[brccrb]

Originally posted back in April asking if anyone was interested in a 6-axis Double Closed Loop Controller (we had been using the system privately since Summer 2007). The response was great!

We have been humbled by the wealth of knowledge and wisdom. "Kind Thanks" to everyone that has made this possible.

Many of you have asked privately when the CNC Brain would be available. So, "Now" is a good answer.

www.CNCBrain.com

CNC Brain - $499
- 6 axis Double Closed Loop
- Automatic Error Recovery
- Runs under Windows via USB
- Includes software w/SDK/Source Code

You can see the ad here on CNC Zone.

[turmite]

BC I for one want to commend you on a great new product. I cannot wait to hook mine up and never again have to guess if my machine position is correct. Thanks ahead of time.

Mike

[David Bord]

Interesting! Great videos BTW. So would this be a replacement for Mach3 and a breakout board, or would it also replace something like a Gecko drive?

Is this device targeted at the CNC hobbiest? It appears that the benifit is in self correction like with Servo systems. Is the system designed to work with Servos only, or does it also work with Steppers and encoders also?

If someone were to setup a CNC machine(router, mill, plasma, lathe) what do you need for motion control outside of this device? Obviously motors and encoders, power supply, and Im guessing drives such as Gecko.

How easy is the system to configure on a retrofit or new machine?

David

[brccrb]

David,
Great questions! And thank you for your kind comments.

The CNC Brain works with steppers and servos (keep in mind it is still in Beta form until everyone agrees on a "production" version ... same hardware, just updated firmware/software).

The Brain dynamically corrects errors as they occur (as you saw in the video, which we had to slow the machine way down so you could hear it, otherwise is reacts so quickly) and is intended to be used by everyone (Hobbyist, OEM, weekend warriors, production shops alike

It tends to surprise people when they lean against a machine and the motors tick to compensate for the slightest flex they may be causing. When moving to closed or double closed loop, all that mess with skipping caused by harmonics and lost position just melts away ... THAT is what I like!!!

One of the interesting things the Brain can do is run mixed mode. Any axis can be either Open Loop, Closed Loop, or Double Closed Loop, and stepper or servo, in any combination. This lets you "grow" your machine to where you want it to be ... add as you want ... according to what you have available.

As for what you need, you've got it exactly. The CNC Brain is a motion control system (a super computer in a box). It takes G-Code from the PC, tells the drivers (such as Gecko ... which are great BTW) what to do, and takes input from sensors to correct in near real-time.

As for a "Mach replacement", I don't know if it would be called that. Mach is a good product and everyone is familiar with it (let's be honest, they ARE the market). There was some talk with Brian (a really great guy) at ArtSoft back in March to create a plugin, but that is up to him and his schedule.

The Control Panel GUI (which comes free with the CNC Brain) does come with the source code (yes, the whole program, source files, and project ... written in VB.Net ... even has a diagram in the project to show how the program is put together). It is built in layers that let it be changed very quickly and easily.

The idea is to let anyone create whatever they want with the stability of a dedicated motion control engine, without having to start from scratch.

The SDK simplifies the Brain interface. You say, "move these 6 axis to here", it figures out how to do it. And it can be used on more than just machining: robotics, pick-n-place, machine automation, etc..

As for easy setup, that is the idea (within reason .. darn wires . Check out the video about the I/O Tab (one of my pet peaves)

One other addictive thing is the Mouse Jog. Toward the end, past editing the "picture" jog buttons ... that Mouse wheel becomes usable!

Again, thanks for the feedback!!! Your questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Any gift of knowledge or wisdom you wish to pass along will be most humbly, and thankfully, accepted.


s/Bruce

[Switcher]

brccrb,

All I can say is WOW!

You've been busy.

I'm a bit confused by folks asking If it will work with Mach3 or EMC2 (here & in your other thread ), why would anyone want 2 controls from 2 seperate companies to work with each other?


.

[turmite]

brccrb,

All I can say is WOW!

You've been busy.

I'm a bit confused by folks asking If it will work with Mach3 or EMC2 (here & in your other thread ), why would anyone want 2 controls from 2 seperate companies to work with each other?


.

Switcher the main reason would familarity.....ifn I spelled that right! Many, in fact very many people love Mach and the interface it offers and are used to it. That fact alone will cause some to want the interface. On the other hand, CNCBrain is what Mach has been trying to achieve for the past several years. Closed loop, with real world position error correction. It's gonna be great!

Mike

[cut more]

Is there anyone out there who has purchased the cncbrain and has it running yet?
I would be interested in hearing how the set-up & tuning went.

Thanks for any info,
Cutmore

[turmite]

Hi Cutmore,

The CNCBrain only became available late Monday night. I will say that if you haven't watched the videos, do so. They will show you a lot of what you want to know.

Hopefully I get mine ordered today.

Mike

[brccrb]

Cutmore,
The CNC Brain was released on evening Monday (June 16th) .. and we started recieving orders two hours later. So soon, there should a lot of feedback!

Remember, it is a Beta (the hardaware won't change, just the software/firmware). And to be very open, it hasn't been tested on every kind of equipment (duh ). So over the next month or so, I'm sure it will be "The Great Bug Hunt".

The comforting part is that since the Brain is really 3 layers (GUI, SDK, Hardware ... even the layers are divided into functional layers), finding a bug and fixing it is a lot easier than trying to fix a large monolithic program. There is less of the "fix this, broke that" scenario.

Plus, the bulk of the bugs will probably be in the user interface which is the easiest to fix (and the GUI source code is open so if someone has VB experience, they can debug it themselves ... many eyes make problems small).

Great question!

s/Bruce

Is there anyone out there who has purchased the cncbrain and has it running yet?
I would be interested in hearing how the set-up & tuning went.

Thanks for any info,
Cutmore

[cncadmin]

I want 3 of them, it's like a great product!

[brccrb]

That's the spirit!

The website isn't clear on this:

In the upper right hand corner there are two icons: one is for a CNC Brain forum (not to take away from the CNC Zone, as if that were even possible, but intended to be specific to the CNC Brain along with the, "we want this" and "how do you do that" stuff).

The second icon is a shopping cart which is a link into the secure storefront.

s/Bruce

I want 3 of them, it's like a great product!

[Khalid]

www.cncbrain.com
the above website is not opening in firefox browser...I want to see that product..some body help me

[brccrb]

Khalid,
The website was built with .Net and "in theory" is supposed to work with any browser. With that said, I didn't know there was a FireFox browser problem.

Let me dig mine up and see what is going on.

Are you on Linux or Windows?

s/Bruce

www.cncbrain.com
the above website is not opening in firefox browser...I want to see that product..some body help me

[Khalid]

I am using windows XP...I am trying from yesterday morning but still its not opening..I think their is some problem..

I really want to see

[brccrb]

Khalid,
There is a formatting issue with Firefox and Safari. We'll get on that ASAP.

If you aren't seeing the page at all, it might be from the redirect.

www.CNCBrain.com points to www.SafeguardRobotics.com

Try the direct link.

s/Bruce

Khalid,
The website was built with .Net and "in theory" is supposed to work with any browser. With that said, I didn't know there was a FireFox browser problem.

Let me dig mine up and see what is going on.

Are you on Linux or Windows?

s/Bruce

[turmite]

I want 3 of them, it's like a great product!

NOT till I get mine!(nuts)

Paul this is what I mentioned to you in the email the other day!

Mike

[Khalid]

Thanks Bruse ...its open up now

[Khalid]

hmm..its really great software...but i am using stepper motors without encoders....Its not for me for the time being...

[ger21]

If you have a stepper powered machine, and it stalls or starts losing steps, how do you correct the position, since the stepper has already run out of power?

[brccrb]

**Khalid,

First, the CNC Brain can run in three different modes:
1) Open Loop - no sensors
2) Closed Loop - with a sensor on the axis or ball screw for feedback
3) Double-Closed Loop - axis sensor and motor sensor both.

You can mix and match modes on the same machine so it can grow as your machine does.

As for axis sensors, there are several options. I'll try to post to the Safeguard forum this weekend in building a low cost linear scale. And a rotary scale for adding a 4th/5th/6th axis.

**Ger,

The stepper question is a great one! The CNC Brain is always watching the axis comparing theory to reality. It isn't a pulsiting engine, it is a motion control system. It watches everything in parallel. Imagine over 140 MPP processors (non-Von Neumann) doing all the motion control math for every axis, where is it going, and where it has been, nearly every clock ... and most of the MPP do several things at the same time.

In Closed Loop, the Brain becomes aware of a problem as it begins from the axis sensor (for example, with 5 micron scales, it will start preparing for correction, in case an error were to occur, within 10 micron). It then has a host of options (often, it corrects without you even noticing ... ball screw error, belt slippage, etc.), including decelerating the other axis in sync, then reaccelerating after the path is corrected ... automatically.

In Double Closed Loop, there is a pre-error condition. In other words, it compares the postion of the encoder and the position of the motor (with all vibrations and slippage ... steppers are never where they are thought) to get an idea of the strain the motor is under. This let's the Brain decide what is going on and begin correcting before the motor reaches a "breaking point".

The nasties of machining ... harmonics and rough spots ... are always going to occur. For example, the center of your mill has/will have less backlash and can run faster than the outer edges from wear. For fun, check your backlash at different position along the axis.

**Ger
That also reminds me. Need to post the BitSaver video. In BitSaver mode, if the spindle slows down, the motion control will slow down with it. Saves the bit in many cases. I'm not a good machinist. I **NEED** the machine to make up for my lack of skill.

Great questions!

s/Bruce

If you have a stepper powered machine, and it stalls or starts losing steps, how do you correct the position, since the stepper has already run out of power?