Re: Hi, NC Newby

Hi Ron, thanks for replying to my posting. I know the windows environment
is a poor second choice to DOS, especially with cheaper controllers without
on-board processing, but I am determined to write a detailed GUI interface
for the coil winder. I also plan on using a stand-alone computer with a
decent processor, and no other tasks will be running. This will help smooth
out the process a bit, and avoid intermittent motion and pauses.


Arrick Robotics has an inexpensive 2-axis system that I am leaning towards.
After scouring dozens of WWW sites until my head hurts, there are very few
that aren't either pure DOS, too specific (3 axis mill conversions), or too
expensive. I like the Microkinetics catalogue, but to do the simple task I
want would require lathe turning software, full drivers, etc, at a high
price.

The flexibility of VB will allow me to greatly refine and easily modify the
interface.

Your description of acceleration and deceleration is simple and
enlightening. Thank you!

Kurt



-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Wickersham <rjw@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Hi, NC Newby

>From: Ron Wickersham <rjw@...>
>
>hi Kurt,
>
>the main reason that you find little or no systems to run under Visual

Basic

>on windows 95 is that the system can pause periodically for "higher

priority"

>tasks. this behaviour cannot be easily stopped and would cause severe
>problems if machining a surface. in coil winding the loss of an occasional
>coil may be tolerated but the incentive to provide the software is not

there.

>
>accomplishing the geared behaviour you want between the spindle and the

wire

>guide is easy, especially for simple ratios. i think it is obvious, but

will

>just state that you use count pulses for the spindle and if your ratio is
>10 to 1 then for every tenth pulse to the spindle motor the wire guide gets
>one pulse. ramping up and down is also conceptually simple, your software
>uses a fixed reference clock and for starting at the lowest speed it counts
>say 100 clock times and issues an output step to the spindle motor. the
>increment of how many clock times to wait is decremented and after 99 clock
>times then next step is output and so on until the number of clock times
>corresponds to the step frequency of the final speed you want the spindle
>to run. at this count, the decrement loop is turned off and the spindle
>runs constantly at the highest speed. of course, since the wire guide is
>just a ratio from the spindle motor, it's speed ramps up exactly with the
>spindle speed.
>
>hopefully someone else on the list will be able to point you to a solution
>using your desired software within your budget. commercial products
>are available that will run with a VB front-end and include interface
>boards inside your computer and the driver boards and motors, but all i
>am aware of are several times your budget.
>
>-ron wickersham
>
>On 11 May 1999 pyroware@... wrote:
>
>>
>> My main question lies in software. I am a very good Visual Basic

programmer, and I want this system to work under windows 95. Most software
requires DOS Basic or C, which I really want to avoid. I can write to the
parallel port, etc. Can anyone poin

>
>
>t me to a manufacturer who sells reasonably priced hardware, and software

libraries which will allow me to accomplish this task? Is programming a
soft acceleration difficult with steppers? I'd like to keep the cost of the
NC portion under $1,000. TIA,

>
>
>I hope one day to be able to contribute to this group!
>>
>> Kurt Bjorn
>
>
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