Trying to set up Taig 4-axis with EMC2

[nickydubs]

hello fellow EMC and/or taig users,

i've recently aquired a new taig 4-axis mill, with shaft encoder feedback. i'm trying to get it set up to run with EMC2, but i'm having difficulties. here's what i've done so far:

when i run it in EMC, a BDI that i can only assume is distributed by Sherline since images of their equipment are all over it, i can get all four axes moving and Z and A trigger an E-stop when they move too fast/are stalled. when X or Y are stalled the numbers in EMC just keep moving. i am also unable to turn the spindle on or off.

then i downloaded a live CD of EMC2 running in ubuntu. using the standard configuration for a 4-axis stepper i get nothing, it won't move a single axis or trigger the spindle on or off. the only configuration i can get to do anything is the one for the NIST lathe, which does some odd things. when run in the Axis GUI i can control the X axis and the Z axis, but not the A or Y which are not displayed anyway, even though Y is in the config file. however, when i use the Mini GUI the Y axis pops up, it works, and the Z will not allow any movement larger than a click or two in either direction. i cannot control the spindle in either GUI.

so, my questions are these:

does anyone have a config and HAL file they're using for their Taig that i could start with, since adapting the config for the NIST lathe doesn't seem right?

is the feedback from the shaft encoders entirely within taig's control box, and if so why won't it register a stall with the X or Y axes?

is there anything about EMC that makes it worth my trouble, other than the supposed ease of setup?

thanks,

nick

[cartertool]

What controller are you using?

[nickydubs]

i am using taig's micromill digital synch lock servo controller. i've gotten things working pretty well so far, it was just one line of code that was missing from the .ini, it just took me four hours to find it.

[samco]

If it is working for you - the emc2 developement group would love to add the taig setup to the sample configs.

sam

[nickydubs]

when it's done i'll send it along. how should i get it to you folks?

[samco]

I am not a developer. I just play one on tv

if the total message is less than around 24k you can send it to
emc-board <at> lists.sourceforge.net

You would get extra points and graditude if you added a page with your setup and description to the wiki

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl

sam

[cartertool]

Originally Posted by nickydubs is the feedback from the shaft encoders entirely within taig's control box, and if so why won't it register a stall with the X or Y axes?

The feedback is within the control box, I think with the Mach setup the limit switch inputs are used to show when the motors stall. So you would need to enable the limit switch function in EMC and assign the correct inputs so that it stops when the limits trigger.

A call to Kurt at Taig will likely answer any architecture questions you have.