Re: Mazatrol

Doug,

I have been following this thread with interest today. Maybe what
the marketeers really don't want you to know is that the $10k
controller they just sold you is made up of a couple of $300.00
generic PC's in a big box! Ain't capitalism grand.

John Guenther+

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@egroups.com, dougrasmussen@c... wrote:
> Ballendo,
>
> What does it really mean to have a PC based controller?
>
> On one level we have the low end systems like Ahha, which are truly
> based on a garden-variety PC.
>
> Then I see the higher end controllers advertising as being PC
based.
> I think Vickers is one, Mazak (?) and for sure, Autocon. But you
ask
> these people if you can replace their motherboards with a generic
> board and the answer is always, NO!! (I've had salesmen tell me the
> advantage of being PC based is you can get repair components from
> your local Radio Shack....not likely, I think).
>
> I'm wondering if this "PC based" business is more advertising hype
> than anything else. My guess is you're still stuck buying high
> priced proprietary boards.
>
> thanks,
>
> Doug
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@egroups.com, ballendo@y... wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > I mentioned in an earlier thread that it is not uncommon in
RECENT
> > commercial cnc machines(like Mazac) for there to be up to 5(five!)
> > PC's "hiding" under the hood. One (or more) for motion (with a
high-
> > end motion card(s),another for GUI (as you describe), another for
> > IO,process management,etc.
> >
> > The number five was from a machine a few years ago. It is
entirely
> > conceivable that with the increased memory and speed of today's
PC,
> > that it would only take one (EMC is just such an example) or
maybe
> > two.
> >
> > Ballendo