[MerlinWizard]

Hello All,

I'm new to the group. Looks to be a great community and a wealth of information here.

I recently purchased an AXIOM AR8 CNC which uses the RichAuto pendant controller and will be converting over to and AXBB-E motion controller so that I can utilize the UCCNC software for control of the tool.

I am hoping that some good folks here can help me out with the re-wiring inside the control box. Also, I have spent many hours searching the internet for the UCCNC machine specific profile for the AXIOM AR8 V5, but have had no luck. Can someone share this config file with me or point me in the right direction?

Has anyone gone through this conversion for an AXIOM machine?

Any info / help would be most appreciated!

-Bill

[Jmhx2]

Hello All,

I'm new to the group. Looks to be a great community and a wealth of information here.

I recently purchased an AXIOM AR8 CNC which uses the RichAuto pendant controller and will be converting over to and AXBB-E motion controller so that I can utilize the UCCNC software for control of the tool.

I am hoping that some good folks here can help me out with the re-wiring inside the control box. Also, I have spent many hours searching the internet for the UCCNC machine specific profile for the AXIOM AR8 V5, but have had no luck. Can someone share this config file with me or point me in the right direction?

Has anyone gone through this conversion for an AXIOM machine?

Any info / help would be most appreciated!

-Bill

Hi Bill,
I have installed a few UCCNC systems but I am not familiar with the richauto. From looking at pics it appears you will need motor drivers for each axis or you can fabricate a plug that will interface your AXBB-E to the richauto wiring board.
Not sure what you mean about a profile, do you mean for the controller? I/O, motor settings, etc. or a post processor?
The controller settings are pretty easy to set up from scratch, the post processor can be a generic mach processor.

[MerlinWizard]

Hi Bill,
I have installed a few UCCNC systems but I am not familiar with the richauto. From looking at pics it appears you will need motor drivers for each axis or you can fabricate a plug that will interface your AXBB-E to the richauto wiring board.
Not sure what you mean about a profile, do you mean for the controller? I/O, motor settings, etc. or a post processor?
The controller settings are pretty easy to set up from scratch, the post processor can be a generic mach processor.

Hello, thanks for the reply! It's my understanding that some distributors of the Axiom machine sell them with the UCCNC software and AXBB configuration (i2R-New York, BG Precision-Australia, Stoney CNC-Ireland). Not sure why Axiom here in the states does not offer the UCCNC option. I purchased the AXBB board from CNC4PC out of Florida. A guy named Arturo there told me that the RichAuto control card will get replaced by the AXBB. I am looking for help with the wiring from the old card to the new. I've uploaded a pic of my control box and a closeup of the RichAuto control card. Regarding the profile; it is my understanding that the UCCNC software requires a machine specific profile (ie. Axiom AR8 pro V5). Does it not? I appreciate your help! -Bill

[Jmhx2]

A picture is worth a 1000 words. I was afraid the motor drivers were on the RA breakout board, but they are not. They are the 4 boxes in the front of the cabinet so you should be able to keep and use them. The "profile" is a save of all machine parameters. I/O, motor settings, etc. It probably would be easier for you if you can find the profile but you can configure UCCNC with all the settings you need and then save as your profile.
I doubt it, but if you can get into a config screen in your controller you may be able to retrieve the settings and then transfer to UCCNC. If not you will need to manually configure.
The motor connections will be an easy transfer from one card to the other.
I would trace each I/O wire to determine what it's function is, limit switches, tool setter, VFD, safety, etc. Then you wire to your new board I/O and set the variable in UCCNC configuration.

[MerlinWizard]

Thanks for the information! This gives me a good starting point for when I pull the trigger on doing this upgrade. Hopefully I can pull the configuration settings from the RichAuto pendant and setup a UCCNC profile from it. I'm sure I'll be back in touch when I get stuck! Thanks again

[HoS2020]

Did you ever get your conversion from the Richauto B18 pendant to the AXBB controller plus UCCNC software completed? In that case, could you give me some details, sources and prices - Thanks. I was quite shocked when I purchased my AR6 some months ago and now realizing that I can not even set the spindle speed out of VCarve into the B18 pendant, but rather would have to set it manually at the Siemens VFD with that stupidly finnicky dial knob - ridicolous for a $7,5k machine.

[CreeRiverChip]

Did you ever get your conversion from the Richauto B18 pendant to the AXBB controller plus UCCNC software completed? In that case, could you give me some details, sources and prices - Thanks. I was quite shocked when I purchased my AR6 some months ago and now realizing that I can not even set the spindle speed out of VCarve into the B18 pendant, but rather would have to set it manually at the Siemens VFD with that stupidly finnicky dial knob - ridicolous for a $7,5k machine.

I am also very interested in your results. I have an Iconic8, and every fall when I get back into my shop, my controller won't boot up. Lots of back and forth with Axiom, usually involving me sending my controller to be reflashed. I think it is time I looked at an altenative...

Chip

[Atkjedi]

Thanks for the information! This gives me a good starting point for when I pull the trigger on doing this upgrade. Hopefully I can pull the configuration settings from the RichAuto pendant and setup a UCCNC profile from it. I'm sure I'll be back in touch when I get stuck! Thanks again

Did you get this working? I have frustrations with the RA controller and want to convert.