Re: gecko burned again

Vince,

Yeah! I'm just lucky enough to be where I can make it happen. Some of
the work is work behind me, some is ordinary work ahead of me and
some is I have no clue what it will take until I actually do it.

Life rocks! Seize it, grab it, squeeze it until it squeals! That's
the way it's meant to be lived! Do the very best you can, then take
one step beyond.

Mariss




--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Vince Negrete"
<vnegrete@r...> wrote:

> Mariss this is fantastic news!
> Thanks for the info. The future is blinding.
>
> Vince
>
>
>
> >
> > 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:
> >> > > FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
> >> > > FILES: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/files/
> >> > > Post Messages: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> >> > >
> >> > > Subscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >> > > Unsubscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >> > > List owner: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com,
> >> wanliker@a...,
> >> > timg@k...
> >> > > Moderator: pentam@c... indigo_red@q... davemucha@j...
> >> > [Moderators]
> >> > > URL to this group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO

> >> > >
> >> > > OFF Topic POSTS: General Machining
> >> > > If you wish to post on unlimited OT subjects goto:
> >> > aol://5863:126/rec.crafts.metalworking or go thru Google.com to
> >> reach it if
> >> > you have trouble.
> >> > > http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> >> > >
> >> > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jobshophomeshop I consider

this

> >> to be a
> >> > sister site to the CCED group, as many of the same members are
> >> there, for OT
> >> > subjects, that are not allowed on the CCED list.
> >> > >
> >> > > NOTICE: ALL POSTINGS TO THIS GROUP BECOME PUBLIC DOMAIN BY
> >> POSTING THEM.
> >> > DON'T POST IF YOU CAN NOT ACCEPT THIS.....NO EXCEPTIONS........
> >> > > bill
> >> > > List Mom
> >> > > List Owner
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Addresses:
> > FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
> > FILES: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/files/
> > Post Messages: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> >
> > Subscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > Unsubscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > List owner: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com,

wanliker@a...,

> > timg@k...
> > Moderator: pentam@c... indigo_red@q... davemucha@j...
> > [Moderators]
> > URL to this group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
> >
> > OFF Topic POSTS: General Machining
> > If you wish to post on unlimited OT subjects goto:
> > aol://5863:126/rec.crafts.metalworking or go thru Google.com to

reach it

> > if you have trouble.
> > http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> >
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jobshophomeshop I consider this

to be a

> > sister site to the CCED group, as many of the same members are

there, for

> > OT subjects, that are not allowed on the CCED list.
> >
> > NOTICE: ALL POSTINGS TO THIS GROUP BECOME PUBLIC DOMAIN BY

POSTING THEM.

> > DON'T POST IF YOU CAN NOT ACCEPT THIS.....NO EXCEPTIONS........
> > bill
> > List Mom
> > List Owner
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >