[Tooljunkie]

Hi Everyone, I'm wondering if I could get some help from the knowledgeable people on this forum. I've searched and read to death, but I couldn't find the answers that I was looking for.

I've got an essentially new Bridgeport EZ-Vision CNC Mill that came missing the controller and all electrics. I've been using it as a manual mill (fitted with a DRO/Scales) for a few years and it's been great (manual milling with no backlash -- woohoo!), but I eventually want to get it back to CNC. Based on what I've been told, I'm going to replace the SEM servos. My first purchase was 3 Yaskawa Sigma 5 750W drives, with the intention of buying 3 Sigma 5, 750W AC Servos to match.

The drives that I got were Yaskawa SGDV-5R5A11A drives. I was excited at first at the prospect of finally starting to acquire parts for my build, but now I'm wondering if I didn't make a mistake. The drives are Mechatrolink II instead of the analog model. I didn't realize that there was an analog version until after I'd bought them. I just assumed that you didn't need to use the Mechatrolink cables if you didn't want to, but rather just operate them the same as a more basic drive.

I guess my questions are:

1. Can I make Yaskawa Sigma 5 drives work with Mach3/4?

2. Do I need to get drives without Mechatrolink and suck it up that I made a big blunder?

3. Can you run a 400W motor off of a 750W drive (say, for the quill)?

I'm still trying to figure out the input options to the drive for these drives. The Yaskawa manual isn't model specific, but rather covers a range of different drives, so a rookie like me gets lost in all the charts.

I'm into the drives for about $650 now. Okay if I made the right choice, but expensive if they're no good to me. Getting matching motors for these drives is not a problem -- I'm just worried about the interface between the software and the drive itself.

Thanks!

Tooljunkie

[Endeavou21]

Hi tooljunkie
Did you have any success using those mechatrolink servopacks with G-Code?

[Endeavou21]

Hi tooljunkie
Did you have any success using those mechatrolink servopacks with G-Code?

[Endeavou21]

Hi tooljunkie
Did you have any success using those mechatrolink servopacks with G-Code?