[foamcutter]

I just recently purchased a Baldor retrofit servo control unit with SMCC control boards. I downloaded the WINSMCC software and the installation and operating manual. Boy is it confusing. I guess I'm kind of thick cause I am not able to get it figured out. Anybody out there have any experience with this system that can help me to get it setup and learn to use it? Or any sites I can get help. I have been on the Baldor Support Me site but can't seem to find much help there. Thanks for any help. Ron

[Al_The_Man]

Isn't that an older Baldor system? What kind of problems are you having? and what is your application. I may be able to help, and I know a local Baldor expert that may be able to help.
Al

[foamcutter]

Al,
Yes I believe it is an older system. I'm having a hard time understanding how to get it setup to work with three axis. The only thing I have got it to do is jog. The software just seems to show x & y. There are two boards in the unit and from what I understand each board controls 2 axis and you must daisy chain them to run three axis. After I get the setup figured out I need to figure out how to actually cut something by inporting a g-code file into the software. If you baldor guy has any suggestions of where to find some simple instructions, that would be great, or some other software that would run these controllers. Thanks Ron

[Al_The_Man]

Ron, I assume you have set the jumpers and dip address switches as listed in section 3 of the manual?
I believe the address would be A0 for the master and A1 for the second card, the cards can be addressed individually (A0 or A1) or both at once by AA.
As of this time I do could not find out if there is a G code interpreter to native Baldor commands.
If I hear anything more I will get back to you.
Al
Ron scanning throught the manual it seems to me that each card has an X,Y axis and the addressing for such is through the Card address A0 ~ etc. if so the position addressing would always be X & Y ?

[foamcutter]

Al,
I have rechecked all the dip switches and etc.. It all seems fine. I was able to get all three servo motors to jog tonight. The axis were addressed as A0 x,A0 y and A1 x. It appears that it is working fine. Now I just need to figure out how to program it. Reading the manual doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. Maybe I'm missing something. Or maybe I just need to keep going over and over the manual until it finally sinks in. Do you know if there is other software that will run these control boards that is simple. Anyway Thanks very much for your help Ron

[foamcutter]

Well,
I have gone over and over the manual and am still having a hard time trying to figure out how to program this system. I guess I'm just thick headed. I think I could probably edit a g-code file to work by adding the appropriate baldor code for start , run, etc and use the g-code x,y & z parameters, maybe. Just checking again if there is anyone out there that is familier with programming these cards and software. I am building a router and would like to use these but If I can't figure out how to program them I need to start looking for something else. Thanks Ron

[Al_The_Man]

Ron, Did you actually email the support line?, as usually they get a technical person to contact you. I will ask the guy I know if he can give me a contact name for you, it is a holiday here today so it will have to be tomorrow.
From what I gather, you load a program into the buffer and issue a Run command, is this right?
Al

[foamcutter]

Al,
I emailed the support line a cuple time with no response from them, so I assume since I did not purchase it from them or it is too old for them to want to support or I just emailed the wrong people. I can't get it to load any program I write. I thought maybe I could take a g code program save it as a text program and modify it with Baldor commands but keep the x,y and z coordinates. Save it as text and hopfully open it in the winsmcc program, but no luck. It tells me when I try to open it that it is not a valid format. So far the only way I can see to get a program loaded is one that has been written by the winsmcc software. If that is the case it is going to be a real pain in the fingers to have to manually write every line of code. I was really hoping not to have to spend the bucks to get geckos or Rutex drives when I have this one that works, I just can't get anything into it. The manual I dowloaded is the only one I could find pertaining to this system and it is geared more to explaining all the good things the control boards will do but doesn't give much on the actual practice of getting a program in the buffer and run it.
Thanks for your help Al I really appreciate it.

[lt paul]

on page 8 of the manual at the bott0m section 2.10 it states that the unit can take a pulse and direction control, basicly the same as step and direction. i anm not sure how to wire this up but it should be pretty simple and then all you would need is a progeram like turbocnc to generate the pulses

[foamcutter]

It Paul,
Thanks for the input. I had read that but it didn't soak in that is what it referred to. I just thought it was pertaining to handwheel input only. Now if I just find where in the manual it tells me how to do that. This could be the break I'm looking for. Thanks again for the help and I will post my progress. Ron

[elsp1991]

Hello Guys,
Iam a mechanical engineer student and recently come across a baldor smcc sails plotter (10x1.5m)
I' ve figure it out how it works and manage to command it in MDI mode from a universal terminal.
This machine as you know is running on his own code(no G-code) and the only way to use is via the sail-making software that is provided with it, which of course is from 80's and runs on bios.
Me and Friend want to make possible to to print .dxf files out of it.
The problem is the lack of g-code support, I found the gcode2000 software that genertes g-code out of .dxf and is possibly to change the G commands to whatever you want. But baldor has also different syntax for some commands.
So Im thinking of coding a g-code to baldors command interpreter.
Do you think there is a easiest way around?

These was helpfull:
http://www.baldor.com/support/Litera...nNumber=TM421A
http://www.baldor.com/support/Litera...nNumber=TM420B
http://www.baldor.com/downloads/manu...loads/422a.pdf
http://www.baldor.com/support/Litera...nNumber=TM420A

[RaviVermaTaj]

Hi,
I have Baldor Servo Drive model SBTS10.
I am looking for the SMCC terminal program version 3.x
Can anybody help?
Thanks and regards
Ravi