Re: 4wire vs 6wire step mtrs also Taig mill S&D conversion

Ken,

I have a Taig 2019CR that I converted to CNC. I never did have the
Taig controller.

However, I do have a Stepperworld kit. It is a nice inexpensive
basic kit for unipolar drive configurations only. I ultimately was
unsatisfied with the performance of the L/R setup. Top speed with
the L/R drives was limited and the motion was not as smooth as I
would have expected.

My system runs on Gecko G201s driving ~200 in-oz steppers (6 wire but
using only 4) and I am extremely happy with overall system
performance. I am using EMC as the controller. In my experience a
DOS based system and Gecko 201s may have trouble cranking out a fast
enough pulse train to get much top speed. EMC gives my around 30 IPM
rapids. The Gecko G210 may work better with DOS or Windows
controllers.

I would think your PacSci drivers would be worth trying since you
already have them. The 6 wire motors will stand in for a 4 wire
motor. I am using mine in this fashion.

I check your site frequently for inspiration. Great stuff there. I
also have a Taig lathe that I have considered converting to CNC. I
look forward to pictures of your Taig mill conversion.


Regards,

Barry

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Ken Jenkins <kjenkins@n...> wrote:
> I recently bought a "preowned" Taig CNC mill and I've
> already decided I want to convert it to Step & Direction
> for a number of reasons (which I won't go into here).
> I would really appreciate some advice/comment from
> those of you out there who have experience in stepper
> drive systems. I know how to use them, and basically
> how they work, but some of the electrical requirements
> and connection considerations I'm a bit weak on.
>
> Q1: Have any of you other Taig CNC mill owners out there
> converted your system from the LAMDA phase controller to
> Step & Direction and what was your approach. Did you
> use any part of the LAMDA controller (ex: the power
> supply, case and connectors) or did you just set it
> aside and put in a new front end?
>
> Q2: I am looking at Stepperworld's FET-3 product which
> looks great for what I want to do (I think).
>
> http://209.41.165.153/stepper/fet3.htm
>
> has anyone else used this board with the Taig motors
> which are 6 wire steppers from Shinana Kenshi Co. Ltd. (SKC)
> model # SST57D5101 / 1.8 deg/step / 9.2v / 1.0A / 200 oz/in
> holding torque with the following wiring which I assume
> makes them unipolar:
>
> Phase 1 ------+
> |
> +------Common---(13)
> |
> Phase 3 ------+
>
> Phase 2 ------+
> |
> +------Common---(24)
> |
> Phase 4 ------+
>
> Noting that they are 6 wire motors and assuming they are
> unipolar is an integral part of my befuddlement and the
> questions that follow.
>
> (about here is where the waters begin to close over my head :-)
>
> Q3: Can I use my PacSci 6410 drivers?
>
> Another way I can go in doing the conversion to S&D is to
> use a bank of (4) Pacific Scientific 6410 drivers I have all
> powered up/wired up/ and ready to go (this has the advantage
> of letting me add a rotary "A" axis later and keep everything
> the same). I am using the 6410's to drive steppers which I am
> installing on my Taig lathe (these are 4 wire motors and work
> just fine). My question is can I treat the Taig motors
> as (4) wire motors by just tying both commons together back
> at the 6410. If you want to look at the 6410 reference the
> .pdf is part way down the page here:
>
> http://www.pacsci.com/support/downloads.html#6400
>
> In the .pdf manual for the 6410 they describe driving 4 wire motors
> and 8 wire motors but not 6 wire motors. Is this a problem? The
> voltage supplied to the 6410's is 24v and I believe the LAMDA
> phase controller which comes with the Taig also is 24v. The
> thing that gives me some pause is that the cable from the Taig
> motors back to the LAMDA box have the two commons on separate
> pins ... I gotta believe that's for a reason otherwise I would
> have tied them together and plugged um into the 6410 already
> (being basically the "plug it in and scrap the melted plastic
> up later sort of guy that I am")
>
> Sorry this is so long but it seems to me if you're going to ask
> a question and expect a reasonable answer you ought to provide
> as much info as possible.
>
> Thanks for any help, tips, comments, suggestions in advance. You
> may either respond here or email me directly.
>
> Ken Jenkins
> kjenkins@m...