Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] test servo motor,softwarefor lathe

Hi Brian,

When I first got the machine installed I didn't think the controller would
function but I hooked it up anyway and it seemed to work, the problem was I
had no clue as to how it worked. I bought the machine with a view to
equiping it with a PC based controller. After obtaining the manual from
Harrison I found the Z axis driver didn't work. The manual contained
complete block diagrams but not circuits. Anyway the short of it was I
replaced a blown tantium capicitor, replaced the on-board batteries and it
hasn't missed a beat since.

It is still running on the Acorn computer, it is not a BBC the difference
seems to be the operating system only, as long as I can keep it going I
will. The machine has done very little work before I got it as it was
installed, by a friend of mine, some 13 years ago into a technical college
and the guy who trained up on it left a few weeks later. The cost then was
£18,000 I paid £600 which would be good for a worn-out manual machine twice
that age.

Back to your machine:

I doubt there is much difference between yours and mine. To this end you
will have Parker drivers, stepper motors not servo and a timer/controller
board in between the computer and the drives. The operating system was
written by another company, that is still in business although they want
silly money for the off-machine software. This is what you serial socket is
for.

If I was converting my machine I would go with a 500+ meg PC, Mach 1
software, the smallest monitor I could get to run on the system, a breakout
board of some kind and Gecko drivers. The power supply will be well made but
the voltages will have to be checked as the gecko's will only stand 80 volts
and 600 Lathes tend to run at 95+ volts. You will lose most of the functions
of the front panel unless you can hook them into the PC software.

Regards,

Terry

> Thankyou Terry for the promp reply Do you run the harrison from a BBC i

maybe able to

> get my hands on one but i dont have the software.
> best regards
> brian