Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] I NEED HELP!

Mark,
Are there any labels on the machine, the electronics enclosures, and
especially the Motors?
It sounds like the motor driver part of the board maybe ok, although
you'd be probably be
better off getting a new motor controller board. And it would be easier
to interfacea new board to a PC.
If you have some electronics skills you can make your board from a kit.
Then you'll need a program
to control it from a PC, and the PC. The PC required depends on the what
the control program needs.
TurboCNC needs the least resources, and is inexpensive to acquire. If
you aren't afraid of computers
there is a Linux control Program called EMC that is good. Other
controller programs need more
computer, are more fancy and cost more. At least that's my take on them,
however their champions may
tell you other wise. I can't give my opinions on a motor controller
until I know what the motors are.
So I'd sugggest looking for labels on the motors first .
Bill
mmcev wrote:

>I have a mill here that was working once upon a time, but hasn't
>seen the light of day for several years now. The mill has three
>stepper motors which plug into a blue box that I have. The box
>contains a working power supply and three stepper motor drivers (I
>think thats what they are called). The motors plug directly into
>these drivers. When I power on the box, the motors become
>impossible to turn, so I assume that these drivers work properly.
>Coming into each of these drivers are three wires which control the
>motors somehow. Originaly these 9 wires plugged into a pcd board in
>the bottom of this blue box. The board somehow connected the
>drivers to the db-9 and db-25 pc ports on the back of the box. I
>have been told that this board is bad. Even if it was good I
>wouldn't know what sofware to use to get the mill running. Anyway,
>I was wondering if there is a way to connect these 9 wires directly
>to a pc and run some kind of software that would control the
>motors. If that isn't going to work, what is the best way to get
>this mill back up and running? I would really appreciate any advice
>or suggestions you have for me. Thanks alot.
>
>My email is mmcev@... if anybody want to mail me directly.
>
>Thanks again!
>
>Mark McEver
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