Emco Compact5 CNC Retrofit
Posted by
Mark
on 2003-11-26 05:34:53 UTC
1. get 2 100 oz-in (130 if you can find 'em) stepper motors that are
rated for under 5VDC (3 is better) and up to 3 amps or so. Take
the timing pulleys off the existing motors (there's a pin thru the
shaft and pulley), and mount these on the new motors - you may have
to reverse their orientation if the new stepper shafts are too short
to allow you to drill a hole for the pin.
2. Get 2 axes of Xylotex driver, put in a box with a fan, join the
xylotex group on yahoogroups for pointers. You may choose to buy
Bob Campbell's breakout board (or someone else's...) to deal with
noise control or anyh interfacing issues (like turret control).
Hook the existing motor cables to the xylotex boards; make up
(unless using a breakout board with a D25 connector) a cable or
connector to go between the xylotex boards and a PC - P90 and up,
depending on the software you choose.
3. Build or buy a power supply having an output of 24-30VDC at 3
amps or so. This can be a surplus unit or home-built using
surplus transformers (18 to 22 VDC output), a Radio Shack diode
bridge and about 20,000 uF of capacitors rated at 50VDC or more.
4. Buy a license for CNCPro, TurboCNC, Mach2 (or other such program)
and run it on your pc. Turbo and CNCPro run under DOS (PURE DOS,
not a "window" - you'll need WIN98 or EARLIER); Mach2 NEEDS win
2000 or XP. A P90 will do for the DOS programs, go for a P500
(or perhaps P2000 and up) for Mach2. Cost - demo free, else
20.00 to 150.00.
CApital outlay - As low as 100.00 if you are reasonably self-sufficient
viz. buying and hooking up steppers, electronic, electrical devices.
I've done both the lathe and an F1 mill and have been very happy
with the results.
Or, you can buy a commercial package from someone for $2500 or so.
Oh, you may also want to get a cad/cam package to make Gcode, if you
don't already have same. You'll hear about Vector and Dolphin at
least. If the group moderator allows their respective supporters
to continue throwing darts.
Just my $.015 (that's about 2 cents Canadian) / mark
rated for under 5VDC (3 is better) and up to 3 amps or so. Take
the timing pulleys off the existing motors (there's a pin thru the
shaft and pulley), and mount these on the new motors - you may have
to reverse their orientation if the new stepper shafts are too short
to allow you to drill a hole for the pin.
2. Get 2 axes of Xylotex driver, put in a box with a fan, join the
xylotex group on yahoogroups for pointers. You may choose to buy
Bob Campbell's breakout board (or someone else's...) to deal with
noise control or anyh interfacing issues (like turret control).
Hook the existing motor cables to the xylotex boards; make up
(unless using a breakout board with a D25 connector) a cable or
connector to go between the xylotex boards and a PC - P90 and up,
depending on the software you choose.
3. Build or buy a power supply having an output of 24-30VDC at 3
amps or so. This can be a surplus unit or home-built using
surplus transformers (18 to 22 VDC output), a Radio Shack diode
bridge and about 20,000 uF of capacitors rated at 50VDC or more.
4. Buy a license for CNCPro, TurboCNC, Mach2 (or other such program)
and run it on your pc. Turbo and CNCPro run under DOS (PURE DOS,
not a "window" - you'll need WIN98 or EARLIER); Mach2 NEEDS win
2000 or XP. A P90 will do for the DOS programs, go for a P500
(or perhaps P2000 and up) for Mach2. Cost - demo free, else
20.00 to 150.00.
CApital outlay - As low as 100.00 if you are reasonably self-sufficient
viz. buying and hooking up steppers, electronic, electrical devices.
I've done both the lathe and an F1 mill and have been very happy
with the results.
Or, you can buy a commercial package from someone for $2500 or so.
Oh, you may also want to get a cad/cam package to make Gcode, if you
don't already have same. You'll hear about Vector and Dolphin at
least. If the group moderator allows their respective supporters
to continue throwing darts.
Just my $.015 (that's about 2 cents Canadian) / mark
> From: "walden007" <jmwalden@...>
> Subject: EMCO compact 5 cnc mk4
>
> Has anyone converted this machine to modern pc conrtol....what does
> it take and $
>
> Jack
>