Need help

[Tsooko]

Hi. I just bought a Techno 4x4. It is old (1991) and needs some help. The mechanics are ok but the electroics need some work. The comm port 2 is blown and needs replacing. This is on an old 486 computer. I have an old 486 which my brother and I are going to rob for parts to replace the comm port board. Hopefully this will get it working. The software is dos based bob/cad and mastercam on 5.25 floppies. It is no longer supported. The control box is a H 26T55- mac 100 A. I can use it this way but I would like to upgrade it to windows based software. So far I have puchased Bobcad/cam v23, the Bobart modual, nesting modual which comes with the v21 version of Bobcad, and the clip art which is already vectorized. (I got all this before I bought the machine) I plan to get the mack 3 program to get the g code to the control box. After talking to Mike at Techno support, I was informed that it would cost almost $ 5000.00 to upgrade the electronics to a modern system that could accomadate the software, something about the control box not accepting the code from the computer and the steppers having to be synched to the control box??? The upgrade has new motors, cables, control box, perhaps more. I don't have that kind of money right now. Anyone have any suggestions about modernizing without breaking my bank? Would appreciate any help. ( gecko 540, nema 23 steppers, keling ???) thx in advance
Ted

If you are going to be a Bear--- be a Grizzly!!!

[SCRAPWOTSCRAP]

No expert here, but I think you might want to think about a newer pc and talk to the people at Win Cnc. I'm thinkin they might get you going for waaaaaaay less then 5k. Upgraded an older early 90's machine (wasn't a Techno) with their package for considerably less. Machine still performs.

http://www.wincnc.net/

Worth a try, at least for a comparison.

[Pplug]

you could try using Galaad to control the router. http://www.galaad.net/home-eng.html they have a demo you could try.

If that does not work you could always replace the controller with a Gecko 540 and a power supply. You could run mach 3 that way.

[cabnet636]

what size motor bases nema 34? you could try keling for motors, geckos i have used thier 72v power supply with gecko 201's and wincnc for under 2000. but if you went mach 3 you'd be in the 1000-1200 range, i got my third machine today, this one is a 4x4 frame,gantry z head stripped of motors and spindle so i am off to retro fit again, i have wincnc on my other two machines but may try mach this time just to learn more about it

jim

[Tsooko]

Hey Guys. Thanks for the leads.I will check them all out.
I went to look at the motors and came away with this. They are in an aluminium case 2 3/4" square, 6" long. When I take the cover off( 4 screws on the end) it is black in color with 4 bolts holding it to the base. These numbers/letters are on the top.

Zweiphasen-Schrittmotor 1.8
Art.-Nr.3460

Iw = 2.4 A Rw = 1.0 ohm
wp6 00949
A2537-9212-a1
made in japan

Anyone know what kind of motors these are and will they work off any controller or box? It seems to me that a stepper, is a stepper, is a stepper, notwithstanding ac / dc differences and watts, amps, volts specs for the various power inputs/ outputs and should work off of any controller in its spec range... and not be a proprietorship type of system??

sorry, I didn't measure the distance between the mounting bolt holes. will get the next time. Be easier with a picture, I am going to see about getting a digital camera this weekend, might make things easier.
Will be back in a couple of days as I am going to my brothers house to work on the 486's and yes I do have better, faster computers and a sony laptop.

Jim: the 1000-1200 range sounds good to me

Thx Ted

If you are going to be a Bear... be a Grizzly!!!

[cabnet636]

here

What voltage for bipolar stepper 2 A, 1 Ohm ?

jim

[cabnet636]

it looks like you have nema 23 bases on those motors, i have used this equipment on retrofits

http://cgi.ebay.com/CNC-Controller-3...3A7%7C294%3A50

www.kelinginc.net has the same equipment

http://www.kelinginc.net/CNCNEMA23Package.html

jim

[Tsooko]

Well the weekend is over.
We took apart the 486s and found that the blown comm port 2 plug was a part of the main motherboard not just an add on board that we could slide out and replace soooo, Arn (my bro) pulled out an AMD((intel clone) chipped computer. We took the hard drive from the first 486 and put it in, booted up and after putting the serial port hard key( like a usb port chip) it uses to protect the registration/copywrite software, the programs came up on the monitor
This means we have a working comm port
This took all day, there was lots of fiddling arround
Arn kept the computers so he can put in the floppy drives , tweek the system and generally make it work without problems
We are now on windows '95 but still using the old dos based programs.
The plan is to hook it all up to the techno and see if it will move through the mac 100 control box this weekend.
I got a digital camera and will take some pictures and as it does video I will try for that also
Getting closer to that magic moment!
I know, this isn't part of the upgrade, sort of, but costs nothing but time.
I want to know that the table works and haven't totally decided which way to go but I am leaning towards the keling system as the system is complete, motors, cables, controlbox, mach3 software.

Jim: I checked out your web page. You do great work!!!

Ted

If you are going to be a Bear... be a Grizzly!

[cabnet636]

thanks, like you i bought a used router first and retrofited it, then i bought a new on and now i am on my third. i have truley enjoyed working with the routers and what they produce.

jim

[Tsooko]

Hi all
Sunday morning and we still haven't got any movement from the Techno Isel but that is not the machines' fault.
Arn upgraded the software to win98 and we now have a memory address problem. Seems that there is not enough memory to load the dos based software or win98 is not recognizing the software or visa-versa. He will figure it out or I will get the new controller system, which I plan to get anyway. We have more time than money right now. If this takes all summer that's ok. I got a digital camera so here are some pics.

Ted

If you are going to be a Bear... be a Grizzly!

[dmauch]

I have retrofitted 8 various size techno esel cnc router. Both the Servo and the stepper types. When you decide that you want to use a good program such as Mach3 and modern drivers contact me at dmauch@camtronics-cnc.com . I can provide a modern solution at a fraction of the techno esel prices.

I am currently building a control unit for the University of Pennsyvania. They are shipping me their motors and cables. I am building a 4 axis control unit for them using the burn out proof G203 drivers in my nice small case and will provide them with a config file for Mach3. Contact me if interested.

Hi all
Sunday morning and we still haven't got any movement from the Techno Isel but that is not the machines' fault.
Arn upgraded the software to win98 and we now have a memory address problem. Seems that there is not enough memory to load the dos based software or win98 is not recognizing the software or visa-versa. He will figure it out or I will get the new controller system, which I plan to get anyway. We have more time than money right now. If this takes all summer that's ok. I got a digital camera so here are some pics.

Ted

If you are going to be a Bear... be a Grizzly!

[Pplug]

Did you try Galaad yet?