Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Spelling is better on this one.....

Luke1027 wrote:

>Is Jon offering this "new Gecko interface board"
>to others for purchase?
>
>
>

Sure, see :
http://jelinux.pico-systems.com/gecko.html

but, I should mention, that it is not of a lot of use unless you are
also using my
universal stepper controller. It could be used without that if you have
some other
means of reading encoder signals, perhaps the Dan Mauch/Tom Kulaga DRO
board. The main purpose of the board is to feed encoder signals to the
encoder counters,
and make an electrically isolated copy of the signals for the Gecko 320/340
servo drives. It also powers the Geckos up and resets them when coming out
of E-stop, and powers them down when going into E-stop. It also detects any
Gecko faulting, sends an E-stop to EMC, and powers down all Gecko drives.
Since that erases the fault condition from the Geckos, it records the
first drive
to fault and indicates this on it's own LEDs.

So, it takes care of all the enable/fault operation, and powering the
Geckos down
allows you to move the machine by hand, if you so desire. The coordinate
system is maintained at all times, whether in or out of E-stop, and EMC acts
as a DRO when in E-stop.

This closed-loop operation (Gecko interface + Univ. Stepper Cont.) also
turns a
Gecko 320/340 system into a true closed-loop system, with encoder feedback
to the PC. You can get EMC to graph the servo performance, and twiddle the
PID parameters until the following error remains in the ten thousandth of an
inch range under all conditions.

Jon