Emco Compact 5 CNC Lathe problem with the cable pin-out

[CoreyD87-123]

Hi everyone!

I'm relatively new to the whole CNC machining thing, and i have a Emco Compact 5 CNC lathe, generation 3, sitting in my garage. My dad has used it as a 500 pound paperweight, so i finally broke out the manual and learned how to use it. It has the tape drive on it, but that thing is sooooo slow and I'm just waiting for the tape to go bad in it. so I want to hook it up to an old PC running Windows 95 that sits beside the thing. and finally to the problem at hand

I don't know how to wire up the db-25 male connectors to get the thing to store part programs on the computer. I have the sheet telling me what parameters i have to set, but i don't know what pins need to be jumped, or which pins the dang thing even uses. Does anyone have the pin-out for this? also any suggestions for an ASCII code reader would be awesome too

Thanks for any help you can give me ,

Corey

[Brick58]

There is a Yahoo group for this type of machine. I do have one myself, but converted it to WelTurn. Mine was a series 2. I think the series 3 is actually a series 4. As in you have a few more M codes and can do partial arcs or circular functions. I think a few on the EMCO CNC Yahoo board can help you out if no one here can. Some are even using some of the CAM packages for programing them.
Tom

[CoreyD87-123]

for what I'm doing, i really don't need to convert this machine, even though it would be nice . . . thanks for the advice, I'll have to check out that yahoo group. and yeah, i guess it is a series 4, since i can do the partial arcs and everything.

quick question though, how difficult and expensive is it to convert this over to the Welturn?

Thanks for the help Brick58

[Brick58]

I don't think the WelTurn conversion was very difficult. There was some modifications to some of the boards and some splice taps on some wires. The cost was about $800, plus I had to buy a microscope and an eye piece. I think some are converting these using updated servo or stepper motor and electronics. I think they say about $600. When I did mine, the conversion of CNC machines was still an adventure. Does yours have the toolchanger?
Tom

[Brick58]

I saw you message posted on the EMCO board. I will say one thing, if you are not going to use the tape reader on these machines, then it might be best to disconnect it. I have heard they can develope shorts and cause damage to other electronic boards. There are some wiring diagrams on the EMCO board and manuals.
Tom

[CoreyD87-123]

Brick58,

Yeah, it has the toolchanger with it, and it's okay, but it's extremely slow . . . to shift two positions it takes about 20 seconds . . . but it does all i need. As for the tape reader, i appreciate that advice . . . i'll take it offline as soon as i get the pc set up and running . . . i wonder why it causes such problems?

Thanks for the advice,
Corey

[CoreyD87-123]

BTW, i just saw that your name was Tom . . . sorry bout that