This started here a while ago.
http://cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25929

It got off course and things have changed. As of now the conversion is picking up speed and things are starting to move. I am starting fresh here as the old thread was more about making my own servo drives. (I ended up making a successfull one - but then ebay blessed us with some high powered AMC drives that have all the bells and whistles )

This is a general retrofit thread (using emc2)

So - lets get up to speed.

This is a 60's vintage NC that used hydraulic servos. we are converting it to EMC2 using not quite as old Inland servos. (80's vintage) they are 8 brush low rpm high torque. (with the amc drives we are using - it will be 40ft-lbs peak.) We are using 2 mesa 5i20 boards as we are needing a good 70+ i/o + atleast 7 encoder counters and 5 ±10v outputs. We are at the point where the machine is waking up. the mesa hardware is awesome (thank to peter and seb for their work).

Be sure to watch the 2 videos at the end of this post.

lets see if I can create a linear picture show...
this is what the machine looked like in the 60s
http://electronicsam.com/images/KandT/oldkandt.JPG

this is what the machine looks like now
http://electronicsam.com/images/KandT/DSCCurrent.JPG

getting rid of the old control
http://www.electronicsam.com/images/control.jpg

this is the old electrical box
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...ctricalbox.JPG

we welded 2 of the same boxes together for new electronics.
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...n/moreelec.jpg

here is it mostly hooked up
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...ion/mostio.JPG

Here is the computer with the 2 mesa cards in it.
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...mputermesa.JPG

This is the x,z,b gearbox - the old control used 1 hydraulic servo to run all 3 axis
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...axis/start.JPG

open
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...axis/start.JPG

stripped
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...s/stripped.JPG

shafts extended out so we can hook the servos up.
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...is/3shafts.JPG

servo plate mounted
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...ervo_mount.jpg

belts (B axis still needs a solution)
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...rvo/belts.jpeg

Because we are still using the z axis drive train that goes up though the saddle - we needed to get the backlash out of it. It uses split gears to do that. Grinding 1 washer thinner takes the backlash out of 5 sets of gears. the washer is the spacer between the 2 lower small gears.
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...axis/gears.JPG

we still have to mount the y axis servo. - The plan is to direct couple into this shaft.
http://electronicsam.com/images/Kand...yaxisshaft.JPG

here is the tool chain logic working...
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nuRea6615s"]YouTube- Kearney and Trecker tool chain logic working in EMC2. Mechanically barcoded tools[/nomedia]


here is the first closed loop movement with the x axis (yes that is a .0001/div indicator )
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOqEz5Tk-Y"]YouTube- Kearney and Trecker first closed loop movement with EMC2.[/nomedia]

Getting there Very happy with the progress. (I only work on it about once a week.)

sam