[arsenix]

Hello all! I'm curious about fitting my R2E4 with a fourth axis. It has the the fourth slot for another servo amplifier card, and the control can apparently handle it. In my manuals, it has pictures and a parts list for this kit. I guess was an option (probably pretty rare I would guess). I can pretty easily pick up another servo drive card, but I'm not positive I could scrap together the rest.
Does anyone have any additional info about this? I'm assuming the option came with it's own manual, as there isn't too much about it in the machine's manuals. Would it be as simple as popping the card in and flipping a couple dip switches on the control?

Thanks for any ideas!

james

[machintek]

To the best of my knowledge a true 4th axis was the intent of BPT but it never happened. They did have a indexer option that worked. Also I have seen a programable indexer work well.

George

[arsenix]

This is what I was afraid of. Looking through the schematics it isn't clear exactly how the fourth axis hooks up. There is a jumper table for configuring the machine with a fourth axis, but not much else. I guess the question is if the 4th axis support is in the firmware... I suppose I could switch the jumpers and see what happens...

How does the indexer work? It looks like the indexer option was air powered?

james

[machintek]

The 4th axis is not supported in the R2E4 software.
The indexer used relay logic and air (you are correct).

George

[arsenix]

What do I expect from a 20 year old control anyways?

Guess I'll need to do a PC conversion to get a 4th axis.

[arsenix]

George do you know how the indexer option was wired up? I am wondering if I could get an external indexer controller and hook it up the control. Was the indexer controlled through M commands?

Really would like to cut gears without turning a crank...

Thanks!

james

[arsenix]

I looked through the machine schematics. There are four pins on the EAF board which seem to apply to the indexer:

• k9B-1 Index Air 24V output
• k9B-2 Index Out TTL input
• k9B-3 Index Back TTL input
• k9B-4 Brake TTL input

That last one may not be indexer related, but it is in the same block as the other three so I am not sure. The manual said that the indexer is actuated with a single M command (M51). Anyone have any idea how these pins function?

james

[machintek]

There was an indexer option that included a box with relay logic to run the Erickson indexer. The indexer was a paw that was run by a air cylinder. with switches to verify movement, then the paw was reset, verified by switch and M51 was verified. Degrees of movement was determined by the hole pattern on a disc.

George

[arsenix]

Unfortunately the maintenance manual doesn't really cover the indexer. Is there another manual that might?

I'm assuming the machine turns on the "Index Air" line when the M51 is issued, then waits for either "Index Back" or "Index Out" to be raised before continuing?

Do you know if I have to set any jumpers on the controller to get the M51 code to operate?

james

[machintek]

In the back of the maintenance manual. Check page 12-1 for a pneumatic diagram including an indexer. Page 13-1, section 13-5 has a description of the indexer and how it affects the control.
When I get a chance, I will dig up the prints.

George

[arsenix]

Looks like the two limit switches on the indexer are supposed to hook to Index_Out and Index_Back, and the Index_Air energizes the indexer air solenoid. So I guess the M51 turns on Index_Air and then the control waits for the two limit switches to toggle (in what order I'm not sure). I might just have to hook some microswitches to the two signals and experiment.

james

[machintek]

On page 5-6 I found that K9-5 is the output to the indexer solenoid. I believe that once the air cylinder is fired, this is confirned by the first limit switch. Then the solenid reverses state, the arm returns, and the second limit switch confirms this. Finally this last confirmation releases the control hold as the M51 is verified to be completed.

George

[arsenix]

I finally got some time to play around with this stuff and I don't seem to be able to get the indexer commands to actuate the solenoid output. The M51 doesn't change it's state or pause the machine, it just keeps going.

Does anyone have a machine with one of these air indexer's hooked up to it? Or (even better) a service manual, instruction manual or installation instructions for the indexer? I am thinking there must be a dip switch or jumper that needs to be installed to turn on the air indexer functionality in the control.

Any ideas would be great, I've got the hardware all setup... just need to figure out the control integration.

james

[Kevin Taylor]

Talk to cartizenXYZ he told me he had Ebayed a stand alone 4th axis 5C type and was going to use it on his BTC 7,2 and Ive talked to another guy that used a Hass 4th on his BTC Good luck and let me know if it work's I want to do the same Kevin

[arsenix]

I obtained a complete dump of the BSP-2 ROMs from maintenance mode, and parsed it into single binary file. Looking through the disassembly I found documentation on all the BSP's dip switches. Unfortunately none of them apply to the indexer. If anyone is interested in the rom dump i can send it along.

I am a bit stuck on this indexer hookup now. George is it possible the indexer option came with different ROMs? Or maybe my machine has an earlier revision of the code which did not support it?

Hm, well i'm stumped... any ideas?

james

[machintek]

No different ROMs.
They are calling a programmable indexer a 4th axis. It is not. A true 4th axis has the ability to be controlled by the control simultaneously with the first 3 axis.
These units have a stand alone control for this indexer. I admit that they are nice as you can program the amount of rotation and the speed of rotation. All with one M code from the control, or by a switch.

George

[greeder88]

I have a R2E4 wired up for the indexer. It also has extra wires connecting the FMDC board to the IFC board. There are two receptacles totaling maybe a dozen wires in all leading to the indexer. I never had the indexer so not sure how it works. Page 12-1,13-1,5-6, shows indexer info.
Note: I removed the two wires to the EAF board a long time ago and not sure where they go on K9. Maybe b-2 & B-3? If anyone wants to get one going I can draw up the connections my machine has.

[arsenix]

That would be truly awesome if you could do that. I pretty much gave up on this since I could never get the indexer outputs to do anything. I'll send you a PM. Thank for replying to my old thread!

James

[dougputt]

Did you ever get the indexer set up? I'm looking to do same on my R2E4

Regards
Doug

[arsenix]

This was years ago!

My conclusion was that my machine did not have the code to run the indexer outputs. Or maybe it does and there is a jumper or something that needs to be set to enable them. In any case I never got the indexer outputs to do anything. May have been a firmware revision issue so maybe your machine has them. Information is hard to come by on these old guys.

My machine is being converter to EMC2 currently... after which adding a 4th axis will be fairly easy!

Good luck! Report back if you discover anything I would love to hear about it.