Upgrading an old Super-Tech Taig Mill

[awetmore]

I'm looking at a used Taig Mill which has a SuperTech CNC conversion. It comes with SuperCam (the DOS version).

What controller did these come with?

How can I identify if the controller uses a pulse and direction scheme, or if it is running using an older control scheme that wouldn't be compatible with Mach3?

What drivers and steppers were these machines typically sold with in the early 2000s?

I'm trying to determine if modernizing the machine would be as simple as a new controller board, or if I'd be looking at a new controller, drivers, and steppers (so basically I'd just be buying a 2019CR).

In the photos the motors appear to have NEMA23 mounts and are octagonal. The controller looks like the EMC-XYZ-MUBX. The seller does not believe that it is Mach3 compatible.

[jalessi]

Awetmore,

Have the seller take a few pictures of the inside of the controller and post them here, that way we can give you good advice.

Jeff...

[awetmore]

I'll try that.

If that doesn't work I'd still like to get an idea of how to identify the "good" internals myself. Does the old style system just have the parallel port pins going directly into drivers, while the newer one has a controller in there first?

[rowbare]

Have you contacted SuperTech? they are still around.

[awetmore]

No. I was hoping that someone from the company would be active here and might answer out of band. I didn't want to interrupt their normal stream of mail from actual paying customers with one from a guy buying a used machine.

[Dennis Bohlke]

I have put the XML configuration file for the controller and the mill in a zip file and put a link to it on my web page for the Taig Micro Mill with Parallel Port interface.
http://www.super-tech.com/root/grp.a...Taig-3000-LBMP

It's been something I been meaning to do.

The EMC-XYZ-MUBX controller is compatible with Mach3.

With the unzipped EMC-XYZ-MU_TaigMill.zip file Mach3 should be plug and play.

Thank you for your consideration.

Dennis
www.super-tech.com

[awetmore]

Thanks Dennis, that is great!

alex

[awetmore]

I bought the system today and it turns out to have a EMC-XYZ-BX controller, not the MUBX. I'm assuming that this is an older design which is not Mach3 compatible?

Is there a wiring diagram on the Super-Tech website for the DB9 connector to the motors?

Is an upgrade EMC-XYZ-MUBX controller board available? How much does that cost? I'm also considering going to a Gecko G540 (and using the power supply and wiring that came with this one) or just using SuperCam under Win98 for a little while to get a hang of things.

I'm impressed with the overall setup of this 5 year old Super-Tech machine. The motor mounts have nice integrated homing switches. The controller box has nice wire routing and everything is pretty well labelled.

[awetmore]

I found the parallel port pinout on the main board when I removed the power supply. It looks identical to the one for the EMC-XYZ-MUBX. Is it safe to try the same configuration file in Mach3?

What is the difference between the MUBX and BX series of controllers?

[Dennis Bohlke]

The difference is in the Steps per Revolution.

The MUBX is micro stepping at 1600 steps per revolution.

The BX is half step at 400 steps per revolution.

The only changes you have to make to the Mach3 configuration file is the steps per Unit. Change it from 32000 to 8000 for the Taig Mill and it should work.

Oh, ya the EMC-XYZ-BX drives the motors bipolar and the EMC-XYZ-MUBX is unipolar.

Dennis
www.super-tech.com

[awetmore]

Thanks Dennis.

I got it working with EMC2 (Linux equiv of Mach3) over the weekend if you'd like a copy of the configuration files.

[Dennis Bohlke]

That would be great! You can email them to me at xyzinfo@super-tech.com

You could attache them to a post so everyone has access to them also.

There are over two hundred controllers like that out there.

Dennis
www.super-tech.com