Guest
Greetings All,
I have two 4 axis CNC mills that I would like to add a 5th axis to.
The machines are different makes with different controls so the 5th
axis needs to be sort of independent. The machines use "M" codes to
cause the machine to do different things, such as turning on the
spindle or the coolant pump, energizing the rotary axis brake, etc.
The machines also have un-assigned M codes that I can use however I
want and relays that are energized when these M codes are executed. So
the 5th axis I want to make will have its own controller and will
execute its own program when it receives a signal from the main CNC
control. I have all this figured out. The problem is getting the
signals to to the servo amp which is located physically in the 5th
axis assembly. I will need to use a rotary union to get power and air
to the 5th axis. But I'm not sure if I can use slip rings in the
rotary union to transmit digital signals at the maximum rate of 200
kHz to the servo amp. The amp is a GeckoDrive 320X. The maximum input
frequency is 200 kHz, the minimum step pulse "0" time is 2
microseconds and the minimum step pulse "1" time is 1 microsecond. My
stand alone 5th axis controller will be sending the step and direction
signals to the servo amp. So I either need to send these signals
through slip rings or wirelessly. I'm thinking that something like the
Zigbee radio modules might work. The RF environment in my shop
consists of wifi to the computers from a router for internet,
Bluetooth from the computers to headsets, cell phones, cordless phone,
and all the noise from the servo amps in the CNC machines and the
noise from the servo motor brushes. So I need to know what kind of
radio solutions I should be looking for, or if radio isn't the best
way to go.
Thanks,
Eric
I have two 4 axis CNC mills that I would like to add a 5th axis to.
The machines are different makes with different controls so the 5th
axis needs to be sort of independent. The machines use "M" codes to
cause the machine to do different things, such as turning on the
spindle or the coolant pump, energizing the rotary axis brake, etc.
The machines also have un-assigned M codes that I can use however I
want and relays that are energized when these M codes are executed. So
the 5th axis I want to make will have its own controller and will
execute its own program when it receives a signal from the main CNC
control. I have all this figured out. The problem is getting the
signals to to the servo amp which is located physically in the 5th
axis assembly. I will need to use a rotary union to get power and air
to the 5th axis. But I'm not sure if I can use slip rings in the
rotary union to transmit digital signals at the maximum rate of 200
kHz to the servo amp. The amp is a GeckoDrive 320X. The maximum input
frequency is 200 kHz, the minimum step pulse "0" time is 2
microseconds and the minimum step pulse "1" time is 1 microsecond. My
stand alone 5th axis controller will be sending the step and direction
signals to the servo amp. So I either need to send these signals
through slip rings or wirelessly. I'm thinking that something like the
Zigbee radio modules might work. The RF environment in my shop
consists of wifi to the computers from a router for internet,
Bluetooth from the computers to headsets, cell phones, cordless phone,
and all the noise from the servo amps in the CNC machines and the
noise from the servo motor brushes. So I need to know what kind of
radio solutions I should be looking for, or if radio isn't the best
way to go.
Thanks,
Eric