Re: Gearhead motors ? future drives ?

Um Dave,

MACH3 is currently able to interface to a PLC through Modbus (spoke
to a guy today who's using it on his Bridgeport connecting Modbus out
his RS-232 port). Gives loads of I/O and analog inputs. Gecko will
support USB for enhanced I/O (but less than PLC) and biggest
advantage is enhanced pulsing.

At least that's my understanding as of today.

Jeff


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "turbulatordude"
<dave_mucha@y...> wrote:

> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Polaraligned"
> <polaraligned@o...> wrote:
> > --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, R Rogers <rogersmach@y...>
> wrote:
> >
> > > P.S. I gotta stop giving these encoders away :-), Mach4 is under
> > development and they are talking about 6 million pulses per second
> > through the USB. Should be released in beta in a few months.
> > >
> > > Ron
> >
> > That's great. But as I was trying to get out of Mariss, is
> > he is working on the next generation of servo drives or just
> > sticking with steppers. How is the USB port going to interface
> > with his servo drives?
> >
> > Scott
>
> As I see it, no matter what you use today, it will be eclipsed in a

year.

>
> but, a well built machine today will work for 10 years.
>
> If you can get the performance out of todays machines, why wait for
> tomorrow ?
>
> Also, it appears that there is no expansion of power, just

refinement

> of methods, so next years crop of motors and drivers will not be
> offering or delivering more power.
>
> The only exception to that is hybred steppers.
>
> Stepper motors will still have power limits and even the new encoder
> steppers will slow down to get the work done whereas a bigger servo
> would just never skip a beat.
>
> I think the real question is 'what do you need in a drive"?
>
> Then what is missing. Then ask how to get that feature.
>
> The slowing of the stepper to keep in motion and the interaction of
> the spindle cutter still needs to be addressed.
>
> USB is a dead end currently unless someone has modified Mach2 to
> output to the USB port ?
>
> And, one the USB physical layer is in place, it will need to be
> addressed by some year or two of buggy software. Both on the
> interface board and MACH2.
>
> The FUTURE is called that because it is not here, it is out there.
>
> USB is around the corner, but no one knows how long the block is

till

> we reach that corner.
>
> In the mean time, tens of thousands of drives will be put into
> service. and thousands of machines will come to life and many
> thousands more will make parts.
>
> If you watched the G201a relased and said, I'll wait until it is
> bullet proof, then that 5 year wait is almost over. (when was the
> G201 introduced ?)
>
> My guess is that SOLID mainstream use of the USB is still 3 years

away.

>
> Those who watched know the project was called the G2002 for the year
> it was started.
>
>
> Dave