[jim2000]

I purchased a Bridgeport Ser 1 CNC with a AH HA software upgrade on it. The computer is a 150mhz 1992 or so computer it is hooked to the AH HA computer with the drive boards in it. It worked fine till today when I hooked it all up to see what it will do with a gcode, bad luck the ah ha program would not boot. If anybody has a boot disk for a ah ha or a backup program I am more than willing to purchase a boot disk or a copy of the program.

Jim
863 633 8975
[email protected]

[forhire]

Jim, have you checked the bios to ensure the hard drive is configured properly? If it's a SCSI drive you may have to configure it in a separate controller. If I recall AH-HA ran in DOS. If you have a DOS boot floppy you should at minimum be able to boot up and see if the drive is readable. Any good computer shop should be able to sort it... with an older technician.

[jim2000]

Jim, have you checked the bios to ensure the hard drive is configured properly? If it's a SCSI drive you may have to configure it in a separate controller. If I recall AH-HA ran in DOS. If you have a DOS boot floppy you should at minimum be able to boot up and see if the drive is readable. Any good computer shop should be able to sort it... with an older technician.

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it. It is a good reminder of the knowhow we all used to have to know. I am going to do the older technician routine, but hoping that somebody can give me or sell me a saved copy of the old artisan program.

[jim2000]

I have the AH HA RC500-G Artisan-CNC Manual from May 1, 1997. If anybody needs it, its all in here from the AH-HA Design Group Inc.-- Let me know if you want a copy of it.
This is the info that I have on the Bridgeport X, Y and Z axis motors. If something is questionable please let me know because I am in the process of shopping for the best motor drivers for them that can be incorporated with the Acorn Centroid CNC System so I can use all the modern software, inkscape, fusion 360, Centroid digitising bundle.
INFO:
Bridgeport Series 1 CNC approximate year 1991-1993
BIG ROUND BOXY with ROUNDED FINS 7 3/4 INCH LENGTH.
THESE ARE UNIPOLAR DC BRUSHLESS STEPPER MOTORS with 5 wires.
THEY ARE DIVIDED IN 1.8 DEGREES, 200 STEPS PER REVOLUTION. THAT GIVES IT 360 DEGREES.
MOTORS ARE 8.5 AMP @ 58 VDC.
I am using these motors for the X,Y and Z axis because they are adequate for my needs 6 to 7 parts a year. the brake is not really a problem because I only take minimal amount from the aluminum or steel used to make a small parts on it. I am in the process of shopping for the best stepper driver. Hoping to get Gecko if possible. But I am willing to make the driver myself.
ArtisanBios.thumb_IMG_2917_1024.jpg
Jim
863 633 8975
[email protected]

[forhire]

Use the drivers and power supply from the AH-HA system. You should be able to simply send step and direction from the Acorn.

[jim2000]

Very good thinking, have been thinking about it for awhile, the 150 mhz computer has a ah ha board attached to the the main computer board. A 37 pin cable(like a DB25 pin) goes to the ah ha box, they call it the IF16/IFB PC INTERFACE CONNECTION. This 37 pin cable goes from the computer Ah Ha board to the ah ha junction board in the Ah ha computer box enclosure. The junction box is a board that the DB37 pin from the computer and the I/O D25 receives all the in and out messages from the accessories(oiler,limit switches etc.). The 3 driverboards receive their info from the DB37 pin cable from the main computer running the software. Also the driver boards are connected or better said daisy chained from to the junction box with 5 wire connection. The transformer, the voltage distribution wiring to the stepper driver boards are daisy chained from the transformer to the distribution board and from there it is daisy chained to the driver boards.
Since I really don't know for sure, the Ah ha program was in dos, so the boards have to take their commands in dos,I presume dos 6.22 the boards also have to take their commands in dos. So I have a 2 way approach. The first is to get the Ah ha program running again and you are right I will take it to a old timer to have it run. I think that I changed something in the bios and that is the reason for the program wanting the bot disc. You are right I will go the the local computer shops till it boots. Than I will save the Artisan Ah Ha program and also make a boot disc from it. At this time I will upgrade the tower to a 200 mhz Pentium, install a usb and a disc and a floppy drive. Will buy the acorn board and the programs to be able to generate the G codes from pictures or photographs and look for a stepper drive for this BP CNC. The old ah ha will run the G codes that I want machined till than. As a matter of fact it is good mental gymnastics to do this
Thanx for your input!!
Jim