.I didn't have time to play with my 1212 last few days.
When I have time I'd like to test few things. I'll come back here to report in fewdays.

cheers,

[bananafish]

Last night I've done some cuttings.
I use Vcarve pro 5.5, I've set feed rate 2m/min and plunge rate 1m/min in '' feed and speed parameter ''
After loading the gcode to DSP and selected the file, DSP still display same parameter.

Proc Spd 3000.00
Trvl Spd 3000.00

I have checked the DSP setting and F code is set ENABLE.
I understood I could control the feed and plunge speed by program.
Could some one tell me what I'm doing wrong?

[Inuk]

Last night I've done some cuttings.
I use Vcarve pro 5.5, I've set feed rate 2m/min and plunge rate 1m/min in '' feed and speed parameter ''
After loading the gcode to DSP and selected the file, DSP still display same parameter.

Proc Spd 3000.00
Trvl Spd 3000.00

I have checked the DSP setting and F code is set ENABLE.
I understood I could control the feed and plunge speed by program.
Could some one tell me what I'm doing wrong?

It will still display those settings, but should cut at the feed/plunge rates set in VCarve. Run a couple of tests at say 10ipm and 100ipm, see what happens.

[SkipW]

Hello All,

We have a machine that uses this DSP controller and we would like to
change the spindle speed under program control. Does anyone
know if this is possible. Do the S codes work. I have seen instructions
on activating F codes and setting the spindle speed from the pendant
but not in the code.

Any clues?

Cheers
mike

I know this is a couple year old post but I didn't see where anyone answered this question, and I'd like to know too.

You can enable the F codes on the DSP to read the feed from the G-code, but what about enabling the S codes to read spindle speed from the G-code? Does anyone know if that is possible?

Thanks

[king9558]

[QUOTE=SkipW;823098]I know this is a couple year old post but I didn't see where anyone answered this question, and I'd like to know too.

You can enable the F codes on the DSP to read the feed from the G-code, but what about enabling the S codes to read spindle speed from the G-code? Does anyone know if that is possible?

Thanks

Hi, the DSP controller does not support S codes, for S code it needs analog signal, while the dsp doesnot have, it only gets digital signals.
Regards
Alan

[SkipW]

Thanks for that information Alan.

Skip

[Inuk]

Going through the DSP settings I noticed there's a ' Read T ' setting with options Enable/Disable. Anyone have any idea what this is for ?

Note to self: Enable Gcode F after resetting DSP. Bits are $$$

[SkipW]

T is "Tool" for tool changers I think.