Re: Another Try

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "Doug Harrison" <prototype@c...> wrote:

> The Ahha system is not turnkey. None of the others are either.
> Even if you go with their driver box you will still find it is more
> than a bolt-on and go thing. Limit switches, spindle control and
> various peculiaraties of your machine will have to be connected and
> this isn't always just a matter of connecting the wires.

Yep, you are right, none of them are plug and play, although I am
trying to make the affair as straight forward as possible without
going broke.

> However, if you feel uncomfortable assembling a driver box then the
> Ahha system is about as close as you will get to a bolt-on system.

I am pretty comfortable with that, after all if I am willing to
remove a perfectly good stock engine computer from a car and replace
it with a completely different one, how bad can it be... Only the
voltage is higher. :)

> I would recommend you build your own driver box using geckos. You
> will need to do more work and research up front but when it is
> complete you will know how it works and can thus repair it. As
> long as you are building the drive you might as well go with a
> parallel port based software such as cncpro
> (dos) or master5 (windows). This will save you quite a bit of
> money over the Ahha. Both work very well.

It looks like I am gonna start with EMC and possibly try either
master5 or cncpro if EMC does not work for me. Linux is my platform
of choice, mainly because I have been using Linux since Kernel 1.1.13
and I know it well.

>
> Don't get to excited about the dos/windows thing. That cute and
> fuzzy windows interface won't make parts any faster or better. You
> must determine whether or not you are willing to trade the
> stability (and higher speed) of old technology for the features of
> new technology.

I hope to maintain the speed I have, I really do not want to loose
speed moving from the BOSS 4, if I cannot make the machine work as
well or better than it currently does with the BOSS 4, I am wasting
my time. I also want to increase reliability by not relying on tired
parts in the electronics portion of the Mill.

My goals with the Retrofit are as follows:

1. Ease of future repair/replacement of parts.
2. Increase stepper resolution
3. Preserve machine Accuracy
4. Maintain or Improve Speed
5. Add an Additional Axis for rotary table
6. Additional expansion/automation (like tool changer or coolant
control.)



Mark