Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] I'm curious

If you've ever seen a properly setup Mach3/ Gecko system operate then you'd know why people don't bother with the obsolete control hardware on Ebay. My Bridgeport has .0001" resolution and is now true closed loop. It's been running for two years daily and I haven't had any problems with it. In the event that I did, it would be a matter of a phone call and I could have a new component the next day. A replacement for a system that you suggest would result in another Ebay scrounge and alot of finger-crossing.

I see posters on here asking questions about their Ebay "treasures" because they've contacted the manufacturer and couldn't get any information on them, not even a pinout. Internet searches were futile. This is a better approach?

In regards to the Gecko being "amateur hour". Don't let it's small size fool you. A look inside one under it's cover will reveal it's anything but amateur. It is an excellent drive and extremely reliable. Ex. I'm running 40 lb-in servos on all three axis's. For Z I am driving the knee that weighs close to 1000 pounds with no gas springs or counterweights. I ran one job in particular that consisted of 1280 7/8" holes 3" deep in steel. The gecko faired perfectly. The only problem I had was after about 6 hours of continual operation, I had to stop and let the Z motor cool down.

Ron

P.S. I Ebay'd all the old "Allen Bradley" components during the retrofit.





yahoo@... wrote:
Why don't I see more CNC guys putting together drive system from major
manufacturers.
I've been watching this group for the last month and looking in the archives
it seems like this hobby is stuck in the late 70's.

I've looked at these "Gecko" type drivers they sell to drive Bi/Uni polar
motors at best half step for $150 and up, and all this is purely amateur
hour stuff.

Ridiculous! Seriously this seems really crazy to me. Why on earth would I
drive several hundreds if not thousands of pound worth of machinery moving
at high speeds with pulses from a parallel port and using DOS no less.
When you can talk to an professional industrial grade indexer via serial or
device driver and run it under Windows or Linux if you must. These indexers
are very intelligent and handle all the I/O, Encoders, drivers, backlash,
deadband, linked moves, curve interpolation, limit monitoring, and more.

I just did a quick search for Compumotor products (my personal favorite) and
here what I found today;

A pair of 50000 Microstep Stepper Drivers starting at $19 with $180 buy it
now
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532426297
or other microstepper drivers (Zetas 4 are great)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7530904583
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7530594973
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7530907082
Paired up with any S 57 or 83 series motor
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532121199 $25 (low
torque)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7531200682 $24 (low)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7530594904 $10 (high
400oz)
slap some $40 US Digital 2000 line encoders on these and it a closed loop at
8000 ppr.


Servo Drivers?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532283428 $75
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7531003102 $23
Pair it up with these motors;
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532283649 $45
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7531512855 $35

I see PC-23 and 6000 series indexers for sale for a few hundred all the
time.

There's a 6K2 with an Expansion i/o module for $780 but that's a bit high.

There are also TWO whole 4 axis system starting at $1000 with indexer,
drivers, motors!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532416649

Whew! Glad I got that off my chest... Guess the reaming is next :)




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