[ltortuya]

Hey guys,

I just finished my first home built CNC using steppers. In the process I was able to score some AI Robotic actuators which I took apart for the THK Blocks and rails. They had some really good 200 and 400W Minertia Servo motors and it came with a huge controller box that looks like a VCR from the 80's. Being a home garage Hobby'st with no engineering or electrical background I have no idea how to start communicating with these servos. I would like to use them with my Lathe to automate it or perhaps use one as a spindle for my CNC router. Any help with understanding these would be greatly appreciated.

Questions:
1. Do all servos need their own specific controller hardware and if so will I have to buy this from the main company?
2. Do these Minertia motors (Yaskawa electric) have a specific software that I will need to get once I figure out how to connect them to my PC?
3. Can I use the motor as a spindle?
4. Will I need this VCR Controller box? I looks like it might be obsolete with today's technology. It only has a SCSI i/o connection which Im assuming is how you would connect it to a computer.
5. Is it worth all the trouble or should I just sell these and stick with the simple Stepper motors? Seems like Servos are much better comparatively.

Thanks for any help. I've been scratching my head about these motors for the past year and would like to use them if possible. Attachment 294750

[awerby]

You might be able to get those motors to work with a Gecko G-320 drive: http://www.geckodrive.com/g320x.html They seem to have brushes, which makes them easier to drive than brushless motors. It would be good to figure out what sort of encoder, tachometer, or resolver is mounted to them, though; each different type of counting device takes a different approach from the driver. Geckodrives might be able to tell you if this would work, if you gave them enough information.

If you could drive it with a Gecko, that would allow you to dispense with the old scsi box. I'm not sure it's worth it to use one of these for a spindle, but servo is a good way to go for controlling a mill or lathe. They tend to run smoother, and put out more power if challenged to, unlike steppers which just give up and lose steps. But to get the most out of them, it helps to gear them down, since they want to run faster than you're going to want to cut.

Here's a data sheet for the RM series motors:
http://www1.yaskawa.com/site/dmservo.nsf/link2/TKUR-6BLSNU/$file/TSE-C253-10C.pdf

[ltortuya]

Thanks so much for the information Andrew. I think Ill send an email to the people at geckodrive to see if they might work with the G320X.

[jfong]

I used similar brushed RM-02 motor on my z axis gantry with Gecko320x. 4:1 pulley reduction. Your motors are 04 series which are bigger.

I've had no problems with using gecko servo drives.

Do check the brushes on the motor and change them if they are worn out.

Looks like you have 1000line encoders or 4000pulses per rev.

[ltortuya]

I used similar brushed RM-02 motor on my z axis gantry with Gecko320x. 4:1 pulley reduction. Your motors are 04 series which are bigger.

I've had no problems with using gecko servo drives.

Do check the brushes on the motor and change them if they are worn out.

Looks like you have 1000line encoders or 4000pulses per rev.

Thanks jfong. I have an rm-02 also so this helps tremendously.

[jfong]

As far as brushed motors go, yaskawa minertia are top line.

No one really makes brushed servos anymore. They all are brushless type these days. Good condition minertia motors go for a premium on eBay now.

[mike_Kilroy]

Download the manual for the "vcr" like box. It communicated via rs232. Very simple to use with manuals.

And it is IA not AI: Intellegent ACtuator Inc: IAI in those days.

[ltortuya]

Download the manual for the "vcr" like box. It communicated via rs232. Very simple to use with manuals.

And it is IA not AI: Intellegent ACtuator Inc: IAI in those days.

Thanks Mike. If I can get it to communicate with the box and connect it to my pc, what software do I use to run it on my lathe?

[mike_Kilroy]

Thanks Mike. If I can get it to communicate with the box and connect it to my pc, what software do I use to run it on my lathe?

I believe they had a software package to talk to it and program it. you need the manual first tho to see if you can use it. We used to sell these back in the late 1970's - I have no info left - folks in my office decided I kept too much old stuff when we last moved years ago and tossed it before I could stop them....

[ltortuya]

I have a wiring question that I need help with. There are three channel output wires an A, a B and a Z wire. The Gecko only has Channel a and Channel b. Where do I wire the Channel Z output wire?

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

[mike_Kilroy]

inside a piece of tape and push it aside - you will not use it. That is ok.

[ltortuya]

Ok so I taped up the channel z and got it out of the way. I connected to other wires for A,B and Input +5vcd.

Now I have black "Common wires" coming from the encoder that belong to channel b common, channel a common and the 0v that pairs with the red +5vcd wire. Do I connect those all together and put them into the Encoder Grnd of the Gecko 320x? I tried that and when I power on the driver the red fault LED never goes off. I have the err/res jumpered to the +5vcd.

I take those common wires out and the Red LED goes off and the green in- position LED goes on but the encoder doesnt respond now in any way to me manually turning the shaft as described in the instructions to test encoder functionality.

Am I wiring these wrong?

[mike_Kilroy]

sounds like yes you are wiring them wrong. no encoder has individual 'commons' for each channel; they have complimentary outputs. You must have a good encoder for it to not have fried itself by grounding those 3 wires.

I have nl clue if a geko thing accepts a- & b- channels - you gotta find out. no count if required and not wired in.

[ltortuya]

Attachment 296772

Here is what it says in the manual. Does this mean I wire the black Channel A common wire into the same pin as Channel A output and connect the two? It seems like all of the black wires a soldered into the same connection on the PCB of the encoder.