Hello all,
I have been developing over the past year a CNC controller based on the Codesys platform/PLC Open standard. I have several years of experience in the industrial automation field as an electrical designer and PLC/robot programmer.
I have put together a BOM, below, of the components to build a panel to control a 3 axis system. No additional PC would be required, just a monitor and a mouse to visualize and control the interface.
Item Qty
Panel 24x24X8” x1
Power Supply 24VDC@10A x1
Safety E-Stop Relay x1
1 Pole Circuit Breaker x5
Industrial Rasperry Pi w/ Codesys x1
Terminals x30
12VDC Battery x1
Power Supply 48VDC@10A x3
Ethernet Switch x1
E-stop button x1
Ducts 2m x1
RJ45/HDMI/USB panel connection x1
Rotary disconnect x1
24VDC electronic cicuit breaker 8 channel x1
Power contactor x2
E/IP Bus coupler x1
8DI/DO module x1
Panel Motor connectors x3
The total cost of the items above is around US$2800. No motors included. I have designed the system to control drives primarily over a Fieldbus, e.g. Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Ethercat. Several options are available and in my opinion, an affordable solution are the Applied Motion StepServo integrated motors with Ethernet/IP built-in:
https://www.applied-motion.com/produ..._value%5B%5D=0
I have no interest in promoting the motors above. I just think they are a good and affordable option. However, any servo drive/or integrated motor with Fieldbus would work with no issue. If the preference is to use a stepper controller that takes step and direction signals only, then additional modules would have to be added to the Bus coupler rack. Each one costs around $250 and can control 1 axis. The system can accommodate up to 5 axis, with an upgrade of the power supply depending on the motor sizes.
The interface is very simple so far, it is HTML5 based, and can be accessed from a Web-browser. I have uploaded some images:
https://ibb.co/LJzwps6
https://ibb.co/svwVWB6
NC files can be loaded from a remote folder/server or from a local USB stick. There is a 3D visualization window and a simple G code editor. The interface is under continuous improvement. Generic Fusion360 post-processors, with small modifications, can be used to generate compatible NC files.
The system is very escalable because it is PLC based. To add and program peripherals, e.g. valve solenoids, spindles, pump control, etc. is very simple, using common ladder logic.
If anyone is interested on this project please write below or send me a PM. Looking forward to your opinion. I'm based in Ontario, Canada.
More information about Codesys CNC:
https://www.codesys.com/products/cod...-robotics.html
and PLC Open Standard:
https://plcopen.org