[AjaxCNC]

Hello All,

I represent AjaxCNC. I would just like everyone in this forum know that I will be happy to answer any and all questions related to our controls.

I will also be happy to supply tech support and resources when needed.

I encourage everyone to post their honest opinions and experiences with AjaxCNC!

It is YOUR feedback and support that will continually bring about changes that ensure AjaxCNC will always provide the most powerful, easiest to use Do-It-Yourself CNC Control!

Thank you in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

AjaxCNC

[cncadmin]

Welcome aboard and thank you for supporting the site!

[HuFlungDung]

Hi AjaxCNC

How much user configurability is there to your systems? It is great to have good clear instructions on how to hook up and get it all running, but what if my ideas for the interface don't match yours? What freedom does the user have?

How does the DOS system compare to the Linux? I'd hate to go back to 8 letter DOS, so does the Linux system run "inside of a Linux window" (by analogy), so that a person at least has a multi-tasking environment to work in to edit, copy and paste, load programs, run a cadcam program etc?

What about using a Galil motion control card with your systems? Is there any compatability?

Thanks for your time to reply.

[ynneb]

Welcome to the forum Ajax, this forum could do with a good scrub up. (Sorry bad joke. Do they sell Ajax in the US? )
Wow a moderator, and only one post to his name, you must be important. I am sure your input will be greatly appreciated.

[HillBilly]

AlaxCNC,

Does your control do a MST (misc. funtion,speed&tool) transfer function to the PLC and then wait for a reply if needed.
This is what I am used to seeing and would make intergration an ease.

BTW, I don't mind sacraficing a computer to do nothing but control the machine if it means I am in control at all times!

Darek Ashburn

[Al_The_Man]

I am interested in what hardware (motion control card/port etc?) is required to interface to the motion control side and the PLC or machine control side, I don't seem to find the details on the web site.

HillBilly, I like that method also, where a strobe signal is sent by the CNC whenever a M,S or T is programmed and the CNC side waits for the Completion or FIN signal to be issued by the PLC. Most of the Major system manufacturers have adopted this method.
Al

[trubleshtr]

Does ajaxcnc build PLC's ??

[Al_The_Man]

I was using the term PLC loosely to refer to the Hardware/software applied to controlling the 'Machine' control side of things.
Al

[AjaxCNC]

Wow, I didn't expect such an immediate response! These are great questions from all of you. I will do my best to answer them all.

Dung, our system can be as flexible as you want in terms of motion control and PLC operations, but we do not offer a generic one for all control! After all, if you have a knee mill, you do NOT need something that will control a Lathe or a garage door opener. You want a control that is designed specifically for a mill, with tried and true features a Mill operator needs. This is why we have different control platforms for different machines including mills, lathes, routers, gear hobbers, plasma, laser, punch, engraving, and ATC machining centers.
Concerning Linux, our OS has true multitasking ability and is much more flexible and stable than the older DOS release, which will be discontinued shortly. And Linux does not have the problems commonly associated with Windows!
As for the Galil motion control card, there is NO compatability. The Galil is an obsolete motion processor. Our motion control cards are much faster, and offer the benefits of digital fiber optic communication, which means faster speeds and 100% immunity to the noise in a manufacturing atmosphere. Try running a TIG welder next to someone elses control and see what happens.

Al & HillBilly, you are correct in the way we process info between the PLC and motion control card, only because of our dual processor design and use of fiber optics, we do it in REAL time. And your right, we do it just like a major control manufacturer, because we license our products from one. Centroid. So we have the backing of a 35 year old company with over 8000 controls in the field running production every day of the week.
And itegration is a breeze because when you get our control it is 100% preprogrammed for YOUR application. There is no guess work. You simply get a control that works!

I hope this helped!

[HillBilly]

AjaxCNC,

Is there a way to exceed the 110Vdc 15A barrier for the bigger machines. This is a good average power for 80-90% of the machines I encounter but every now and then I run into the big horizontal mills that have the 100Vdc 100A motors. On the subject of horizontals can the 4th axis be configured as W.

I was told Ajax had roots with Centroid. BTW, glad to finally talk to you.

Darek

[AjaxCNC]

HillBilly,

Hello. In the case of very large machines and motors, we offer a CNC kit that will interface with a third-party drive such as those made by Advanced Motion Controls (A-M-C). Instead of converting the digital drive signals to analog within the servo drive, we do it externally and then feed that signal to the A-M-C drives. It is a very simple, yet very effective setup.
As for the 4th axis, it can be configured as A, B, W or whatever and control either a linear or rotary axis.

[Al_The_Man]

I would like to get more info/specs etc on the motion card. Is it fitted with machine control i/o ability

Originally posted by AjaxCNC
Try running a TIG welder next to someone Else's control and see what happens.

I have used Acroloop and galil in many industrial environments with Plasma cutters etc. which are very noisy and had no noise problems if the ground shielding is done correctly.
Thanks for the info so far.
Al

[AjaxCNC]

Al,

Hello. I cannot give you too many details as this is a propriatary board. It is only compatable with our servo drives and PLCs, and software. Concerning I/O, we leave than up to a dedicated PLC. This arrangement proves to be much more reliable and flexible. There is only so much room on a PC card, meaning there would be either limited I/O, or limited processing capability. With seperate units you get the best of both worlds.

[Al_The_Man]

Originally posted by AjaxCNC

It is only compatable with our servo drives and PLCs, and software.

Ajax, Are these servo drives manufactured by yourselves? are they digital or analogue?
Al

[AjaxCNC]

All of our DC servo drives are digital, and are manufactured by Centroid Corporation in their facility in PA.

[HuFlungDung]

Ajax,

One of the reasons I went to pc based cnc is to try to get away from proprietory hardware. So I use Galil motion controllers in the belief that it is "general purpose," I guess. I would say the same about servo drives and motors, too.

What are your comments about this issue of proprietory hardware?

[HillBilly]

Ajax,

Is there a list of supported G codes for the mill and lathe package. I am interested in the drill cycles for a mill and the use of G98 and G99 with them. Another set of mill G codes I am interested in is G28 and G29 for use before and after the tool change.

Darek

[AjaxCNC]

HillBilly,

Hello. You can find a list of our supported G & M codes on our website at:

www.ajaxcnc.com/features_specs.htm

All of the g-codes you mentioned are supported by our control.

[dgalaxy]

i bet the moderator is Jesse and he is definitly a sharp guy he is sharp and he helpfull 2 thumbs up ajax love my 26" servos

[peter.blais]

Hello, I recently tried to upgrade to Linux, and never could get it to work. I have a Servo3IO board. When I would boot up, the pneumatic spindle speed / brake control box would immediatly start venting air. Turning the spindle on / off using the alt/q/r didn't do anything. I have a reversing contactor spindle setup.

Now that i'm back on DOS, everything is working, but my spindle speed seems to be all out of whack with what is displayed on the rpm wheel. I either need to know how to fix / recalibrate it, using the dos setup, or switch to linux or both.

Honestly I don't really care one way or another I just need this thing up and running beacuse I've got all sorts of parts that need to be done.

I talked with jesse on this a lot and thought I had it licked switching back to dos but tonight I tried to cut some parts and discovered the spindle RPM issue. His service is great though, I was amazed especially because I am the second owner of this retrofit not the first. :rainfro:

-Pete