Messages

1

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: 134 MOB Resistors

« on: March 06, 2015, 11:36:25 PM »

Steve your right, I ordered 62 ohm not 62K
I did check them before but never looked at the symbol on the meter.

I really don't understand the numbers, how they relate to current flow.
What numbers let more current flow and what numbers restrict current. And 1/4 watt 1/2 watt?
I just kinda monkey see monkey do on some things.

That makes me feel a little better thou, it was me and not the hardware.

THX
Todd

2

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / 134 MOB Resistors

« on: March 06, 2015, 07:54:34 PM »

Hi

I have question about the resistors to cut the amp draw or match the amps of my steppers.

So I have 203v Geckos on an alum heat sink, 570 oz 5 amp nema 23 motors and 60v power supply ( little more than I need ).
According to Gecko...... 5A steppers needs  117.5K resistor per motor.
But..... I thought I'd try 4A resistors 62.67K per Gecko

When I tried the 4 amp resistors the motors could not, would not take full power. They would start to move and then stall and made a weird sound like they were jammed.
I changed to the 5A resistors and all is fine motors run at full power, low speed & high speed.

Do the steppers need 5A to run?
I also have a G540, 48v power supply with 570 oz steppers and they work on that system. The G540 is only 3.5A (no resistors)

Just seems strange it didn't work with the 4A resistors.

Todd

3

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Re: Help with Proximity sensors

« on: March 06, 2015, 03:35:30 PM »

UPDATE

Steve the resistors worked just fine, I needed two to make auto squaring work.
One on screw 12 and 13 , both hooked to the +5 screw (J12)

Thanks, your the man!!

Todd

4

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Re: Help with Proximity sensors

« on: February 27, 2015, 04:01:11 PM »

Thanks Steve

Should have know it was to good to be true, 5 sensors for $12 buxs.

Steve do you recommend 8mm sensors  that I read in another post to pervent the leakage?
Its just their $21 buxs ea. I guess you get what you pay for.

Whats another $100 + buxs

Do you allow users to post pixs of their controllers?

THX
Todd

5

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Help with Proximity sensors

« on: February 27, 2015, 09:51:54 AM »

Hi all
So I am down to hooking up my proximity sensors
I have 3 wire (brown, black, blue) Inductive sensors NPN NO (detect metal)
I thought this would be pretty straight forward according to page 23 figure 5 NPN Style of the PMDX 126 c manual.

But NOOOO it aint happing, Iam at my wits end trying to figure this out.

It should be pretty easy but when I hook up per fig. 5 the LED lights up on 12 of the BOB, and when I trigger the sensor the led gets brighter on the BOB.If I unhook the black wire the led is ever so faintly still on.

I have the brown wire hooked to the +12U on J12, blue to GND, black to ?12? There is an led on the sensor that lights when I hold it close to metal.

I took a pix of my proximity switch and a wiring diagram of the switch.
Any help or thoughts
Todd

6

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Re: Relays

« on: February 14, 2015, 07:47:23 PM »

Hi all

Just a quick update

My SSR arrived, I installed it and it worked perfect
I changed out the 12v relay for an AC one and the SSR trips the coil.
The SSR is way over kill for what I have it doing but it works. (I really like the red LED that comes on when its powered)
Down the road I should be all set for any upgrades or changes

THX

Todd

7

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Re: Relays

« on: February 09, 2015, 04:39:51 PM »

Thanks guys

SSR-25 that Bob mentioned will not work for
DC loads.

But will it work for AC loads?
If it dose I can work with that.

I order this 
 El.Co Solid State Relay, DIN Rail Mount with Heatsink, 10A SPST, Zero Cross NO, Output: 24-240VAC, Input: 3-32VDC, with LED   from Factory Mation Item#SC1-30D10240A

I can change the ice cube relay to a 110 AC cube and have the SSR trigger the coil that way. Like a double relay, SSR to Coil...if that's even a good idea? This way I can do either AC or DC

Or find a 3 volt dc wall wart and just use the SSR to power that.

My PSU has a 5 & 12vdc output ( drop the voltage down to 3v ... somehow) I was going to use that to power the laser

Thank for your help and grate products on a level that I sorta understand lol

Oh I love this and have used it too lol

Engineering Hell: Everything's right and nothing works.
Bob's Corollary: If everything's right and nothing works, check your assumptions.

THX Todd

8

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Relays

« on: February 08, 2015, 07:12:12 PM »

Hi all
I have my new controller about 75% done, but I am stuck on trying to get a 3rd relay wired.
I have the PMDX 126 BOB,K1 and K2 working in Mach (pin 1 & pin 14 port 1)
I would like to add a relay to turn on my cross hair laser edge finder. K1 & K2 will power on router and DC system.
How do you wire /turn on/ control a relay....say from pin 16 port 1 on my bob?

I have mapped Mach to pin 16 , and can make the led come on on the board.
If i hook the laser directly into the board it will work ( on and off) though Mach
I have a 12v dc relay to use....but how do I trip the coil on the relay from the bob.
The laser is only 3 volts 5mw


Todd

9

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: Machine Hold 126 REV C

« on: January 09, 2015, 06:31:31 PM »

Thanks Steve

That's just what I wanted to know.
I will have proxy switch's on the machine to set zero...... but I just know I'll want to free wheel the gantry by hand some time in the future.
That's how I set zero now... by hand. Your right it not like rolling it with out the motors engaged.

One more question.....If you use the software Estop in Mach3 (click the button on the screen). Will it shut down the whole box?
Or like Feed hold but with out the resume feature?

Oh and another question.....On the 134 board the power in, should I put a fuse before the terminal?
I have seen other controllers fuse each driver individually when wired with out the 134 board. I know the 203v's have fuses, but it would be a lot easier to change outside of the drive.

If I fuse the 134 what size? 5 amp or 20 amp or some were in between? I am fuesing the power supply with a 20 amp breaker

10

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Machine Hold 126 REV C

« on: January 09, 2015, 02:33:08 PM »

Hi
I'm building my new controller using the 126c board 134 board, ESS & 107 spindle card pmdx.

Now I want an Estop to kill everything in the box, but I also want to just stop motion at times and resume. And be able to free wheel the gantry with out shutting everything down.

The Estop I figured out ( I think Lol) But the stop and resume (Machine hold) not so sure.... I think it might be best to use Mach for this function. The board has an M Hold, function should I use this? Or just use the software or both.

The 126 also has the disable function for the drives. I believe this will give me the free wheel of the gantry with out restarting Mach. Just re Zero all the axis

Need some input on this
THX
Todd 

11

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / Re: PCB stand offs

« on: November 05, 2014, 07:48:27 AM »

Thanks Steve

I did buy a 5v power supply for the ESS.
Electronics is not my strong point in building my CNC ( I suck at it LOL)

My first build I used a G540 then blindly copied someone else design and crossed my fingers.

I am so glad you started a forum. Am  hoping someone will post their design using your products so I may use it as a guide.
Pepole are weary to post due to liability issues, And I understand that.

I have well over a 1000 dollars in parts and pieces with this controller build , I desperately need, a guide or even better a you tube video to assembling my bits and pieces.

I think their are a lot of guys out their, like me that just need a plan to go by and will spend the money if we just had an expert or manufacture trusted design to go by.
I would even take my parts to your shop and have you show/ help me put it together so I could ask the dumb questions during the build. I think it would help me with the understanding of how things work.

Thanks again
Todd

12

Cables, connectors, switches, contactors, sensors and other items / PCB stand offs

« on: November 04, 2014, 06:56:23 PM »

Hi
I have a really dumb question

I have a PMDX 126 rev. C BOB, PMDX 134 and a Warp9smooth stepper ESS plus a PMDX 107 spindle card.
I want to mount the ESS on the 126 board to keep the foot print of my control box small as can.

Now the dumb question. What size stand offs and what length should I get for the ESS and the 126 to the case.
And metal or plastic.

THX
Todd