The illusive Boxford 260vmc

[Ricardoco]

no probs rick... write the code and i'll program a PIC for you... if I havent done it first myself... lol what's your preferred flavour of PIC?

The Les Jones solution is neat, but limited... the Trexon's ability to display Surface Speed based on diameter is useful

Ok irving can you explain that a little for me because im missing something here..lol

Ive always liked the 16f877 in the pdip package

What features would it be usefull for this program to have and why?

[irving2008]

what are you missing? design the program and write the code and send me the source and I'll compile it into a PIC :), sell it on ebay... next stop, world domination!!!

Seriously, I use the F877 in my testbed, which has a 4x4 keypad and a 20x2 display (actually 2, one a serial i/f VFD and the other a parallel LCD).

I would have the program have 3 modes:

Mode 1/ show actual speed in RPM (allowing input of a # pulses/rev value)
Mode 2/ Given a material type & a tool diameter & # flutes (or for a lathe, material type and diameter) and return the recommended spindle speed and feed rate
Mode 3/ Given a tool diameter and current speed show the surface cutting speed in m/min

[Ricardoco]

what are you missing? design the program and write the code and send me the source and I'll compile it into a PIC :), sell it on ebay... next stop, world domination!!!

Seriously, I use the F877 in my testbed, which has a 4x4 keypad and a 20x2 display (actually 2, one a serial i/f VFD and the other a parallel LCD).

I would have the program have 3 modes:

Mode 1/ show actual speed in RPM (allowing input of a # pulses/rev value)
Mode 2/ Given a material type & a tool diameter & # flutes (or for a lathe, material type and diameter) and return the recommended spindle speed and feed rate
Mode 3/ Given a tool diameter and current speed show the surface cutting speed in m/min

Thats a cool idea, in fact i wanted to put some axis jog buttons on the front panel as well so maybe i should consider a pic circuit based control panel along with the speed controller, im ok with writing the program i think (ive spent many a wee small hour with my copy of pic basic pro and a 16f877) but im not sure what the input format would be from the speed pickup and the output to the drivers, this is where my knowlege is lacking im afraid.

and thats not to mention how to do an interface that wont mess up Mach short of having a switch that swapped out all the lines lol. so if we are going down the DIY road im going to need to pick many brains!!!!

[i2i]

there is the old "burst the bubble" way to look at this. Why do you need a spindle tacho on the machine, when it shows you on the monitor what speed the spindle is doing. But most of all, you should know what speed it's going as you would have written the code.

[Ricardoco]

Well as i have said having a the ability to axis jog without using the PC appeals to me and having a nice RED led display of the speed of the spindle i think is a nice feature, and the other features that irving has mentioned is just a bonus. Besides which i like buttons so there :heehee:

[Ricardoco]

But most of all, you should know what speed it's going as you would have written the code.

Ahh yes but there is the speed mach is telling the motor it should be doing and there is the actual speed at the spindle which is what i am after for reference..

IE, belt snaps Mach says 2000rpm, actual spindle at tool 0 rpm.

[z3t4]

The Les Jones solution is neat, but limited... the Trexon's ability to display Surface Speed based on diameter is useful

Admittedly. I think he designed it as a simple tach, but (with an eye on the clever stuff Shumatech can do with a 1 pulse per rev input, e.g. surface speed) I emailed Les and he kindly provided code to produce a 1 pulse per rev output as well as the 7-seg display. A gentleman.

John

[irving2008]

Thats a cool idea, in fact i wanted to put some axis jog buttons on the front panel as well so maybe i should consider a pic circuit based control panel along with the speed controller, im ok with writing the program i think (ive spent many a wee small hour with my copy of pic basic pro and a 16f877) but im not sure what the input format would be from the speed pickup and the output to the drivers, this is where my knowlege is lacking im afraid.

and thats not to mention how to do an interface that wont mess up Mach short of having a switch that swapped out all the lines lol. so if we are going down the DIY road im going to need to pick many brains!!!!

Interfacing is my speciality, ask away....

pic basic pro... hmmm, ok if you must lol... I'm a C man myself but can program in anything sensible... pic basic is interpreted I think, so not sure if you can get 'real-time' enough to do accurate inter-pulse timing, tho will depend on the PIC clock speed of course.

[i2i]

Ahh yes but there is the speed mach is telling the motor it should be doing and there is the actual speed at the spindle which is what i am after for reference..

IE, belt snaps Mach says 2000rpm, actual spindle at tool 0 rpm.

You're still thinking manual, you've got to get on the cnc bandwagon and trust the machine.

[Ricardoco]

Interfacing is my speciality, ask away....

pic basic pro... hmmm, ok if you must lol... I'm a C man myself but can program in anything sensible

Ok C it is if thats what you call it,lol, i will have to dig out all my software now ......