RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] I'm confused where to go from here with CMD-260 and NEMA 42

Ray:

Thanks for the input. The screws are laid out in two rows, so I guess they
are Sigma motors. The controller is labeled Positool, by Autonumerics. The
Bridgeport also has a label which says "Position Wizard, by Spindle Wizard".
The bottom of the control unit has four very large ceramic resisters per
axis mounted. There is also a control board per axis this loads of power
transistors and resisters.

I just don't want to do something incredibly stupid (in my almost complete
ignorance of how the steppers were vs. will be controlled) and damage
something.

Any help in what the settings should be on the controllers I bought would be
helpful. I guess the voltage on the power supply should be OK "as long as
they didn't rectify it to DC somewhere else in the controller, but the
current setting on the new drives concerns me. I can send photos of the
controller boards if you think they will help.

Thanks much,
Jeff



-----Original Message-----
From: Raymond Heckert [mailto:jnr@...]
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 11:30 PM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] I'm confused where to go from here with
CMD-260 and NEMA 42


Jeff, are you sure it's *not* a Bridgeport manufacture? For a while,
Bridgeport was owned by TEXTRON, and splashed that logo all over the
controller. My SERIES-I CNC (a TEXTRON), uses 56 Vdc supply, but it uses
saturable reactors to control the currents thru the steppers. The stock
motors used by Bridgeport for the SERIES-I were SIGMA (power connection
terminals laid out as two rows of 4 screws), and the alternate motor (which
my machine uses) was by SUPERIOR (screw terminals arranged in a bolt-circle
configuration). I have the full set of manuals for BOSS 3 thru BOSS 6. If I
can help in any way, short of actually copying the manuals, please let me
know. (It might take me a few days to respond). P.S. Anybody located in, or
around Wisconsin? (Reply offline). RayHex

----------

> From: washcomp <jeff@...>
>
> I've got a Bridgeport Milling machine with an obsolete NC controller
> from a manufacturer who is out of business and on whom I have no
> documentation. It used an Ecco paper tape drive to a DB-25, but
> without knowing what language it used to talk to the controller, (or
> even if the port is a serial or a parallel), I figure, I might as
> well keep the power supply and replace the rest with more modern
> stepper drives. The X, Y and Z axis are fitted with (direct coupled)
> 8 wire connected NEMA 42 steppers (which I believe are Superior
> Electric from about 1975 or 1980). The motors do not have name
> plates (why make my life easy?).
>
> I just bought three CMD-260 drives on E-Bay (which I think were from
> someone who bought them from Tim Goldstein). I bought them instead
> of Gecko 210's because they were rated at a higher amperage which I
> thought might be needed for the NEMA 42 steppers. I also bought an
> Axxus Technologies DB1V2.0 CNC Parallel Port Interface which I
> thought would be helpful. I also intend to buy some heat sinks and
> fans for the drives.
>
> OK, now the question: Has anyone got a clue what voltage and current
> setting to put the drives and power supply at? I can probably test
> the existing power supply for D.C. voltage. Can I use this reading
> and the coil resistance of the motor to figure out the amperage
> setting? Is there another way to identify the motor specifications
> and requirements?
>
> Any assistance would be appreciated in what the motors are likely to
> be, and any hints to make my life less exciting when I put the
> assorted gadgets together.