Re: gecko burned again

Mariss, thanks for the help, I will call tomorrow.
Keith

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Mariss Freimanis"
<mariss92705@y...> wrote:

>
> Keith,
>
> I'm at kind of a loss here. We have OEMs that run NEMA-42 motors

at

> 7A and 72VDC by the hundreds without a problem. The REV11 drive is
> pretty much mature in the sense there are no undiscovered problems

to

> deal with. We just busted our best month ever by shipping 2,680
> drives in October; were it a basic problem with the REV11 drive,

that

> wouldn't have happened.
>
> Why yours is blowing up while others running similar loads are not
> bothers me. The kind of things that blow drives up; over-voltage,
> load short circuits, inadequate heat-sinkinking are the obvious

ones

> of course. You seem to have a gremlin that may be hiding somewhere
> within those restrictions. Please give me a call Monday so we can

go

> over that territory. If you can provide me with a circuit diagram

of

> your setup or better yet, a digital photo of the guts of your box

may

> help me spot something obscure.
>
> To anyone else reading this: Don't buy anything from us until Nov

15.

>
> Then, for 30 days, starting Nov 15 until Dec 15, we are going to

have

> a "customer appreciation month" where G201s / G320s will go for

$99.

> G210s / G340s will be $129. OEM pricing (100 or more) will be $79

for

> G201s / G320s and $109 for G210s / G340s. Basically a $15

reduction

> for quantities below 100, $20 for quantities above 100. It all

ends

> on Dec 16 unless order volume justifies keeping that price

reduction.

>
> Why are we doing this? Three reasons.
>
> 1) We took delivery on two brand new pick-and-place machines that
> will come on-line next week. They will relieve the production
> bottlenecks at the 2,500 / month level we have right now with our
> only high-speed machine. These new machines have been installed,
> leveled and are being hooked up.
>
> 2) This coincides with the introduction of the new Vampire G204V
> drive slated to appear before the end of this year. It's been a

long

> haul; it is so radically different (CPLD based) that the entire
> production line has had to be revamped for it. It's kind of like
> changing an airport designed for 707s to accept 747s. The devil is

in

> the details.
>
> 3) It is a thank you to everyone who bought our product and took a
> chance on an unknown drive by an even less well known, new
> manufacturer. What changes have occurred from the original "REV1"
> G201 (some of you still use them) and what we make now. it has

been a

> crazy 5 years; I personally have learned so much.
>
> All these recent efforts will yield big changes now that the CPLD
> thing is under our belts. The coming year will result in a quick
> introduction many new products:
>
> 1) First, the unkillable G204V step motor drive. Short circuits,

no

> heat-sink, reversed supply polarity, misswired motors, destructive
> energy dumps, nothing will stop it. Add a novel switching topology
> that doesn't need current reduction to keep the motor cool. Throw

in

> a drive that doesn't have to obey the 20 times supply voltage rule.
>
> 2) The G2002 (or G2005?). A 6-axis pulse engine that when equppped
> with encoder mounted steppers will result in unstallable steppers.
> True close-coupled, closed-loop step motor sytems. Use our drives,
> use someone elses; it won't matter. Overload them, they will

simply

> slow down and back-up on their power curves. They will always run

at

> the peak of what the motor has to offer speed and acceleration.

This

> will be a big one.
>
> 3) CPLD version of the G320 / G340 series. Less parts, better
> performance, cheaper.
>
> 4) A sinusoidally commutated 3-phase brushless servo motor drive.
>
> Number (1) is in the bag. It is the leader for the new

programmable-

> logic drives from Geckodrive. Number (2) is an FPGA version that

is

> an embelishimment of the proven 74CH version of the current G2002.
> Added will be real-time encoder feedback on all axis and the

firmware

> to generate the promised unstallable steppers. This is the big

one.

> Number (3) is an afterthought. Finally number (4) is a natural
> extension to fill the product line. It is the least thought-out

one.

>
> That is the road-map. That is in order as what I see for the

coming

> year. It will be an exciting year.
>
> Mariss
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Clark" <mail@t...>
> wrote:
> >
> > I now have 3 separate 10 amp slow blow fuses, one leading to the
> > power input on each drive. The motors are rated at 7 amps. Is
> that
> > the correct fuse to be using?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Keith
> >
> > --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "john labutski"
> <kd6wd@c...>
> > wrote:
> > > Jon
> > > You have an excellent point. Keith could probably test this

with

> a
> > new
> > > Gecko. He should just add the correct amp fuses to the motor
> > drive lines.
> > > When one fuse pops he will probably find you are correct.
> > >
> > > Your comments also bring up another great point to consider .
> > Fuses and
> > > fuse holders are cheap compared to driver boards as well as
> > computers. I've
> > > been a ham radio operator for a long time and over the years
> fuses
> > have
> > > saved me thousands of dollars worth of equipment when a power
> > supply or a
> > > transformer went south on me. Old "Buss" and me are great

buddies.

> > >
> > > John
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Jon Elson" <elson@p...>
> > > To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2004 1:26 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] gecko burned again
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Keith Clark wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >Well, the y axis gecko drive burned again this morning.

This

> > time
> > > > >there are no loose wires. I was doing very little with the
> > machine
> > > > >and had just turned it on when during a y axis G0 move, the
> > drive
> > > > >burned up. I assume this is an indication that the Gecko
> cannot
> > > > >handle the motor I am using. This is an old topic and I

have

> > asked
> > > > >for help with this problem before. The mill is a

Bridgeport

> > Series
> > > > >1 CNC originally controlled by Boss 6 but now using Anaheim
> > Nema 42
> > > > >high torque stepper motors and Mach2 software with a

Campbell

> > > > >breakout board.
> > > > >
> > > > >At this point is seems reasonable to try another brand

drive?

> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > I think you need to retire that MOTOR. There is nothing

wrong

> > with
> > > > the Gecko drive, when used with good motors. But, one of

its

> > weaknesses
> > > > is that shorts to ground, or just plain internal shorts in

the

> > motor
> > > > windings
> > > > will pop transistors in the Gecko drive. I think you'll

find

> > the Rutex,
> > > > Xylotex,
> > > > etc. drives all have this same weakness. After blowing TWO
> > Geckos on
> > > > the SAME motor, doesn't that tell you something? Why didn't
> the
> > X or Z
> > > > drivers blow? Why always the Y axis?
> > > >
> > > > Explanation: Your Y motor has an intermittent short. How

much

> > you are
> > > > doing with it doesn't make much difference. I assume the
> motors
> > heat
> > > > up, even when idling. The heat probably causes the short to
> > develop
> > > > every once in a while, when the winding expands from the

heat.

> > > >
> > > > Jon
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Addresses:
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to

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this

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