Re: Correct or Max voltage for Bridgeport Nema 42? + more...

Have you checked out ahha.com From a newbies point of view they seem
to be "high end" of the lower priced retrofits.

Thanks
Billy

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "audiomaker2000" <audiomaker@s...> wrote:
> Thanks Carlos.
>
> I guess what really bites me is that the developers of these 100-
300
> dollar apps get so darned close and then miss it.
> In addition to owning my own shop, I am a small machinery dealer
and
> a buyer for a major machinery dealer.
> The trend right now is that you are finding tons (literally) of
70's
> and 80's CNC's being dumped by local shops and the government and
> really there's nothing wrong with them aside from broken or
outdated
> control electronics.
> I'm sure I'll get into hot water for saying this, but this is my
> second investigation into retrofitting machines and what I am
finding
> again is that there is this void that could be filled between free
or
> shareware controllers and mega-bux professional retrofits.
> The sad part is that the "hobbyist" apps have reached a level that
> they could subsitute and surpass the original controls but don't
> allow the flexibilty to control "real" machines.
> It's like they start out to see if they can make some axes move and
> succeed and then go off on some tangent off playing with graphical
> toolpaths and other fun stuff without really ever completing a true
> controller. All one has to do is actually look at a physical CNC
> controller to get the idea. You don't need toolpath simulations and
> gimicks (these are normally done in people's CAM apps anyway) What
is
> needed is a close-as-possible representation of a real controller
on
> a PC.
> Since this usually negates the original physical pendant hardware,
> you have to make up for that somehow.
> This is probably best accomplished by the use of touchscreens and
you
> would think that "controller" software would be designed around
such
> devices since they lack any other tactical interactive hardware
aside
> from a mouse and keyboard. You'd have DRO's you could read from 3
> feet away and big buttons you could push on a touchscreen.
> Basically "virtual hardware". The sofware would have to be able to
> control switches (which it can already), Step and direction (which
it
> can already), and some sort of DAC (which most cant).
> Well, these low cost apps are very very close but still limited
> because they lack the configurability to interact with devices
which
> can do more than S/D.
> Of course, there is CAMsoft. (camsoftcorp.com) They got it right.
The
> software looks and acts like a controller and supposedly you can
> configure it to work with all sorts of I/O..including LPT. The
> problem is of course that their market is not the retrofitter who
> wants a nice CNC from a 3000 dollar 80's machine, it's production
> houses who want to get a 75,000 dollar machine back up and running
> because it's costing them a couple grand a day to be down.
> Hence the void.
> Of course everyone will jump up and say "you get what you pay for"
> and all that, and it's true unless what you are paying makes no
sense
> for the machine you are fixing and it's uses.
> So that's the killer here...
> Again, these once "hobbyist" apps are sooooo very close to filling
> this void but they seem to fall just short (even though they keep
> improving the apps in other "fun" ways).
> Basically you need ...
> Step/Direction
> Rotary encoder input (for jog wheels and feedrate)...(this *could*
be
> done with mouse encoders)
> Touchscreen minded GUI (which means at least the GUI will be
windows
> based)
> Shop floor minded DRO (some do)
> Tool changer routine (configureable via "if-then" based on input
> signals"
> More than 4 switches and at least 1 DAC for VFD/spindle drive
control.
> Multiple screens for multiple modes (like a real CNC. Why does
> everyone try to make everything fit on one screen?
>
> What does this do? It allows people to build real CNC's with modern
> controls inexpensively from endless amounts of "outdated"
> professional machines. Something above the MaxNC's and Sherlines,
but
> perhaps not the Haas's, Fadals, and Mazaks that the big production
> houses need.
> Not free, and not 5 grand... maybe about 500-600 for the software
and
> figure another 600-700 in hardware. Then you slap 1500 into your
3000
> used machine and have a nice setup for "semi-pro" use.
>
> Ok, there's my rant. It is a result of researching retrofits once
and
> giving up only to return once again and find there is still a void.
> Of course, it's possible that this does exist, but so far I haven't
> found it.
>
> Apologies for the babbering.
> Sean
>
> P.S. Does anyone know the correct voltage for a Bridgeport NEMA 42
> stepper?