Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] PC based CNC system architecture

Jeff:

There is a product out there that does pretty much what you are talking
about. I have just used them in a conversion from an old old Allen Bradley
7000 series controller to a PC based control. The machine had quite
serviceable DC servo drives already on it and we wanted to keep those. Of
course the problem was a way to take the step/direction signals comming from
the parallel port and convert that to a +/- 10Vdc signal to operate the
servos. A company called StarCAM came to my rescue. They manufacure an
interface card that does this quite well, at least in my case. I could find
a number of interfaces that seemed to work but they could not operate at the
pulse rate comming from my encoders as these are CNC routers and operate at
speeds around 600 inches per minute and faster in some cases when rapid
positioning.

This may not be what you are talking about but I thought I would mention that
there is an interface that does work out there. Of course it is not all that
cheap at around $300.00 U.S. per board.

Randy A.