Problems with DM4500 with Meldas M3

I've got a huge problem with my Dyna Myte 4500, after re-installation of the controller the T command doesn't work, the tool post doesn't move at all when I'll try to choose tool with MDI. I can't understand how to set the origin of the umbrella tool post. It doesn't work within the register page. When I'll try to make a tool change with M6 commando the umbrella just spinn around and never stop. I can't either start the coolant with MDI but it work's in the CNC code and auto mode. Can it be something wrong with the PLC? I cant either find a counter for the tool post, is that done with a parameter or is it a hex function in the parameters? Pls. help me if someone knows what it can be, I'm been driven to madness by this ****ty controller.

Hi Pynke....
I don't know that I'll be able to help you a lot because I'm still coming up to speed with my system. But I think I might be able to give you a few hints. But first, I think you need the history a bit. It sounds like you had a running machine and then you did something (why, what, etc), and now the machine doesn't work. If you can fill in some of those blanks, that might be useful.

Now for a few hints and suggestions. First, Mitsubishi still has some folks that are very knowledgeable on the M3. I am a newer DM4400M owner and I called Mitsu here in the States and they had folks that knew "stuff", including Dyna specific, right from memory. I was impressed. My biggest issue then is that I didn't know squat about the M3, but it sounds like you had your 4500 running for some time before you did "something" and now it doesn't work. The point is that Mitsubishi might be able to give you directions that make more sense than when they gave neophyte little me information. :)

First off, there is a battery backup in the M3. The original batter (200mAh, as I recall) would give you about 2 months of backup time *when it was new*. If you haven't changed your battery, or it wasn't charged, or you went over that time, you probably lost your memory. This should be fairly easy to fix. There is information on this forum on how to do that or I could dig it up and send it to you. I haven't actually used those processes because I've been good about battery charges (I actually changed mine to a 1200mAh guy... we can talk about that too). Inside the control, there is a tool change macro (9000, as I recall, on my machine.... probably the same on yours) that may have been lost. In fact, there were two different macros over time, so it is possible you have one or the other. These are covered in the manuals... Do you have manuals? You'll need to restore that macro, at a minimum, if you have lost your memory. You hopefully also backed up your parameters or you'll be doing a little hand editing. :(

I think that the PLC will be fine. As best as I've been able to ascertain, the PLC is actually written into EPROM. Now, it *is* possible that your EPROMs have gotten corrupted. That would really be bad because I don't know where you can get new ones. I've been meaning to pull mine and copy them for that "just in case" scenario, but I'm afraid I may not have backed everything up yet. I'm still pretty green with this machine.

One thing you said that doesn't make a lot of sense to me... I know for a fact that the tool changer is fairly independent on my DM4400M. I'm assuming the same is true for your setup. You can post/send me a photo of the electrical cabinet to confirm, but there should be a large board in the middle. That is the main interface board with all of the switches, etc. Mounted to that is a card cage that has two boards in it. Those are the boards that control the tool changer. one of the boards has an LED on it that indicates the current tool number. Anyhow, the point is that the tool changer works almost like an indexer. The control sends a command and then the tool changer subsystem has a certain amount of time to unload, rotate, and reload the new tool, then confirm with the M3 that this has occurred. The m3 is *not* doing all of those operations itself in PLC. This is good and bad. It may mean that your M3 is fine but you have some funnies (or not so funny!) things going on in the subsystem only. For instance, you said that the changer continues to rotate. That is strange... It sounds like the hall effect sensor isn't feeding back into the subsystem?

Anyhow, maybe you can send along a bit more information and we can sort it all out. :)
Alan

I stand corrected.... The PLC is *not* generally in EPROM, per Mitsubishi support. So, you really do need the file or spend a lot of time manually entering the thing. Having to customize a control isn't anything new, though. So, I don't think that makes this a lousy control. Actually, as I get better with it, I am beginning to really like this one.

So.... Mitsubishi may have said that but I have to seriously question it. I bought a spare control and this gave me a chance to do a little digging. I've been worried about doing that with my existing (working) control because, well, there is no company to call now if things going poorly! Dyna is out of business.... Anyhow, on the far lower left of the card cage there is what looks to be a memory cartridge. That is, in fact, what the plugin board is. And, if you open it up, you'll see a bunch of EPROMs with Dyna stickers on them. To me, that is saying that the PLC is all written in EPROM. There are other EPROMs in the system that (likely) have the rest of the stock operating system.

Well, I've learned a lot about how the M3 works with the 4400, but it seem like the OP posted one thing to cnczone and then left.... Unfortunate. I hope he figures out the problem though.

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Originally Posted by MrMetric

Well, I've learned a lot about how the M3 works with the 4400, but it seem like the OP posted one thing to cnczone and then left.... Unfortunate. I hope he figures out the problem though.

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I'm curious to hear what you have found out about the magazine controller. I have a friend with one of these machines and I've recently helped him recover it from losing it's memory. Besides the geneva gear being worn out that will occasionally stall the motor, we have the exact same problem as the OP where when attempting to call up a tool it will rotate endlessly. The M6 macro on his machine seems to have been revised at some point, and I've tried both versions. I didn't recall seeing the controller you spoke of for the tool changer, but I didn't really look, and when looking through the electrical drawing it seemed like the motor contactors were connected to the I/O for the M3.

The 4500 may be a little different than the 4400, but that would surprise me. In the end, that is just mechanics; the control still needs to perform actions and that is I/O which isn't likely to change too much. I know someone that has a 4500, though, so I might be able to ask him.

Could you take a picture of the control cabinet? i can tell you pretty quickly if it is has the Dyna tool changer board in it. There are two boards that plug into a custom Dyna circuit board that is pretty big (about 10 x 10). The two driver boards are about 4 x 6 and will be in a small card cage directly above (i.e. perpendicular) to the Dyna interface circuit board. On my machine, that assembly is below the amplifiers, pretty much dead smack square in the middle of the control area. The 4500 has a larger control box, though, so it might be in a different location. Again, though, if you attach a photo of the control cabinet, I can tell pretty quickly if the board is there.

Alan

I found a generic picture of the turret interface board on the web, which I've added to this post. The term 'turret I/F' is a bit of a misnomer though. I'd just call it an I/F because it also is has the SSR to turn on/off the coolant, provides limit switch connections, etc. Anyhow, the two white connectors are where the turret motor boards are installed. If memory serves me correctly, one is a CPU board that keeps track of the position and such. The other is the actual motor control board.

Basically, the interface between the Mitsu control and the turret is pretty simple. The routine simply has a tool ID, which is pushed to the Dyna board. After that, the Mitsu control just waits for a response that the action was undertaken; all of the control is done in the Dyna subsystem. If an ack isn't received in a defined time, then the Mitsu faults.

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