Newb Needs Help Getting Starting!!!

[Dick Strauss]

Mike,
The translators drive the motors using 110V power from the wall. I have a very minimal understanding of Gecko drives. However, I'm trying to use the Slo-syn motors and Slo-syn translators that my friend has rather than having to buy additional drives.

John,
The manual states that I need 14-20mA per input for the translator other than "pulse in" (which requires 7-10mA). The phone adapter is capable of 5V/1A so it should have plenty of power given 5 inputs max. I assume the ground from the AC input is used to complete the 5V opto-isolator circuit.

So, when I go into Mach3...I can assign any of the output pins 2-9 on the parallel interface to signal the AWO, CW/CCW, Pulse In, correct. It looked that way when I went into Mach3 briefly. If correct, I just need to buy a parallel DB25 male connector and wire it to follow matching outputs in Mach3.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Take care,
Dick

[John McClanahan]

You will want to allow for limit switches and maybe a spindle on/off control, too.

John

[Dick Strauss]

John,
That is a good point about the limit switches, etc. I'll have to keep this in mind for safety puposes. I've got a few limit switches taken from a trash compactor that will be perfect for this application. At this point I'm looking to get the motor to rotate forward and back a set number of rotations so there should be no safety issues for now.

Here is my development plan:

Step1 - get the stepper shafts to spin in both directions a set distance while under control of Mach3
Step2 - add pulleys/gears and calibrate the system travel distances in one dimension
Step3 - add a router or plasma torch and get the system to cut in a straight line in one dimension a set distance (recalibrate/change settings as necessary) in manual mode
Step4 - add a second dimension, calibrate distances in Y-dim, and make a sample cut in manual mode
Step5 - Add the Z dimension to lower/raise the router/torch and calibrate in manual mode

Once I'm sure that the steppers are working as designed, I'll start working on generating BobCad v23/24 models and sending output code to Mach3. Im sure there will be growing pains at this step but at least I'll be sure it isn't an issue with the MAch3 to stepper interface.

If you have any corrections, I'd appreciate anything you might suggest to avoid development headaches/pitfalls.

[John McClanahan]

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Had I fully understood what I was getting into with this CNC stuff, I would have never started.

John