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Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
So,
I managed to pick the TCL 125 from a mate, who didnt have the time for it.
Its retro fitted (to an extent) with two gecko drrives for the X-Z axis, 24v DC Power supply, C1G parallel board from CNC4PC.
and the spindle drive doesnt work lol
here are some pics of the current setup.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/cf4532a0.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/f297e5f9.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/7d44e573.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/b8596a09.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/802888bb.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/9ed36494.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/22a45ab3.jpg
Today i was just playing around with Mach3, to get the Z and X working ok.
Few problems tho:
The motors are getting really hot, as in like hot to touch? possibly too much voltage running through them?
Secondly, i couldnt get the movement of the z or x to be as precise as i would like, 1mm on Mach3 was like 0.05mm or something.
Thirdly, I really wanna get this spindle motor working but i think the gemini board is broken, so im looking for a (not exspensive) option for this
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
have the two caps C1 and C2 phyiscally burst on the gemini board, if so replace them with a modern equivalent. 0.1uf 400v.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Ah sweet, everything with the spindle seems to be wired up correctly, but when i push the buttons on the black switching thing, nothing happens, also its not reading any voltage across A+ or A-.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
The Geckos don't look to have any resistors across the last two terminals, in which case they will be feeding 7 amps into the motors.
read the legend on the case for values.
Have you got a close up of the orange terminal strip on the Gemini board?
.
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
im gonna put in the resistors tomorrow, not sure what one to use yet.
I have a full wiring diagram of the whole original setup i uploaded
Stu
p.s. i can get a close up
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
p.s. the only one on the GEC Gemini board i dont have wired up is, pin 2 that goes to Analog Out on the microprocessor
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Looks like 9 connects to 3 to bypass the guard switches ?
Try feeding pin 2 from a 9v battery with the other end going to pins 7/8/10 to give it a signal.
can someone else check these terminals as well ?
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
To start the spindle you have to hold the fwd or rev button down for a few seconds, first you will hear the contactor close and after about a second the spindle will start. You then remove your finger from the button to set the speed.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
i2i, Is that on the manual button board on the front, if so, yeah thats not connected at all, just there for decor lol
Ive got 18k resistors on the Gecko drives now and it seems to be keeping the temp of the steppers now, might go to 32k for 3Amps, see how it goes.
im just about to try the 9v battery thing that was suggested for the spindle. fingers crossed
Stu
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cooliced
i2i, Is that on the manual button board on the front, if so, yeah thats not connected at all, just there for decor lol
ok, you'll need to energise each contactor for fwd or rev and the connections are on the side of the contactor. Normally the left conection is fwd and the right rev, and then you'll need to feed the gemini with an isolated 0-10v supply.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
So i put the 9v battery on to Pin 2 and Pin 7(earth) as suggested, then pressed the one of the buttons on the switcher, then spindle starteded but got faster and faster until i took my finger off, didnt want it going mega fast so wimped out lol
Z and X are nice and warm, not hot now, so might stick with 18k resistors for now
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
So now you know it works try a 1.5 volt battery.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated.
Tried two AA batteries giving 3v and again worked, not as fast so i will try just one like John S Suggests.
Just need to work out how i can get this button to be pressed Via the PC.
Thanks again
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cooliced
Just need to work out how i can get this button to be pressed Via the PC.
Thanks again
Use a breakout board with a relay on it, or if you already have a BoB then an add on relay card
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
the contactor on my boxford 240tcl has a 240v coil, so be carefull around it.
Looking at the 125 schematic, it's 240v as well.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Yeah I'm not happy about pressing the contactor myself.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
get the missus to do it.
.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
So wanting to keep with the "not overly exspensive" side of things,
ive seen this
http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/prod...products_id=46
Think it should be fine for the 125
She has already stated the lathe is far too noisy hahaha, unlucky!
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
whats wrong with a Uniport or an optoport ? cheaper and UK based...
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
make your own, you can have as many relays as you want then
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Hey i2i is that Another poor boxford with its free will (buttons) taken over by the invading PC lol (bit like the human race i suppose, (controled by the machines that are always correct or broken!!!) Nice machine though, maybe ill pick up one of those when ive finished mine..lol i will be watching this thread with interest!!
Rick
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Thanks for the links peeps, while i work out what one i should go for, im gonna go and tidy up the wiring a bit.
Secondly, EMC2 or Mach3? ive used EMC2 before and not to bad with it, Mach3 is new to me but seems to have a lot of functionalty with the electronics out there
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ricardoco
Hey i2i is that Another poor boxford with its free will (buttons) taken over by the invading PC lol (bit like the human race i suppose, (controled by the machines that are always correct or broken!!!) Nice machine though, maybe ill pick up one of those when ive finished mine..lol i will be watching this thread with interest!!
Rick
Like a virus, Mach3 has eaten it's way through the very soul of the poor boxford. Tearing and cutting it's way throught the fibres of its nervous system, ripping and shredding the controls, until all that's left is a mere shell of it's former existence. :twisted:
The king is dead...Long live the king.
:heehee:
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
So just having a play after tiding up some cables, thought i would try to work out the movement on the z so i can get it precise, the fricking thing kept tripping the 24vcd supply :(
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
UPDATE, not sure what is happening but on the Z and X it seems to be tripping out the 24vdc supply for the steppers. now could this be because im only allowing 2amps through the gecko drives?
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cooliced
EMC2 or Mach3? ive used EMC2 before and not to bad with it, Mach3 is new to me but seems to have a lot of functionalty with the electronics out there
Hi Cooliced, well i cant speak for EMC2 but as for MACH3 I was very impressed at how good the instructions, tutorials and support were, there are so many people out there with this piece of software that when you get a problem, there are so many people willing to help its scary.
I found the GUI intuitive and easy to navigate, and the ability to interface with outside hardware using the plugings opens many doors indeed.. But all this means nothing untill I try EMC2 so for the moment that is just my opinion.
Rick
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Dont get me wrong i like Mach3, just cant seem to tweak as much as i would like at the mo, im sure that will come in time
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Like anything else, im sure mach has the ability to be tweeked as much as you like its just finding someone who has done it first so you can ask them how!! lol
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
so true,
Anyway, im rattling my brain on why these x-z axis is cutting out the DC supply. Now i have changed the resistor value to give 4Amps throught the gecko's but still happens. but only seems to happen when the motor gets some resistance..
Im at a loss
Stu
p.s Rick, nice avatar
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Hey stu, do you know what amperage the steppers are drawing or should be drawing?
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
not a clue what there supposed to be drawing but i will check what they are
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Ok so i checked the Amps from the PSU to the Gecko on both the X and Z
X Axis
0.091A at idol
0.265A Stepper turning
Z Axis
0.139 at Idol
0.704 Stepper Turning
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Ok so today, i looked at the wiring of the parallel cable to make sure it was fine and yes every seems ok.
Checked wiring to make sure nothing was shorting out, again everything looks fine.
at a loss now lol :(
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John S
get the missus to do it.
.
:rofl: Ive done this so many times. :whistling:
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cooliced
Ok so today, i looked at the wiring of the parallel cable to make sure it was fine and yes every seems ok.
Checked wiring to make sure nothing was shorting out, again everything looks fine.
at a loss now lol :(
This morning i was installing my new breakout board into my boxford and all sorts of od things were happening, turned out ide not connected the GND pin on the board with the driver GND, so its easy to miss stuff....
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Yeah ive been over everything, i even put the DC supply on its own socket and still there tripping it.
I have now got the motors tunes very well, so happy about that :D just sick of it tripping all the time lol
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
If somethin is tripping a power supply the likely case its a short somewhere? have you looked at the PCB's and associated components for wear&tear and don't rule out dry joints? disconnect the motors and attach a meter to the 24v line and do whatever you do to get the the motors started? see if it still trips with motos disconnected.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Not what you want to hear but if you have been over currenting the Gecko you may has blown a mosfet or two.
To be honest I'm not a big fan of Gecko's, I know some people like them but they have given me nothing but trouble on machines that once the driver has been replaced by a decent one, they have run perfectly.
I used to run a big mill on them and they would blow a drive just on switching on in a morning, I spoke to Marriss and he said it was my motors even though I'd changed them and if I plugged another drive in that wasn't as powerful it didn't blow that.
Over a period of time it cost me 10 or 12 drivers.
I ran out of Gecko's and swapped to ARC's large 7.8 amp drive about 4 years ago and no problems since.
What really pissed me off though was about a year ago Marriss was reminiscing on the zone and his statement was :-
" Meanwhile the original G201 was a nasty bear that took over 4 years to subdue; anyone still remember early G201s blowing up for no reason at all on power-up? "
And all the while I was having problems I was told it was my machine.
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Why is that orange wire going from the Z driver to a different location on the BOB, than the other orange wire on the Y Driver?
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Re: Not Just another Boxford tcl 125 thread....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John S
Not what you want to hear but if you have been over currenting the Gecko you may has blown a mosfet or two.
I was actually thinking this over breakfast this morning... Time to start testing i suppose.
George, the orange wires are the step wires to the BOB,
X = Step pin 1, COM pin COM, DIR pin 3
X = Step pin 6, COM pin COM, DIR pin 7