[jeffmorris]

Two of my woodworking teachers at the program for mentally handicapped people got a Magnum Phoenix GS CNC router. From reading messages on this forum, I found out that the company went out of business, that some people couldn't get the machine to work with other CNC software, and the machine may require a controller card installed in a computer. I didn't see the machine yet but I looked through the manual for the machine. The software included with the machine requires DOS, not Windows. I think that the machine didn't come with a computer and I will have to use my computer but my computer runs Windows XP and Mach 3 Software to control my own CNC router that I built a few years ago. If I can't get the Magnum machine's controller to work with my computer, is it possible to use Probotix controller with the machine?

[jeffmorris]

I saw the machine this morning but I couldn't use it because it requires 120V 30A outlet, a computer with 25-pin serial port, and was missing keys for the control panel, a vacuum cleaner, and a vacuum pump. It has a large Porter-Cable router. I think that it was not being used in a school where we got the machine from. About the serial port, my computer already has a 9-pin serial port. Will a 25-pin to 9-pin adapter work or will I have to buy a 25-pin serial port card? My machine is similar to the machine in a photo but the control panel is under the router table and there's a small door on the left side for the vacuum cleaner. The photo is in this thread: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera...pc_talk-5.html

[jeffmorris]

I finally had 120V 30A outlet installed. Bad News: the stepper motors don't run at all when I press the jogging buttons on the control panel or from CENCOMM program. The router motor, vacuum cleaner, and vacuum hold-down work. The steeper motors are cold which makes me think that the CNC controller is bad. On the control panel, there are switches for the vacuum cleaner, the vacuum hold-down and router motor, the E-Stop button, switch and light for power, jogging buttons, switches that set jogging mode in step or continuous mode, pause button, start button, cancel button, feedrate knob, Z-Axis Up and Z-Axis Down switch, and CNC/Engraver switch. Both Power and CNC/Engraver switches require keys that are missing. I believe that the CNC/Engraver switch is set to CNC because the key slot points at CNC. We had to take the power switch out and we found out that touching the wires together turns on a relay that turns on the machine. Hitting the E-Stop button turns off the relay, causing the machine to be turned off.

PLEASE help me get the machine working.

[jeffmorris]

Would too-low vacuum on the vacuum hold-down prevent stepper motors from running? I saw wires on a switch on the air line at the back of the machine.

[jeffmorris]

My woodworking shop teacher helped me check out the computer-controlled router and I found out that someone disconnected cables from circuit boards that run the stepper motors. After connecting the cables to the boards, the stepper motors worked. I booted my computer to DOS and ran the "Cencomm" program that came with the machine but the program couldn’t work with the machine. I booted my computer to Windows XP, ran “DOS Box” program, and ran the program that came with the machine. I got the program working with the machine. Now, we need new locking switches.

[jeffmorris]

Yesterday, I installed a new push-button switch that replaced a locking switch missing keys. I learned how to use the machine. I didn't like the DOS version of ProCAD that came with the machine. The vacuum hold-down worked with a larger air compressor but the air compressor ran full-time instead of on and off. My shop teachers suggest that I build a new tabletop with T-Tracks that fits over the original tabletop. I contacted Vectric which created Cut2D program and asked them for help getting G-Code files generated by Cut-2D to work on the machine. Is there Windows version of CENCOMM?

[jeffmorris]

I decided to stop trying to get the Magnum Phoenix CNC router to work properly and use the CNC router that I built a few years ago. Nobody wants to help me get the machine working.

[poitropn]

If you still need help E-Mail me at [email protected]
name Dave Dilsaver retired tool and die maker for Ti Int some 35 yrs
I still have this router/engraver It will run on any 120v outlet you need to re wire the plug
I have all software and computer runs like a top will sell and you can keep yours for parts!
the key must be turned to cad or cnc from program triger will not work
last made in 1996 a very good cutter well put togather good cutter!.
Thay were made for voed schools!

[jeffmorris]

I want to replace the electronics inside the machine with new ones. Will the following parts from Probotix work:

Either MondoStep 4.2A or 7.8A drivers
https://probotix.com/stepper_motor_drivers/

PBX-RF RF Isolated CNC Breakout Board
https://probotix.com/breakout_boards/

I still can't info on the stepper motors with labels that say: 5A/10A 1.8 DEG LA3ABJK-P500

[poitropn]

OK!
I will see if i can get you on the right path.
What you have is a CNC 4 controler from centroid with specific motor hookups.
what that is that each type of motor was wired for output currrent to meet
the requirement of the application. centroid at the time had 4 types f motor
with 3 types of hookups for each we need to find out what type motor you have
1 was a superior electric SLO-SYN 2 measure maric NU-SYN 3 eastern air devices RAPIDSYN .. super had a 8 lead motor with a parallel wiring oriental VEXTA with a 6 lead and a high current card to match. superior SLO-SYN with a 6 lead motor high current card
a centroid ENCDER with ready 4 termial blocks that can be wired high or low.centroid most common was a SIGMA large board high current out put motor a very large motor about 8" long and 4" across the top. if you can tell what you have in motors we can go from here. hope this helps centroid had 5 very good mortors but on one type!

Dave

[jeffmorris]

The motors are made by Eastern Air Devices and have NEMA 34 frame. When I tried to use the machine last year, I found out that the controller was not powerful enough to run toolpath code generated by Vectric Cut2D software. That is why I want to replace the electronics inside the machine with new ones. I already have a CNC router that I built a few years ago that uses electronics from Probotix.

[jeffmorris]

I'm in the process of retrofitting the machine with new electronics from Probotix. The machine has Porter Cable 690 or 890 router motor. Does the router motor have good bearings?

[jeffmorris]

I thought that my machine has 1/2-6 leadscrews but when I tuned the stepper motors in Mach3 software, I had to use 8000 steps/rev. instead of 9600 steps/rev. The company that built the machine used special plug and outlet for the router motor. I accidentally blew the 30A fuse inside the machine, the main relay, and the workshop's 30A circuit's circuit breaker when I connected a wire between hot and neutral wires. My shop teachers couldn't reset the circuit breaker (there may be another circuit breaker) and I had to use 15A circuit for now. I need wiring diagram for the machine. Using the 15A circuit, I got the stepper motors and a lamp connected to the vacuum cleaner's outlet working. I can't get the router motor working.

[jeffmorris]

I got the CNC router working on 30A circuit today.

[jeffmorris]

I finished working on the CNC Router yesterday. I replaced the electronics with new ones from Probotix, wired router motor and shop vac to rocker switches, installed home/limit switches, and installed T-Tracks on the table.

[jeffmorris]

Yesterday and today, I used my "new" CNC router for some projects. The "new" CNC router is about three times faster than my old CNC router but the dust collection isn't good enough and it's warm inside the cabinet. The stepper motors aren't warm but the router motor is warm. I had to make some modifications to my "new" CNC router while using it for some projects such as cutting extra length off a T-Bolt and using a nut instead of a knob because of the dust collection hose holder mounted on the router motor holder.

[jeffmorris]

Here are the pictures of the CNC router that I upgraded to new electronics. The pictures were taken by my shop teacher.

[jeffmorris]

More pictures of my machine

[jeffmorris]

How should I lubricate the leadscrews on my machine? I don't know if the nuts on the leadscews are metal or plastic or if the nuts are anti-backlash or not. The company that made the machine went out of business and there's no information on lubricating the leadscrews in the manual.

[whidbey88]

I have one of these routers also. Mine may be a little smaller, but is otherwise very similar. The jog controls on mine are all contained in a separate box with the motor controllers. It looks like yours are all built in to your cabinet. I was a little luckier than you, when I powered mine up, everything seems to work properly right away. Like you, I did not receive the PC to connect to my controller. I did manage to find the software though (ProCad, CEngrave).

To run the software, did you need anything more than a PC running DOS? I mean, did you need any special Centroid software, CNC4 or CNC7 on the PC, or any special hardware in the PC, other than a paraller port?

I'm much more familiar/comfortable with a Mach 3 type of set up. I already have an X2 mini mill with the CNC Fusion kit and a Mach 3 setup with Gecko G540 controller. I'm thinking of retrofitting the Phoenix Router to a Gecko G540 based system, and converting the motor mounts to NEMA 23's.

I really appreciate your postings. Thanks for sticking with it even though you weren't getting much help. I'll let you know what I find out on mine. I have to move it to a new location before I can do anything with it. It may be a few weeks.