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  1. #1
    Hello,
    TL;DR - need serial pin out of AXYZ-USB-A1 to adapt to new RS845 converter.
    i'm IT, but got roped into working on a CNC router after I upgraded a laptop from one running xp to another running XP in a virtual machine.
    I've been trying to get a Router to connect using ToolPath old laptop not working and LED's on the USB RS485 not lighting up.
    got them to check their cable for continuity and that's ok.
    Ordered a new USB to RS485 adapter to use, and just concerned about plugging it in and it sending voltages down lines it shouldn't.
    does anyone have an idea the wiring for the RS485 cable so i can re-pin and match up the cable.
    I could be well over my head as well won't know till i try.

  2. #2
    Did you figure this out?
    If not, I was able to do just this tonight. It's very easy in the end.
    Let me know if you need some help.
    Ken

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Killiwatt View Post
    Did you figure this out?
    If not, I was able to do just this tonight. It's very easy in the end.
    Let me know if you need some help.
    Ken
    It would do future buyers of AXYZ machines a service if you posted a step by step account of the process as this question crops up from time to time.

  4. #4
    I'll work out all the steps I took to figure it out and put it down on paper.
    Was quite simple in the end as these things usually are once you get out of your own way!
    I also have all the wiring diagrams for these machines which are very useful for troubleshooting as well.
    It's all in a ZIP file if anyone wants it.

  5. #5
    peachy's Avatar
    Lives in Hamilton, Canada. Last Activity: 2 Weeks Ago Has been a member for 0-1 years. Has a total post count of 2.
    This would be very helpful! Currently stuck trying to figure out an aftermarket RS 285 converter or if ive got a blown chip on my board .

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by peachy View Post
    This would be very helpful! Currently stuck trying to figure out an aftermarket RS 285 converter or if ive got a blown chip on my board .
    Peachy:
    I am currently away from my machine until monday afternoon but this is a poor picture of the aftermarket RS 485 adaptor I used and how I wired it. I'll take a better isolated picture when I get to the shop.
    Basically, the AXYZ machines use 4 wires feeding their Dsub9 connector but of these 4 we only need three. The red wire carries 5 volts and is the culprit in blowing up fuses etc. When I removed the four wires from the dsub9 connector, I just trimmed the red wire back and put some heat shrink around it ti isolate it. That leaves you with three wires, green, white and black. The black is ground and the green white are transmit and receive for the data packets. I hooked them up to the two pins on the adaptor and it didn't work so I reversed green and white and it worked perfectly.
    I had to setup a comm port in Windows 10 Pro and both times I've done this it turned out to be port 4. If you don't know how to designate ports within windows there is plenty of documentation on the world wide web that can easily guide you as it did me when I figured this out.
    You need to have Toolpath installed on your computer as well as DNC. DNC is critical, Toolpath is not. It is through DNC that you connect to the machine. For my machine, I open DNC, Click on AMC Files and it will attempt to connect to your onboard computer on the machine. Also on this page you can select which comm port you want to use and it is trial and error between the Windows system and the DNC software until you find a port that will work. As I said earlier, so far it has always been port 4 for me.
    Once connected, you click on "Select File" and you navigate to wherever you have placed your CAM generated NC code.
    I put my computer on Google Drive and have a shared folder from my MacBook Pro and I save my toolpaths to a file used exclusively for the AXYZ machine. I have a couple of different CNC machines so I do this for each machine.
    Once you have selected said file, you simply "Send" the file to the machine.
    It will annotate the file name and and will show the file number generated by the post process of your CAM software. I use Fusion 360 and the built in AXYZ post works perfectly. This post will always generate a four digit file code starting at 1001. Never add to this number but rather add extra info in the comments section of Post.
    I never have luck attaching pictures so lets see how this goes.
    I also have a Disc image of both Toolpath and DNC as well as a bunch of digital paperwork with some wiring diagrams etc.
    If you send me your email I could send this ZIP file to you directly.
    Again, I am not at my machine and this is from a fragile memory so bear with me if I've messed some of this up.
    Let me know and I hope this helps. Happy to answer questions if I've fried your mind.
    Ken
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Killiwatt For This Useful Post:


  8. #7
    peachy's Avatar
    Lives in Hamilton, Canada. Last Activity: 2 Weeks Ago Has been a member for 0-1 years. Has a total post count of 2.
    Hey Ken.

    Thanks for this very in-depth response! I appreciate it a lot. Very familiar with the toolpath workflow and had a similar way of getting paths to the machine.

    Our AXYZ 4008 was setup only with the Toolpath software (had heard of DNC but didn’t bother diving deeper once we found a workflow using Toolpath)

    Since I last posted this I actually went ahead and swapped out our AMC control board for a Centroid Acorn unit. - a process I intend to detail more fully over on the Centroid forum. (Tho if anyone here wants some advice pls feel free to contact me here).

    I would, however, still love to see what you’ve got in this zip folder. I’m curious to see if I can get the existing Z-mouse and limit switches to communicate properly with the Acorn. I’m also curious - just for the sake of it - to see where I may have gone wrong trying to wire in a the aftermarket 485-232 adapter I bought.

    I’ll send you a DM with my email.

    Thanks again!

    - j

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