584,862 active members*
5,930 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
Page 2 of 2 12
Results 21 to 34 of 34
  1. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    37
    Quote Originally Posted by Litemover View Post
    Very nice. Thanks for the info. What is the length of travel and who many IPM do you get with it? Is it better to go with ethernet over USB?

    Thanks for the info!
    Chris
    Hi Chris, my working area is 2,5m in X axis and 1,5m in Y axis. I have set max speed at 30m/min ( 1180 IPM). I can go up to 40m/min (1575 IPM) but I don't need that much speed. About USB SS I have never used it so I don't have any info.

    Regards,
    Peter

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    I have built many machines, and have three machines in operation in my shop/lab. Each controller PC I built myself. They all are running Windows 7 32bit at about 1.8Ghz.

    The machines I build are very simple, and yes you can still purchase motherboards with parallel ports. I probably spent around $300 for the parts on each machine.

    I prefer building may own PC for the CNC machines because, I can do it my way. No optical drives, proper filtered fans for cooling. One of the CNC machines cuts MDF every single day and has been doing so for well over a year.

    Now that said, I use my laptop for testing and special projects. It has a USB SmoothStepper. I simply unplug the parallel cable from the original controller PC and plug it into my laptops SmoothStepper. Bam! I'm up and running.

    I have also taken this laptop over to others shops and hooked it up to their CNC machines with success.

    The SmoothStepper serves a purpose. But will this $175 device, Add anything special to a already working CNC controller. NO!
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    35
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud View Post
    Those two factors will become increasingly critical in the very near future, given that 4GB of memory is getting to be standard even on sub-$500 computers and parallel ports are about as common as floppy drives.

    While I realize that MacGuyver-fu is very strong in the DIY CNC community, IMHO there are far better ways to spend time and mental energy than maintaining legacy hardware and OSs.
    Hah, no doubt about that. Guess I need one of these because I only have win 64 on my mac. Will it run through win Parallels on the Mac or do I need a dedicated machine?
    Chris

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    I just hooked my CNC up to my Mac using a SmoothStepper. I am using VMFusion and windows7 32 bit. Im sure it would work with the 64 bit version as well.

    Its a little laggy but it works.

    Jog Control with Xbox Controller: Works
    Jog Control with keyboard: Works
    Probe: Works
    Homing Switches: Works
    Router Relay Control: Works
    Router SuperPID control On and Off: Works
    Router SuperPID speed cpntrol: Does not work

    My Mac is a 2Ghz Mac mini with Lion Server.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails macsmoothstepper small.jpg  
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    Quote Originally Posted by msimpson99 View Post
    I have been able to successfully control the speed of the router with a G540 and SuperPID using a parallel port.

    IF anyone has been able to control the speed of the router with the G540, SuperPID, and SmoothStepper I would be real interested in how you got it to work.
    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/853612-post304.html
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    I tried the settings in the post, and pretty much get the same results. The speed does change but its so far out off that its useless. I am not using all the resistors to change the voltage as I am using a +5v as the ref voltage. This works fine without the smoothstepper so it should work with it.

    Tommorow I will try a spindle calibration, but this has never worked in the past.
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    Ok. After much playing around I was able to get the speed control to work or at least within 500RPM.

    Apparantly the Spindle Calibration wizard is not compatible with the SmoothStepper. If you do try the calibration, be sure to remove the linearity.dat file as it will really mess things up.

    Since you cant calibrate you have to adjust the min and max in the "Pulley Selection" form.

    For the router I am using, I had to use a Min Speed of 1500 and Max Speed of 32000.

    With these settings I get within a 200 RPM at the bottom and 500 or so near the middle and 1000 or so near the top. This is acceptable.

    I will make the changes to my SmoothStepper setup project and let my folks know what I did.

    This does bring up a point. If you can get your machine up and running without a SmoothStepper you will be better off on the long run. There are compatibility issues that may or not be overcome without some research. On the other hand if you don’t have a parallel port and can’t add one or are using a 64bit OS then your only choice is to use the SmoothStepper.

    Personally, my preference is still a dedicated PC running a 32bit OS and parallel port. If you are doing any kind of production, this is the only way to go.
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    Cut some gears today using my 30x27 KRMx02 machine.

    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov5j-y0qcM0]GearTest - YouTube[/ame]

    The Video the left is cut with a DIY PC (Dual 3Ghz) with parallel port. The video on the right is my HP Envy (Dual 1.8Ghz) with SmoothStepper.

    Both are running the same Gcode connected to the same G540, SuperPID and CNC. Part is cut at 100IPM with 1000IPM Rapids using a 3/16" Spiral bit.


    Both were perfect and exactly the same.
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    30
    Excellent video, Thanks for sharing.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    You can thank Gerry for this one. It was his link to the post that got me much closer to getting my machines setup for full control of the router, probe, Xbox controller, and all the other accessories.

    Here is a link to the SmoothStepper project I provide for my book readers. I added the advanced settings project for those wanting full control of there router. Keep in mind other project on the site show the SuperPID wiring and configuration.

    SmoothStepper Hookup
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  11. #31
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    Ok. After much playing around I was able to get the speed control to work or at least within 500RPM.
    Is your SuperPID firmware set up for manual control or Mach3 control?
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  12. #32
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    Mach 3. Im pretty good at setting up the SuperPID. I have three of them, including the old one as well.

    The current configuration on my two KRMx02 machines is that I have a run bypass and a pot/Mach3 switch so I can choose to go manual or Mach3. In POT mode its a little sensitive at the low end due to the Mach3 firmware loaded.

    Im happy with the use of the SmoothStepper/G540/SuperPID. There are a lot of settings to get it correct. I was kind of supprised that I could not get my answers from the smoothstepper or SuperPID folks.

    The cool thing is with my current setup you dont need any resistors. The G540 allows you to supply the ref voltage. If you want a 5v PWM signal then you provide 5v as the ref. I get mine from the SuperPID, which gets it from a regulated source.

    I did some more tweaking and at 10000 RPM Im only off a couple hundred RPM. I can now move my laptop from machine to machine bypassing the production PC and run tests or tuneup confiurations.

    The SmoothStepper is working well enough that I may do a chapter on it in my next book.
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

  13. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    Why don't you use the second port on the SS to get your PWM signal? It sounds to me like the G540 isn't providing a linear analog voltage.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  14. #34
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    686
    I got it pretty close now. The goal here was not to add any hardware changes and to plug the SS between the G540 and the laptop.

    To be honest, I have a couple routers that were a nightmare to get calibrated properly. However the use of the calibration wizard helped in those cases.
    Author of: The KRMx01 CNC Books, The KRMx02 CNC Books, The KRmc01 CNC Milling Machine Books, and Building the HANS Electric Gear Clock. All available at www.kronosrobotics.com

Page 2 of 2 12

Similar Threads

  1. SmoothStepper + SuperPID
    By jharvey407 in forum SmoothStepper Motion Control
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 11-15-2013, 04:07 PM
  2. Config Smoothstepper
    By CncNor in forum SmoothStepper Motion Control
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 08-20-2012, 03:16 AM
  3. What next?Should i try Smoothstepper?
    By sylvester1073 in forum Controller Cards
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 12-28-2010, 01:19 AM
  4. What next, should i try the Smoothstepper?
    By sylvester1073 in forum Controller & Computer Solutions
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-01-2010, 10:32 AM
  5. Anyone tried a Smoothstepper?
    By Ranscon in forum CNC Machine Related Electronics
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 03-07-2009, 07:37 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •