[rostbrot]

Hi everyone, I'm completely new to CNC but have learned quite a bit in this troubleshooting process. I'm still unsucessful after two weeks however and fear I may be reaching a dead end in my effors.

I'm trying to get a MAXNC-10 mill up and running. It's and OL from 1999 so it can't be run in CL like the ones from 2005 on. I tried to get it to work with Mach3 for a while and was able to get the computer to "talk" to the CNC by running it in MAXNC-10 mode. When jogging the X, Y, and Z axes they would start to move and then stop as the motors started making noise. The CNC has run before under a different owner under the MAX DLX software so I didn't think it was a hardware failure. It sounded more like it was getting the wrong kind signal from the computer. After more research I discovered that the MAXNC uses phase drive instead of step-dir. Since Mach3 has no apparent support of options for phase drive I switched to something that did and had reportedly been used to run the MAXNC-10 by various users - TurboCNC.

I've been researching/testing for a few days though and still can't get any apparent signals from the program to the CNC, not even wrong ones. I discovered the patterns for the phases and input them into the axis-config menus, but still no response. I'm pretty sure that those are correct and that communication is failing at some other level - probably at some configure option that I am not yet aware of.

I know know these machines are really crappy, but people have gotten them up and running before. Any help/advice/suggestions to get these two machines on speaking terms would be greatly appreciated!

[yours_prabhat]

Basically any of the MaxNC 10/15 Open Loop mills made after mid 2004 use the same board (printed circuit boards) that the Closed Loop mills do. The Open Loop differs from the Close Loop in that some times MaxNC does not install the connectors for the encoders and they’re maybe (I have not verified this yet) a change in the PIC 16F84A 20mHz programming, As well as a few more pin changes for limit switches and the digitizing probe.

There are two PCB boards that I know of that use the newer setting for Mach 3, one is the MaxNC CL 10108A. This is the same board used on many a MaxNC 15 Closed Loop before 2005. Now I don’t know exactly how long this board has been used but my guess is since the removal of the Phased controller board in the beginning of 2004 . The newer board (as of 2005) is the MaxNC CL 10108B, and is the current board that is in the MaxNC 10 Open Loop 2005. You can tell witch board you have by simply removing the cover form the controller box on the rear of the mill, look in the bottom left hand corner of the PCB. It will say ether MaxNC CL 10108A or MaxNC CL 10108B.

Now believe it or not, you can and should use the MaxNC CL mode when using Mach 3 with the newer Open Loop mills. The only problem is Mach 3 is made to cover a wide range of machines, so it’s no wonder that many people get lost in all those windows.

[yours_prabhat]

MaxNC MAX for DOS Power ON, Power OFF step by step:

1) Launch the MAX for DOS software.
2) Power on the MaxNC mill.

3) Power off the MaxNC mill.
4) ESC and EXIT the MAX for DOS software.
MaxNC movement or soft limits:

The limit switches on the MaxNC are for establishing HOME and they are not intended to provide a safety shut off in the case of over extension of the range of movement. A soft switch can be set.

For MaxIII and Mach III look In the config>homing>limits or XML file.

For MaxDOS edit the SERVPR.DAT file. The values are in STEPS, or Travel x Resolution where 1 inch = 4000 steps.

Here is an example for a MaxNC 10CL:

11.7 inches = 48600_XTRAVEL
4.5 inches = 18000_YTRAVEL
5.625 inches =22500 _ZTRAVEL

MaxNC Drive Belt replacement:

Search for these belts from various vendors:

MaxNc 10 = Gates 3M-212

MaxNC 10CL-B with 1/5hp motor = Gates 3M-218

MaxNc 15 = Gates 3M-265

e.g.: Gates Power Transmission 3M Polyflex Belts

or: Gates 3m218 Page 1
Measuring Spindle RPM:

The easiest way to determine the true RPM of the spindle ( as compared to the motor's rpm readout ) is to use an inexpensive Laser "No Contact" hand held tachometer.

Calculating MaxNC Spindle RPM:

The pulleys on both the motor shaft and the spindle are sized to provide 3 choices of rpm. This illustration shows how the MaxNC 10CL-B is set up:



Change MaxNC RPM during a cut:

Change the MaxNC spindle RPM with a MDI command. Get back to the Main menu, hit 3, and give it an S command- eg: S3000. You can do this in the middle of a program then resume cutting. The current RPM is displayed on the screen, and will change once you do this.

Start and Stop MaxNC spindle during a cut:

Use Control-S to start and stop the spindle

Pause MaxNC Feed MOvement during a cut:

Use Spacebar


MaxNC axis nut adjustment:

Take care to make sure that the locknuts on the X and Y axis threaded rods are adjusted so that the bearings remain secure in their mounts.








MaxNC T slot and T nut dimensions:

The factory supplied MaxNC T slot nuts use 1/4" x 20 t.p.i. threads. This illiustration shows the dimensions of a MaxNC factory supplied T-Nut:





MaxNC 10CL BSA or Backlash nut part number and dimensions:

The MaxNC 10CL BSA or backlash nut is made by Thomson BSA. It is sourced from the XC Series of Advanced Lead Screw Supernut®s. The Thompson part number is XCT 2520.

The BSA nut is attached to the MaxNC body with a screw thread. The thread should be treated with loc-tite to help secure the BSA nut.










Installation notes for installing the Thomson XCT2520 BSA nut

click here to view and save the installaion instructions that accompanied the Thomson XCT2520 BSA nut replacement parts.



Thomson XCT2520 BSA nut spring assembly details:

Here are some photos that detail the way the spring fits into the MaxNC's BSA nut assembly.








Install "tool" for XCT2520 BSA nut:

I use a standard 1/4" x 20 tpi bolt and two nuts locked together to gently drive the BSA nut into the MaxNC body.

[awerby]

Mach3 won't run an old "wave drive" MaxNC; it's a step-direction program. There used to be a board available that would convert the wave drive to step-direction; Peter Homann Homann Designs made it in Australia, and might still have some on the shelf.

Have you tried running it with the original MaxNC software, on a DOS machine? That would seem to be the obvious route, if you have a machine that actually runs DOS. TurboCNC should work too, though, if you get the ports and pins right. But what are you using for a computer? Although Windows operating systems from after Windows 98 apparently run DOS, it's an emulation that doesn't really have control of the parallel port, which might be your problem. Another is not being in EPP mode in BIOS.

But really, the best route to getting a fairly reliable machine out of this would be to scrap the old MaxNC control box altogether, and install something else, like a Gecko G-540. Then you could run Mach3, or EMC, and not have to be constantly troubleshooting that cranky old controller or running up against the limitations of DOS (all you'd have to fight would be the mechanical issues inherent in the MaxNC's design).

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[rostbrot]

Prabhat- My mill and board are pre 2005, so I can't use the CL mode in mach3 or mach3 at all.

Andrew- I have tried running the original MAXNC DLX software with the machine and am able to jog the axes just fine. The computer running it is a dinosaur of a laptop though, and while it's on win95, it has no cd, usb, ethernet, and the floppy drive is supposedly bust (I have to track down some disks to verify that though). If the floppy's out, the only way I'll be able to comunicate with outside computers is via serial.

I've also been trying to use turboCNC - this is on a standard early 2000s desktop running XP home. Like I said, I found docs for all the pin inputs and the phase patterns and configured it for those, but I think the DOS emulation you mentioned is what's causing communication to fail. I didn't suspect that before since Mach3 had communicated with the machine (albeit, wrongly) before. The PC is formated NFTS too, so even if I were to boot in DOS I still wouldn't be able to read any programs or files. Not too usefull....

For better work we actually have a sherline that was recently moved, and once the driver box for that gets found (went missing in the move unfortunately...) I'll be getting that one set up too, probably with Mach3. Since we have this little maxnc sitting around though I figured I might as well get it up and running if I could.

I've got to locate some floppys/serial. I'll try turboCNC out on the dinosaur laptop and might see about downgrading this XP desktop to 98 as a more permanent solution.

Thanks for the help! I'll post back here with an update after I've tried some things out.

[awerby]

I wouldn't advise trying to run a CNC machine off a laptop. The power-saving features tend to interfere with the uninterrupted control of the parallel port that CNC milling requires. If you want to use DOS (for some reason) try loading Windows 95 or 98 on an old desktop (you can probably find one for free, or downgrade that XP Home computer); it will probably work better. And yes, the modern input options for computers are a big part of why it's best to upgrade; it's a lot more convenient to be able to load programs off a thumb drive than have to burn a Zip disk (if you remember those things).

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[rostbrot]

So, I downgraded the PC from XP to 98 and everything appears to work fine now with TurboCNC. The machine jogs and follows Gcode just fine.

Thanks for the help Andrew, I might have been hitting my head against a wall forever.

[Fixittt]

just a word of caution here. The maxnc electronics are garbage at best. I went thru 3 controllers before I replaced it with a G540. The maxnc is a new machine with the G540 controlling it. Its still a maxnc tho.

[Shelby5041]

Has anyone tried heavier duty belts...the stock belt is a joke..looks like a rubber band lol