Chris, Thank you for writing back. I will try to get more info on this machine. This has "gage wheel" type encoders that use a friction wheel that run along a rail on the y and on the back of the table for x. It has an encoder on the ball screw that actuates the spindle. I am not sure if the amps are velocity mode and take +-10v, how can I find out? The amps say Glentek on them. The schematic shows the motors as tach motors. I'm not very competent in reading electrical schematics. I will keep trying to make heads or tails of it. I can try to scan them and send an attachment , or a photo of the panel if that would help. Did you and Sid K use the Mesa boards to interface the one that you updated? Did you have to add encoders to the motors or screws? Thanks again, Terry On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 10:03 PM, Chris Radek <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 01, 2010 at 08:55:40PM -0400, Terry wrote: > > Has anyone done an upgrade on a mid 80's Bridgeport mill with a Pro Trak > > control? I have one that has Gentek DC servo's and amplifiers. The > > machine has servo motors on all three axis and they work fine but I > > would like a more modern set up. I have the schematics and manuals. The > > manual says that the amps work using Pulse Width Modulation. I'm not > > sure what it uses for signals. I have seen in forums that others have > > used Mesa boards and EMC to retro older controls using the original amps > > and motors. I am a Linux fan, I use it as my primary O.S., but no > > expert. I am no electronics expert either. Others have made it sound > > easy. Would a experienced machinist like myself be able to tackle this? > > Has anyone done a similar retrofit? > > Thanks for any replies. > > Terry > > Terry, can you tell us more specifically what you have? This isn't > much to go on. > > If the amps are velocity mode and take analog +-10v in, the motors > have tachs going to the amps and encoders going to the control, and > it all works, you've got a fairly simple retrofit. You are right > that many people use Mesa interface hardware to do this. > > Early this year Seb K and I retrofitted a mill a lot like this. > Except for the keypad on the original control it was fully in working > condition. We also had full documentation. We tore out the old > control and had the machine homing and running under EMC2 and cutting > its first chips in a little over 11 hours. > > Chris > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > This SF.net email is sponsored by Sprint > What will you do first with EVO, the first 4G phone? > Visit sprint.com/first -- http://p.sf.net/sfu/sprint-com-first > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This SF.net email is sponsored by Sprint What will you do first with EVO, the first 4G phone? Visit sprint.com/first -- http://p.sf.net/sfu/sprint-com-first _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
