Raw Arc Voltage Points on Powermax 1100

[Donn]

I am attempting to locate the raw arc voltage points on my Powermax 1100 for connection to a Rav-01 card from CandCnc. My manual tells me to connect to an interface board, but my machine does not have this option. Is that the only way? Newer models have them at J15 and J16 spade terminals but I don't seem to have them on my unit. Anyone know their location? Perhaps Jim?
Thanks.

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[jimcolt]

While I have not seen a Powermax1100 in a few years...I just downloaded the service manual and looked at the schematics. It is not real easy to find....but if you locate the filter/snubber board in the attached drawing...it is item #12, there is a receptacle on that board called J2. Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are the raw arc voltage output that connect to the terminal strip on the optional interface board that was available for those units. I do not know....and cannot tell from the schematic which is positive and negative.

You also can find a connection inside the power supply (any plasma) for raw arc voltage by tracing the work cable inside the power supply....that will be the positive (+) side of the raw voltage. Trace the torch electrode back to its connection inside the power supply...that will be the negative (-) side of the raw voltage. Raw arc voltage can be at 300 voltas DC, open circuit.

Hope this helps!

Jim Colt

I am attempting to locate the raw arc voltage points on my Powermax 1100 for connection to a Rav-01 card from CandCnc. My manual tells me to connect to an interface board, but my machine does not have this option. Is that the only way? Newer models have them at J15 and J16 spade terminals but I don't seem to have them on my unit. Anyone know their location? Perhaps Jim?
Thanks.

[Donn]

Thanks for the great answer Jim. I Went ahead and traced the cables and did it that way.
I talked to a HT tech on the phone who told me that the Duramax machine torch will not be available for the PM 1100. Is this true? I am holding off on buying the RT80 upgrade in hopes of the Duramax, but need one ASAP. Thanks again Jim.

[jimcolt]

That is correct....the Duramax upgrade torches are available for Max43, Powermax600, 800 and 900 systems....not for the 1100. The RT80 is the best bet for the 1100 system to improve performance.

Jim Colt

Thanks for the great answer Jim. I Went ahead and traced the cables and did it that way.
I talked to a HT tech on the phone who told me that the Duramax machine torch will not be available for the PM 1100. Is this true? I am holding off on buying the RT80 upgrade in hopes of the Duramax, but need one ASAP. Thanks again Jim.

[Donn]

Jim
I ordered an RT80 for my PM1100 today. I read on another forum where you said that the RT 80 could use fine cut consumables, but was told by HT tech that that is not the case. Is that so? Thanks.

[jimcolt]

If you let me know the name of the tech you spoke with I'll be sure to let them know that the RT80 torch can use the FineCut consumables. It is the same torch and consumables as used by the Powermax1000, 1250 and 1650...all of which used FineCut parts.


Jim Colt Hypertherm

Jim
I ordered an RT80 for my PM1100 today. I read on another forum where you said that the RT 80 could use fine cut consumables, but was told by HT tech that that is not the case. Is that so? Thanks.

[Donn]

Jim, I spoke with Jason today and he said that the consumables fit the torch, but because of the way the 1100 is made, the small diameter of the fine cuts prevents the torch from establishing an arc and causes popping. This is because of the amount of ripple in the current output. They were originally offered for the 1100 but problems forced them to be discontinued for that machine. I hope I have that close to being accurate. He explained it to me much clearer and was very helpful. I very much appreciate the customer service of Hypertherm and your online support. looking forward to the RT80m upgrade.

[jimcolt]

I spoke with Jason as well....he confirmed to me that the 1100 does not work with the FineCut consumables....but they do fit the RT80 torch. The 1100 plasma is older in design than the FineCut consumables...the issue apparently is the the output inductor in the 1100 is not sized properly to work with FineCut. Unfortuanately there is nothing we can do about that...is is an out of production machine...sorry for the mis information.


Jim Colt

Jim, I spoke with Jason today and he said that the consumables fit the torch, but because of the way the 1100 is made, the small diameter of the fine cuts prevents the torch from establishing an arc and causes popping. This is because of the amount of ripple in the current output. They were originally offered for the 1100 but problems forced them to be discontinued for that machine. I hope I have that close to being accurate. He explained it to me much clearer and was very helpful. I very much appreciate the customer service of Hypertherm and your online support. looking forward to the RT80m upgrade.

[AdamFord]

Sorry for dragging up and old thread but I'm looking fr the same thing. If I trace the wires it leads me to the part labeled #1 in that diagram, but if I were to do as suggested I would have to remove item #10 to find what I need?

[mac11]

Hey guys, sorry to drag up this old thread but its about the only place I see any discussion of the powermax 1100 and getting it setup to run on a table.

My machine came with the optional machine interface board wired to the CPC plug. Looks like a factory install, very clean, nicely routed and tired back to the other factory wiring exactly as the machine interface installation manual describes.

However, where I am lost, is on the arc volts. My machine interface board does not have any wires hooked up to the Arc Voltage +/- pins.

The install manual shows wires getting hooked up here but the diagram does not point out where they hook up on the other side.

The CPC machine interface plug on the hypertherm has 5 pins. The cannon plug to my CNC control system from CandCNC has 7 pins, 2 of which are for a 3.5mm plug that is supposed to be raw arc voltage.

Am I looking at this all correct in that I need to run wiring inside the hypertherm from the machine interface board pins 6 & 8 for raw arc voltage to the CPC plug on the back of the machine?

And the crux of the question, is this what is preventing my machine torch from firing? This unit works well with the hand torch.


thanks

Mac

[Torchhead]

Hey guys, sorry to drag up this old thread but its about the only place I see any discussion of the powermax 1100 and getting it setup to run on a table.

My machine came with the optional machine interface board wired to the CPC plug. Looks like a factory install, very clean, nicely routed and tired back to the other factory wiring exactly as the machine interface installation manual describes.

However, where I am lost, is on the arc volts. My machine interface board does not have any wires hooked up to the Arc Voltage +/- pins.

The install manual shows wires getting hooked up here but the diagram does not point out where they hook up on the other side.

The CPC machine interface plug on the hypertherm has 5 pins. The cannon plug to my CNC control system from CandCNC has 7 pins, 2 of which are for a 3.5mm plug that is supposed to be raw arc voltage.

Am I looking at this all correct in that I need to run wiring inside the hypertherm from the machine interface board pins 6 & 8 for raw arc voltage to the CPC plug on the back of the machine?

And the crux of the question, is this what is preventing my machine torch from firing? This unit works well with the hand torch.


thanks

Mac

You need to read some more in the DTHC Setup and Config Manual, The stereo cable/plug is for DIVIDED VOLTS (20:1 or 50:1 ) if you plug that into raw arc volts (>100voltsDC) you will destroy the input circuit on the PWM module. The manual coversr how to hook to a Hypertherm 1000 which is the same as the 1100 with the automation interface . In the CPC round plug on the 1100 You only have 2 signals (4 wires): START and TRANSFER The divided volts ahs to come from a voltage divider card like our RAV-1/02

[jimcolt]

You should make the Raw Arc voltage connections directly on the interface circuit board inside the Powermax1100. They are not wired through the rear panel CPC connector as the voltage level can be 300 VDC on these connections, too high to safely be connected on this style of AMP (not cannon) connector. Make sure you are using the correct equipment from CandCNC to deal with Raw Arc voltage......newer Hypertherm systems have a divided arc voltage output that is available at the CPC connector.

Regardless....whether or not you have any connections for arc voltage will not affect arc starting. Starting the plasma (when the machine torch is connected) is achieved by simply shorting pin 3 to pin 4 on the CPC connector. If the torch does not fire when this is done (assuming you have proper input voltage, proper input air pressure, good consumables installed in the torch, system powered up) then there will be another issue of some sort.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

Hey guys, sorry to drag up this old thread but its about the only place I see any discussion of the powermax 1100 and getting it setup to run on a table.

My machine came with the optional machine interface board wired to the CPC plug. Looks like a factory install, very clean, nicely routed and tired back to the other factory wiring exactly as the machine interface installation manual describes.

However, where I am lost, is on the arc volts. My machine interface board does not have any wires hooked up to the Arc Voltage +/- pins.

The install manual shows wires getting hooked up here but the diagram does not point out where they hook up on the other side.

The CPC machine interface plug on the hypertherm has 5 pins. The cannon plug to my CNC control system from CandCNC has 7 pins, 2 of which are for a 3.5mm plug that is supposed to be raw arc voltage.

Am I looking at this all correct in that I need to run wiring inside the hypertherm from the machine interface board pins 6 & 8 for raw arc voltage to the CPC plug on the back of the machine?

And the crux of the question, is this what is preventing my machine torch from firing? This unit works well with the hand torch.


thanks

Mac

[mac11]

You should make the Raw Arc voltage connections directly on the interface circuit board inside the Powermax1100. They are not wired through the rear panel CPC connector as the voltage level can be 300 VDC on these connections, too high to safely be connected on this style of AMP (not cannon) connector. Make sure you are using the correct equipment from CandCNC to deal with Raw Arc voltage......newer Hypertherm systems have a divided arc voltage output that is available at the CPC connector.

Regardless....whether or not you have any connections for arc voltage will not affect arc starting. Starting the plasma (when the machine torch is connected) is achieved by simply shorting pin 3 to pin 4 on the CPC connector. If the torch does not fire when this is done (assuming you have proper input voltage, proper input air pressure, good consumables installed in the torch, system powered up) then there will be another issue of some sort.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

But Thanks for the response Jim. Since posting I am running. I've read through the manuals and am not impressed with the CandCNC manuals. It's difficult for a novice like me to discern what is actually applicable to my situation with all the different equipment they are umping together. After figuring out anything from there manual its pretty typical that the point they are trying to get across could have been accomplished more clearly with about 1/4 the words/pages.

As a follow up to my situation that will hopefully help someone in the future....

Since Posting I found out I was able to fire the torch by shorting the start pins on the cpc connector and the candcnc PWM interface box. This led me to finding I am having an issue with the watchdog signal on the DTCH IV card in the bladerunner ethercut box. I jumped the pins indicated by Tom @ CandCNC and am off and running.

As another heads up to some future novice, ground your work piece not your table, not your slats. I know this is posted elsewhere but very rarely do I see anyone say more than "because it's proper'. My 3rd test sheet I forgot to move the ground clamp back to the new material I just put on the table. This lead to a loss of 'ok to move' 'XFER' signal. I was able to jump the signal at the CandCNC interface box and my program ran and cut perfectly. When I put sheet 4 on the table I put the ground on the sheet and my 'ok to move' signal returned and has not been an issue since.

Cheers to learning the hard way.

Now time for some ventilation.