Higher end Chinese controllers?

**m_c** · 07-10-2016

Newkye do appear to be the cheapest, but what concerns me is the lack of information. Even the product listings on their website/aliexpress are pretty much all identical, with little information as to what the differences actually are.
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Take for example on Aliexpress they have two 4-axis milling 1000 series controllers with Panel C (the panel I'd like), but one is a "best price NEW1000MDb" and the other a "Modbus type NEW1000MDc" with a $110 premium.
Is the difference between them simply one has Modbus, and what are they actually referring to as Modbus? GSK have controllers (983 series IIRC) that will only work with their own bus link servo drives, so are they referring to a drive control Modbus, or do they simply mean conventional Modbus for communicating with a PC. If so, does that mean the cheaper one doesn't have the ability to be drip fed from a PC?
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The other thing I have noticed, is some controller manuals don't mention anything about being able to run of a USB stick. They have instructions for copying files from USB, but nothing about running from USB.
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Having spent a good bit time looking through and comparing the GSK manuals last night, other than certain models having specific features, I suspect the difference between a lot of the models is simply different hardware, but still with the same key features.
The 988 series are the top of the range controllers, capable of 6 axis with 3 spindles.
1000/990 other than being physically different, I can't find anything majorly different in the specs.
983/980 (bus version) are for bus controlled servo drives.
218 seems to be a newer version of the 990, or a lower spec version of the 988.
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Certainly for what I'm looking for, the GSK 218MC-H seems like the best fit. However the standard control panel doesn't include a MPG, but a remote MPG may be a better option.
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I'm not going to make any decisions until I've heard back from the other suppliers, to see what they suggest, and what their prices are.

**komatias** · 07-10-2016

m_c,

If the road takes you anywhere near Bristol, come and have a look at the 980MDc on my machine to get a feel for it.

**Boyan Silyavski** · 07-10-2016

I perfectly understand what you are saying, after 2 weeks spent trying to figure things out and reading manuals. Its an absolute mess. I even have tried to make an Excel file so i could compare. They have absolutely no idea how to sell a product to an European or a Westerner in general.

You would not believe the insane conversations i had last 2 weeks with different Chinese companies.

What is your specific need that you find that you need the 218 versus 980 controller?

**m_c** · 07-10-2016

Komatias, I've not got any plans to be down that area, but if I do happen to be, I'll give you a shout.
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Boyan, the GSK990 (their 980 now appears to be a bus link unit only) is just a pretty basic control panel, whereas their 218MC-H or V control panel comes with E-stop,FRO,SSO,Cycle Start/Stop knobs/buttons. The only option listed for the 990, is an additional panel, which is just a precut frame for adding your own controls.
The reason I'm looking at the Chinese controller option, is I want a ready made control panel, and don't want to be faffing around making one. If I wanted to do that, I've got a KFlop+Kanalog+KStep sat in a cupboard, or a pair of Mesa boards lying around that would work well for this machine, but both of those involve trying to mount a PC in the machine.

**Clive S** · 07-10-2016

but both of those involve trying to mount a PC in the machine.

I have just bought one of these:

http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=34#JNF9C-2600

with a SSD it will also run off 12V It is being mount on the control box door inside. Using a mesa 5i25/7i76 combo

**m_c** · 07-10-2016

Originally Posted by Clive S

I have just bought one of these:

http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=34#JNF9C-2600

with a SSD it will also run off 12V It is being mount on the control box door inside. Using a mesa 5i25/7i76 combo

I'm well aware of mini-ITX boards, but you still need to make a control panel.
Ideally I'd just like to modify/make a housing, wire the controller in, bolt it in place, configure it, and be good to go.
The big thing is cost/time.
A good metal industrial panel mount keyboard with track pad/ball is around £200, a suitable resistive touchscreen monitor is another £200, then you have the cost of separate switches, which will probably be at least £50 for good quality ones, and say another £50 for assorted wiring/connectors to connect that lot up. That's £500 before you even consider the controller or PC, which means you can quite easily spent £1000 on the hardware. Then you still need the time to design it all, build it, and wire it up.
Admittedly, that's buying stuff new, and building a good industrial quality controller, which is overkill for most hobby users, but when you need the machine to make money, you have to consider the whole picture.

**Colin Barron** · 07-10-2016

I have been looking on Alibaba and ther appears to be several cnc control makers making what looks like copies of the popular gsk and newke models. Not sure yet whether it is just the front panel or whether the whole unit is copied. As someone has said cnc maker are expensive but at least you have a good idea what you are purchasing.

**Colin Barron** · 07-10-2016

Originally Posted by m_c

Newkye do appear to be the cheapest, but what concerns me is the lack of information. Even the product listings on their website/aliexpress are pretty much all identical, with little information as to what the differences actually are.
.
Take for example on Aliexpress they have two 4-axis milling 1000 series controllers with Panel C (the panel I'd like), but one is a "best price NEW1000MDb" and the other a "Modbus type NEW1000MDc" with a $110 premium.
Is the difference between them simply one has Modbus, and what are they actually referring to as Modbus? GSK have controllers (983 series IIRC) that will only work with their own bus link servo drives, so are they referring to a drive control Modbus, or do they simply mean conventional Modbus for communicating with a PC. If so, does that mean the cheaper one doesn't have the ability to be drip fed from a PC?
.
The other thing I have noticed, is some controller manuals don't mention anything about being able to run of a USB stick. They have instructions for copying files from USB, but nothing about running from USB.
.
Having spent a good bit time looking through and comparing the GSK manuals last night, other than certain models having specific features, I suspect the difference between a lot of the models is simply different hardware, but still with the same key features.
The 988 series are the top of the range controllers, capable of 6 axis with 3 spindles.
1000/990 other than being physically different, I can't find anything majorly different in the specs.
983/980 (bus version) are for bus controlled servo drives.
218 seems to be a newer version of the 990, or a lower spec version of the 988.
.
Certainly for what I'm looking for, the GSK 218MC-H seems like the best fit. However the standard control panel doesn't include a MPG, but a remote MPG may be a better option.
.
I'm not going to make any decisions until I've heard back from the other suppliers, to see what they suggest, and what their prices are.

At $2216 for the gsk218mc-H compared with $1460 (both plus postage), apart from a few switches what extra benefits are worth 50% extra cost.

**m_c** · 07-10-2016

Originally Posted by Colin Barron

At $2216 for the gsk218mc-H compared with $1460 (both plus postage), apart from a few switches what extra benefits are worth 50% extra cost.

That's what I'm trying to find out.
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If the control panel doesn't come with FRO/SSO dials, you can't add them as the controllers have no analogue inputs, and that is one feature I use quite a bit. Turning a dial is far better than continually pressing buttons.
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The 990/1000 series controllers also have less IO available. 218MC has 47 of each, whereas going by my quick count of a 990/1000 series manual, they only have 21 In and 12 Out defined as user configurable. I suspect some of the dedicated In/Out can be used by editing the ladder, but I'm not wanting to spend that much time reading the manuals just yet.
Creating an In/Out spreadsheet will be one of my next jobs, as I think the current retrofit will need less than 12 outputs.