Re: bridgeport boss conversion questions.

Hello,

I've never used these, but thought I'd mention
it as an alternative...

There is also a drop in controller card update from:
http://www.machinemaster.com/ ~$1900.00


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@egroups.com, "Terry L. Ridder" <terrylr@b...>
wrote:

> hello;
>
> first let me thank everyone who has written
> both privately and on the e-mail list.
>
> answers to matt questions are intermixed below:
>
> From: Terry L. Ridder <terrylr@b...>
>
> terrylr> i have been approached by a machine shop to look
> terrylr> at the conversion of 4 bridgeport boss mills to
> terrylr> an alternate control system. the reason being that
> terrylr> replacing/repairing a boss card has climbed to
> terrylr> $1500.00 usd.
> terrylr>
> terrylr> i met briefly with the owner today and will met with
> terrylr> him again tomorrow. he has interest in using rt-linux
> terrylr> and emc for the conversion.
> terrylr>
> terrylr> i would be interested in hearing from anyone who has
> terrylr> attempted a conversion of a bridgeport boss mill.
> terrylr>
> terrylr> anyone who could/would be able to point out the
> terrylr> areas to be especially aware of would also be
> terrylr> helpful.
> terrylr
>
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2000, Matt Shaver wrote:
> matt> I have done this:
> matt>
> matt> http://users.erols.com/mshaver/bps1.htm
> matt>
>
> <major snip>
>
> matt> questions:
> matt>
> matt> 1. Where are you?
>
> de kalb, il. home of northern illinois university.
> 62 west of chicago.
>
> matt>
> matt> 2. Are these machines currently running?
>
> yes, there are 4 machines currently running and 2 other
> machines are being cannibalized for cards as needed.
>
> matt>
> matt> 3. Does the customer want to do all of them at once, or does

he want to

> matt> cannibalize one or two to get the other ones running on their

original

> matt> controls and then retrofit the donor machines with the new

controls?

>
> the customer would like to convert all machines at once.
> there is a chance that he would also like to rebuild 2
> other machines which he has been cannibalizing for cards.
>
> matt>
> matt> If you need to do this right away, I can tell you the easiest

way to go.

> matt> Contact Darrell Gehlsen at:
>
> darrell, has all ready sent e-mail, and i have sent him a reply.
> you have answered part of my question of darrell about software.
> the customer is familar with ahha and does not like them. i do not
> know why all i know is that he does not like ahha. i do not know if
> that dislike would preclude using darrell's kit.
>
> the customer has 4 to 6 old pentium pc's which can be used
> for the conversion. i seem to remember him saying that they
> were 100mhz pentiums. they would need more memory since they
> were stripped down to 8 megabytes of memory. so the cost of
> pc's is low.
>
> i personally would rather use and recommend linux and emc.
> i have also heard from jon. i was not aware that jon was
> working on an external box so emc would integrate easier
> into a conversion of this type. i may recommend to the
> customer that:
>
> a) we wait for jon and the external box
> b) work with jon developing the external box
> c) go with linux and emc now with operating
> restraints while waiting for jon.
>
>
> matt>
> matt> He makes a kit to do exactly what you are doing using the

Ahha
software.

> matt> You can easily do one machine each day, maybe all 4 in 3 days.
> matt> I've installed one of these kits and it works fine and my

customer

> matt> was happy with the job.
> matt> Darrell also provides excellent technical support and I will

vouch

> matt> for his honesty and integrity. Your cost would be about

$2600-$3000

> matt> per machine depending on what you spend for the PCs.
> matt> I don't like the software as much as I like the EMC,
> matt> but that's my personal opinion. This system will run
> matt> the machine at it's original feedrates because the
> matt> software runs as a single task under DOS, rather
> matt> than as a real time process in a multi-tasking environment
> matt> like the EMC in Linux. As a result of this difference,
> matt> the position display doesn't update in real time like the
> matt> EMC, and you can't edit a file, play a CD, and surf the
> matt> internet all simultaneously while machining a part like
> matt> you can with the EMC either ;)
> matt> Unfortunately, life is full of compromises...
> matt>
> matt> Matt
>
> --
> Terry L. Ridder
> Blue Danube Software (Blaue Donau Software)
> "We do not write software, we compose it."
>
> digging deep, i feel my conscience burn
> i need to know who and what i am
> this hunger jolts me from complacency
> rocks me, makes me meet myself
> ----kendall payne---closer to myself---