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Hi Clive,
So would Lcnc work with a serial port machine? If you don't have an idea, don't worry. I appreciate the help and am also going to explore Lcnc a little more, even if I don't use it - looks interesting. Just out of interest, what CNC machines do you have? Fairly new to this stuff and find it really interesting so :D.
Cheers
L
Sorry but you are not giving enough info. Are you talking about the pc on the machine itself? Lcnc nor Mach3 will work over a serial interface. But they will both work with the correct hardware over Ethernet or PP I think you can get a controller for USB with Mach3 but not with Lcnc .Quote:
Originally Posted by loudew
I have a small lathe and a Mill running Lcnc and a router running Mach3 (purely a hobby for me)
Ahh right. I was looking at a lathe but thought it is probably wise for my first CNC machine to be a router.
Cheers
L
I know this thread isn't really in use anymore, but I ended up obtaining KAY for half price, and have been using it for around 10 months now. For anyone else who might be in a similar situation (not many at all), just swallow the price and buy it. It has been an amazing machine considering it only cost me £350. Thanks for all of the help.
Offer still stands - sell me the machine for your original price and splurge the cash on some Lady.
You are missing one thing here.? At the start, it would have been a wiser thing to convert the machine to Mach3 or Linux CNC and then sell it.Quote:
Originally Posted by loudew
Isel machines are a well known and trusted brand that uses quality components so it is still worth good money today, esp if converted from the original software/Pc. It could easily sell for £1000 + even with scratches provided it's mechanically and electrically sound.
As you have it today I doubt very few would buy it for that kind of money because of the software, I have never heard of KAY and I doubt few others have either and this would put many off. While even tho it's getting dated just the name Mach3 in the description of a machine being sold will generate interest alone. Similar to Linux CNC but not quite as it's still not so well known by new users. Linux CNC is very much like Marmite.!
So my advice today is to get it converted with the money you have made/saved while it's been running and then either use it until something better comes along then sell it straight away. Or just sell it after it's converted and spend the money on your self, stuff the Lady's. Modern Girls want to be independent anyway, so let them ..Lol
I am now considering selling it (after this pandemic has died down), but would still want a CNC to use - I am considering building one, maybe building the frame out of T-Slot aluminium extrusion. My two options are: build one, or dish out a little bit more money for a kit (any recommendations for building tips/good value kits would be very much welcome).Quote:
Originally Posted by JAZZCNC
I am going to investigate the electronics of the isel machine (as I didn't when I initially said last May!), and see if it will be a case of just replacing the controller (and maybe changing motors and stepper drivers), just to get an idea of whether it is worth it to convert and sell my isel machine, then build/buy another one!
Thanks for all the tips guys!
I converted my slightly bigger Isel by removing and replacing the steppers but using the existing wiring. Test the existing steppers before replacing however.
The existing toroidal power supply is a good piece of kit keep it. Several voltage outputs.
Your choice of stepper drivers.
I went for Planet CNC controller. I have Mach 3 and the Panet TNC is miles ahead in my experience.
It really is not a very difficult task. I have no electrical experience and managed this conversion with minimum help, most of which was confirmation, of what I was doing. This forum was enormously effective in guiding me to completion.
I am looking for something that will work, nothing majorly expensive but still functional.
Doddy, you mentioned that you used an Ethernet version of an NVEM board that I mentioned (I mentioned a USB based board). How have you found using this? (I am going to need to either build my own or buy a machine afterwards, so also researching for that).
Would you suggest me using this board for either the isel machine conversion or my own DIY machine? (If so, please send a link to a similar unit - I have found these: )
NVEM Ethernet 1
NVEM Ethernet 2 (cheaper)
They work. They're not great and you're stuck with Mach3 with them from a driver PoV. But they do work. I've got a 5-axis one (ordered a 4-axis but the 5 was the only one in stock). If you push a fiver into a charity of your choice I'll throw it in the post if you want it (I won't polish it, but nor will I lick it - you takes your chances!)Quote:
Originally Posted by loudew
From memory - the step outputs are fixed at 2.25us pulses which gave me problems with cheap stepper drivers (DIV-268s) - I had to replace the opto-isolators in the drivers with faster devices to avoid lost steps - documented somewhere on the forum here. Also, possibly more associated with my original configuration there was an occasional problem if you lost comms between the PC and the controller in booting them up in the correct sequence, but that's just finger trouble on my part. I only really used it for the stepper drivers, discrete inputs (homing switches and the like) and I think the PWM to the spindle controller - that last one I think I had a ground loop somewhere and this generated a bit of oscillation with the speed control but I avoided this by going RS485 for the spindle. It worked. Im sure it still works. I'll never use it again because I'll never use Mach3 again.
EDIT: One other thing - they exist better on a twin-NIC configuration with only the ethernet chat between PC and NVEM on the dedicated link, and use the second NIC for watching porn. The chat between the NVEM and PC is onerous on a 100Mb link.
Personally, with limited experience of parallel BoBs, that NVEM card, the UC300ETH (and cheap parallel BoB) and the Mesa 7i76E cards - those was what I've used, the Mesa is the best built card that I have, but I wouldn't recommend the associated LinuxCNC for anyone without masochistic tendencies. The UC300ETH is a good card (and the AXBB-E sounds like a good partnering with a decent BoB), and offers both Mach3 and UCCNC options. The NVEM is better than the Parallel BoB, but it feels distinctly Chinese (a bit cheap and a bit too salty for me) and then you have the BoB. If the BoB works, it's the simplest solution, but you're hanging off the end of a 25W connector between you and the controlling machine.
Others here will offer a broader experience of different controllers.