Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Running two machines off one control box

My major concern and warning, are the gecko drives protected if you
disconnect the motor from the Gecko drive under power? Most stepper
drivers I have worked with will be damaged if you disconnect the driver
from the motor with any power on the driver.

Bob



dmauch@... [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] wrote:

>
>
> I have built many different control systems for
> single,2,3,4,5,6,and 8 axis of motion. I recently received an order
> for a custom machine. The customer wanted to run two lathes, not
> simultaneously, using one PC and one control box with 4 motor power
> cables and 4 495 oz in stepper motors. That meant that I would need 2
> Awesome Gecko Drive G203 and a way to switch from one set of motors
> to the other. My first thought was to use a 4 pole rotary
> switch capable of running e four motors but any switch that can make
> before break and switch up to 7A and have two or three positions is
> really expensive. So looking on ebay I found two new 4 pole reversing
> contactors that were dirt cheap and the coils would operate off
> 110VAC. It was a lot of wiring but when I tested it the two motors on
> side one and then the other two motors on side ran perfectly. The
> thunk when the contactor coils switch certainly let you know in a
> positive manner that the drivers have switched.
>
> Its interesting to build custom systems but they always take longer
> than quoted.
>
> My next custom system is a stand alone control unit where you
> simply press a cycle start button with no pc connected. You d/l a
> config file and a parts G code file to a SD card then disconnect the
> PC and move the controls to the machine setup with drivers and press
> the button. This system would be useful where repetitive parts are be
> processed such as a cnc cutoff saw, a bending machine or even a lathe.
> Various tool paths could be saved on different cheap SD cards.
>
> Dan Mauch
>
> 21th Anniversary in CNC
>
> dmauch@...
>
> www.camtronics-cnc.com
>
>
>