SimCNC- any users?

[Steve_p]

Is anyone here running a csmio based machine with SimCNC?

About to start a Denford Triac ATC retrofit, it came with an abandoned csmio ip/a retrofit so I’ve already got the control and i/o boards. I’m toying with the idea of retaining the csm for closed loop but won’t go Mach, however I’m also being pulled towards either-

uccnc.. I’ve also got a uc300eth+ub1 and a mate has done the exact same machine with uc so with the requisite number of drinks and a chinese meal I could probably nick his config which means lots less work figuring out the atc

Acorn- I’ve just done a Denford Orac ATC lathe conversion with acorn, I found it really easy to set up and I like their wireless pendant. Having the same UI on both machines would be a bonus.

A choice between the two open loop options is my call but I was wondering whether anyone here has done enough real-world hours on simCNC to recommend it?

[Chaz]

Just responded to your other thread. Was this machine from a guy called Adrian by any chance?

[Steve_p]

Just responded to your other thread. Was this machine from a guy called Adrian by any chance?

Yep that’s the one.

[Chaz]

Yep that’s the one.

Small world. I helped him and his mate get started with wiring the machine but I know he had issues with the drives. One of the drives I think was repaired but I think they struggled with either setting it up or similar.

Do you still have the drives or were they changed?

[Steve_p]

Small world. I helped him and his mate get started with wiring the machine but I know he had issues with the drives. One of the drives I think was repaired but I think they struggled with either setting it up or similar.

Do you still have the drives or were they changed?

Yes it came with the original baldor flex drives, one had been repaired as you say, and he replaced one with a kinko drive and matching motor. I’ve just removed the two huge cabinets from the rear, so I’ll be doing a scratch install in new cabinets within the plinth.

I’m in two (actually three!) minds about which control to use. I like the idea of keeping the closed loop CSM hence my asking if anyone has used sim. Otherwise it’s uccnc or acorn (I’ve just done an Orac ATC lathe with acorn.)

[Steve_p]

Small world. I helped him and his mate get started with wiring the machine but I know he had issues with the drives. One of the drives I think was repaired but I think they struggled with either setting it up or similar.

Do you still have the drives or were they changed?

Yes it came with the original baldor flex drives, one had been repaired as you say, and he replaced one with a kinko drive and matching motor. I’ve just removed the two huge cabinets from the rear, so I’ll be doing a scratch install in new cabinets within the plinth.

I’m in two (actually three!) minds about which control to use. I like the idea of keeping the closed loop CSM hence my asking if anyone has used sim. Otherwise it’s uccnc or acorn (I’ve just done an Orac ATC lathe with acorn.)

[Chaz]

Yes it came with the original baldor flex drives, one had been repaired as you say, and he replaced one with a kinko drive and matching motor. I’ve just removed the two huge cabinets from the rear, so I’ll be doing a scratch install in new cabinets within the plinth.

I’m in two (actually three!) minds about which control to use. I like the idea of keeping the closed loop CSM hence my asking if anyone has used sim. Otherwise it’s uccnc or acorn (I’ve just done an Orac ATC lathe with acorn.)

Yep, tough to know which way to go. I was considering ditching the CS Labs setup for Acorn but cant really justify it on the basis that this remains good kit (generally). Its the control software that's the tricky decision with CS Labs.

[Steve_p]

Yep, tough to know which way to go. I was considering ditching the CS Labs setup for Acorn but cant really justify it on the basis that this remains good kit (generally). Its the control software that's the tricky decision with CS Labs.

yeah I'd discount the CS straight away if it wasn't for the closed loop, it's a shame they don't seem to be pushing simCNC hard enough either on development or sales to get people invested in it so they build up an active user base. Or maybe it just needs some people like me to take the plunge. The S curve planner with closed loop is an attractive combo on paper.

I've got a uc400eth+UB1+pendant in a box and some ac drives that will take step/dir, so that's a zero cost option.

To go CS I'd need threading and mpg modules, and simCNC, so £400.

I would really like to have both my little Denfords on the same control so I'm considering Acorn for the mill too, but I'd probably need the 1616 I/O board for the ATC, and once you add that to the acorn, pro license and their (nice) pendant you're looking at £1k.

I guess it comes down to whether closed loop makes much difference on a small mill that won't be pushed to its limits. I suspect not...

[JAZZCNC]

I would really like to have both my little Denfords on the same control so I'm considering Acorn for the mill too, but I'd probably need the 1616 I/O board for the ATC, and once you add that to the acorn, pro license and their (nice) pendant you're looking at £1k.

It doesn't end at the pro licence either, ATC is another extra cost. I' was considering using the OAK for the Fadal conversion untill I realised and checked with them that the ATC is another extra $550, as is ridged tapping and just to add insult to injury your limited to 4Mb G-code files and if you want to unlock to unlimited G-code it's another $250. So that's an extra $1350 on top of the $1600 for the basic controller. Then they want $105 per cable for each axis servo drives to fit there custom 50 pin connector. So that's $3300 plus shipping/taxes just for the controller and software with ATC, ridged tapping and unlimited G-code all of which should come as stanard in my book. Plus it still needs a fairly decent PC and touch screen monitor to get the best from it.

Compare this with the $5000 I've just paid for stand alone Industrial closed loop Absolute controller with 3 x 1.5Kw AC absolute Servo's/drives/cables and 7.5Kw Servo spindle/Drive deliverd to my door. All of which comes with as standard ATC, ridged tapping and large onboard memory for program storage with unlimited USB/Rs485 drip feeding and it's a joke.

Oh and they won't even entertain talking to you on the phone unless you take the support package. Instead they shunt you off to the forum.!!!

[Steve_p]

It doesn't end at the pro licence either, ATC is another extra cost. I' was considering using the OAK for the Fadal conversion untill I realised and checked with them that the ATC is another extra $550, as is ridged tapping and just to add insult to injury your limited to 4Mb G-code files and if you want to unlock to unlimited G-code it's another $250. So that's an extra $1350 on top of the $1600 for the basic controller. Then they want $105 per cable for each axis servo drives to fit there custom 50 pin connector. So that's $3300 plus shipping/taxes just for the controller and software with ATC, ridged tapping and unlimited G-code all of which should come as stanard in my book. Plus it still needs a fairly decent PC and touch screen monitor to get the best from it.

Compare this with the $5000 I've just paid for stand alone Industrial closed loop Absolute controller with 3 x 1.5Kw AC absolute Servo's/drives/cables and 7.5Kw Servo spindle/Drive deliverd to my door. All of which comes with as standard ATC, ridged tapping and large onboard memory for program storage with unlimited USB/Rs485 drip feeding and it's a joke.

Oh and they won't even entertain talking to you on the phone unless you take the support package. Instead they shunt you off to the forum.!!!

I think all those extras are for the Oak, not Acorn, right? The Acorn has rigid tapping/CSS and ATC capability included in the $299 price, but if you need more than 8 inputs or 8 outputs you have to get a 1616 board for another $299.

Have you got a link for your $5k package? I've got a full size VMC which breaks down quite regularly, it has a Mitsubishi control and each repair is £1500 minimum even if I find the parts on ebay (which I guess puts the more industrial end of the Centroid price scale into some kind of perspective, perhaps a fairer comparison than the hobby end of the market.) I was thinking of putting an oak or similar into it but as you say it's not a cheap option considering I'd have to get new drives and possibly motors. Can it handle chain/arm-type toolchangers? And is there any support available or are are you stuck with deciphering a chinglish manual?

(Talking of my VMC reminds me that on one occasion when a technician came (from the original manufacturer) to fix my British-built VMC, he told me how they gave up years ago manufacturing machines when they realised that you could buy an imported complete machine for not much more than what they were paying Mitsubishi or Fanuc just for the OEM control package.. )

[Clive S]

Have you got a link for your $5k package? I've got a full size VMC which breaks down quite regularly, it has a Mitsubishi control and each repair is £1500 minimum even if I find the parts on ebay (which I guess puts the more industrial end of the Centroid price scale into some kind of perspective, perhaps a fairer comparison than the hobby end of the market.) I was thinking of putting an oak or similar into it but as you say it's not a cheap option considering I'd have to get new drives and possibly motors. Can it handle chain/arm-type toolchangers? And is there any support available or are are you stuck with deciphering a chinglish manual?


http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/13236-Poorly-N-sick-Fadal-15-VMC-Will-live-again!?p=117370#post117370

[JAZZCNC]

I think all those extras are for the Oak, not Acorn, right? The Acorn has rigid tapping/CSS and ATC capability included in the $299 price, but if you need more than 8 inputs or 8 outputs you have to get a 1616 board for another $299.

Have you got a link for your $5k package?

Oh I forgot to add 1616 board to that shopping list because still not enough I/O on the OAK for ATC, so ye another $299.!!

I didn't think the Acorn could use the 1616 boards.? I've got one of the very first acorn boards and I'm pretty sure that can't use any I/O boards. Maybe they have changed this.?
If your correct and Acorn does come with ATC, Ridged tapping, etc then that makes a mockery of there pricing and reasoning they give for why they charge as they do on the OAK.

Clive pointed you to where and what I bought.

[Chaz]

Oh I forgot to add 1616 board to that shopping list because still not enough I/O on the OAK for ATC, so ye another $299.!!

I didn't think the Acorn could use the 1616 boards.? I've got one of the very first acorn boards and I'm pretty sure that can't use any I/O boards. Maybe they have changed this.?
If your correct and Acorn does come with ATC, Ridged tapping, etc then that makes a mockery of there pricing and reasoning they give for why they charge as they do on the OAK.

Clive pointed you to where and what I bought.

Eth 16/16 for Acorn was launched a month or 3 ago.

[Steve_p]

Eth 16/16 for Acorn was launched a month or 3 ago.

I’ve just put an acorn in a lathe with an 8 tool turret, grey code position logic- centroid supply the necessary parameter settings to do it (was a literally a 10 minute job) but they’re adding atc setup into the wizard (with options for carousel or rack etc) in the next release. And I put an encoder on the spindle for threading and tapping, the input for that is included on the basic acorn board. So yeah acorn is actually a pretty good deal compared to oak, but I guess they’re thinking that the open and closed loop solutions are targeting totally different markets (with different budgets.)

[JAZZCNC]

So yeah acorn is actually a pretty good deal compared to oak, but I guess they’re thinking that the open and closed loop solutions are targeting totally different markets (with different budgets.)

Yes they are just profiteering off industry which is wrong. End of day that just costs the public because industry just pass it on.
Wonder how many sales they have lost because of this policy.? because I can't imagine anyone who like me is just retrofitting the odd machine and knows that the Acorn comes with all this extra functionality for less than half the price will buy an OAK. Esp when they can buy the controllers like I've just ordered from china for 1/3rd the price.

On that note just to answer your question about ATC and chain type then yes it can. We have just setup a What's App group with the engineer who is setting up the controller so I asked him.

[Steve_p]

Small world. I helped him and his mate get started with wiring the machine but I know he had issues with the drives. One of the drives I think was repaired but I think they struggled with either setting it up or similar.

Do you still have the drives or were they changed?

talking of small worlds... the week I bought the Triac I was doing taking some welding coding tests in London. I went to pick the mill up (Southampton I think it was), I asked the seller what line of work he was in, he says he's a welding coding tester. I say Oh that's funny, I just did mine this week. He asks who the tester was, turns out he knows the guy... and he'd bought the triac off him!

[Chaz]

talking of small worlds... the week I bought the Triac I was doing taking some welding coding tests in London. I went to pick the mill up (Southampton I think it was), I asked the seller what line of work he was in, he says he's a welding coding tester. I say Oh that's funny, I just did mine this week. He asks who the tester was, turns out he knows the guy... and he'd bought the triac off him!

Ye, interesting coincident. Ye, he is down South near South Hampton. I rode down to his place on my bike to help him. Just off the M3.

[mmoe]

Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but did you ever try out simCNC? I've been using a CSMIO IP/A very reliably since 2013, but running on Mach 3 and dabbling in Mach 4. Just started thinking of trying out simCNC and would like to know what you think of it if you ended up going that direction. Thanks!

[Wojtek_CS]

What's new in v3.401 beta?
Here it is: https://en.cs-lab.eu/simcnc-changelog/

In version 3.410, in addition to the above-mentioned changes and fixes, a thorough cleanup of the source code has been made. While in the long run such treatments have a positive impact on the stability and performance of the applications, unfortunately immediately after such changes there may be errors in features that previously worked correctly. Therefore, any comments about irregularities are extremely welcome ???? For the first 10 reviews, we have nice prizes!

The videos below show how to install the beta release for simCNC and Mach4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNn9TPDUomI&t=12s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvsEa8Nni44