[Bassthumper]

Hello everybody. So here's the story:

I've been running a basic, water cooled, 2.2kw Spindle via a huanyang vfd with Mach3 for years now. I followed some tutorials on control via RS485 via a USB adapter and downloaded a plugin for Mach3 specifically set up for Huanyang VFDs. Come to find out, they don't use a true modbus protocol, so the plugin basically took out all the guesswork and coding for my end.

NOW: I upgraded my old spindle to an ISO20 style spindle, but turns out it's an 800hz motor instead of a more standard 400hz. As a result I had to buy a new VFD, but I don't see where Huanyang makes one that outputs up to 800hz, so I selected an QNK H100 drive from Amazon that has modbus capability and the frequency output I need. Turns out my plugin I've been using ONLY works with Huanyang drives.

Now, I can run the spindle manually, no problem, but I'd like to control start/stop and speed settings via modbus. The problem is, I'm kind of at a loss at where to start. I'm pretty comfortable setting the VFD parameters, but I run into problems when it comes to coding the modbus side of things.

Has anybody set up an H100 VFD via modbus that can give me some advice? I know I'm kind of asking for specifics on a very broad/general question, but I'm a bit tangled up with trying to get this thing running, and I'd appreciated some help.

Thanks all.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
surely you have a manual with your new VFD? The manual should tell you what variables are required. You never can tell what cheap Chinese VFDs use.
I use Delta VFDs and have done for years.

The Mach3 Modbus plugin is in my opinion an abortion. I have used it and gotten it to work but I swore I'd never do it again.

I've been using Mach4 for nine years now and the Mach4 Modbus program is a 'dream of ease' by comparison.

Craig

[Bassthumper]

It did come with a manual, and I've set all of the requisite parameters as far as I can tell.
I'm now trying to use the Mach3 "Brain" program, but I'm getting a little confused as to just how to set up the modbus addresses and the logic, or if I might even be missing something else altogether.

I could certainly try upgrading to Mach4, but I'm on a windows 7 machine with dual parallel ports. I'm sure I'd probably want to upgrade my computer to windows 10, the controllers to ethernet or USB, and not to mention the $200 for the license. I don't really have another $1k to dump into this, especially when I know I have everything I need to get this to work right now. I'm just a little confused on getting the protocol set up.

- - - Updated - - -

It did come with a manual, and I've set all of the requisite parameters as far as I can tell.
I'm now trying to use the Mach3 "Brain" program, but I'm getting a little confused as to just how to set up the modbus addresses and the logic, or if I might even be missing something else altogether.

I could certainly try upgrading to Mach4, but I'm on a windows 7 machine with dual parallel ports. I'm sure I'd probably want to upgrade my computer to windows 10, the controllers to ethernet or USB, and not to mention the $200 for the license. I don't really have another $1k to dump into this, especially when I know I have everything I need to get this to work right now. I'm just a little confused on getting the protocol set up.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
that was/is the feature of Mach3 Modbus that I disliked the most, namely that you had to use a Brain to communicate from Mach3 to the Modbus device, and again when the device wanted to communicate
with Mach3.

The 'contacts' and 'coils' of a Brain are communicated to and from the device.

In Mach4 you create registers within the Modbus plugin, and those registers are communicated to the device. For instance if you wish to change the VFD frequency you have Mach4 write to the register, using any of the standard Mach4 techniques,
and that register will then be communicated to the device. If you want to read a device variable to just read the matching register and your done. So easy!!!

but I'm on a windows 7 machine with dual parallel ports. I'm sure I'd probably want to upgrade my computer to windows 10

Just as a matter of interest....NO....that is totally unnecessary. My Mach4 machine is a dual core Atom single board PC with no graphics card, a 32 bit Windows7 OS, and 3G RAM for both PC and graphics. It works fine and has for ten years.
A Windows 10 PC would be nice, but not actually required. Mach, either Mach3 OR Mach4 is not a power hungry application, what they require is a PC that sticks to the task at hand, namely controlling your machine.
The least software and services running on that PC the better it is able to control your machine.

the controllers to ethernet or USB, and not to mention the $200 for the license.

That is correct, you in effect require an external motion controller, preferably Ethernet connected. I use an Ethernet Smoothstepper (ESS, $225USD by Warp9TD) and have done for nine years. While it may seem expensive, when I amortise
the cost over nine years....its chicken feed. I spend ten or more times as much each year on carbide tools alone. My subscription to Fusion Machining Extensions (that allows me to compose five axis tool paths) costs $2400NZD ($1440USD)
each year. No, the ESS is a very small expense in the scheme of things.

Craig