X-sim based on CNC control hardware?

Hello all,

Recently I've found your web site and I'm really motiveted to start to build a simulator, but after the conclusion of my main project.
I'm starting to convert a milling machine into full CNC with 3 servo motors.
The hardware I'll use is from http://www.granitedevices.fi and is:

Servo controller VSD-E from:
http://www.granitedevices.fi/index.php?q=servo-drive-vsd-e

Servo Motor BL70-300 (300W 1nm) from:
http://www.granitedevices.fi/index.php?q=brushless-servomotors

I will use a parallel port to comunicate to servo control as most popular CNC programs use them.
The board is also from the same supplier, breakout board VSDEPI
http://www.granitedevices.fi/index.php?q=vsd-e-breakout

My ideia is use the same hardware on both systems as will be only a question of unfixing/fixing motors.
Will be possible interface X-sim with this breakout board? As far I understand X-sim only permits comunication trough serial port for electric motor position control right?
There will be any advantage connect only the motors and controller to Tronic's AMC motor motion-controller?


Thanks
JoseCove

I'm not a programmer, I've really low level programming knowlege.
I've found Bidirectional Serial / Parallel Converter dongles from ATEN SXP325A
They have 2 models SXP320A and SXP325A (only difference is that last one is buffered)

http://www.aten.com/products/produc...10002&pid=20050224174231005&layerid=subClass8

You think that this kind of bridge can work as direct interface between USO and CNC parallel breakboards?

If this works can be also a simple solution to other people build ther own simulators as there are relativly cheap CNC solutions with stepper motors:
One web site that I've found with low prices for such systems is: http://www.cnc-plus.de you can find several motors and controllers at low prices.

4.0 Amp Step Motor Driver .................79€ (per axis)
Stepping Motor 3,0 Nm........................65€ (per axis)
Optical coupler and Interface board ......89€
...

In my experiance CNC drivers aren't slow. I have a CNC milling machine (stepper motor driven) here with a speed of 700mm/min wich is about 12 mm/s, and it is even not a fast machine.

BTW how are the actuaters with the stepper motors driven?

CNC motors are slow!!! Even my weak car wiper motor pulley system can reach 40mm/s !!! :brows:
SCN5 actuator motors (stepper) are even faster!



Thanos

Yes but then the movement of the milling machine is unstopable (more force than speed) so maybe when you don't use a gear reduction but a gear... (can't find the word right now but it's the oposite of reduction ) it will be fast enough?
How come the SCN5 actuators are faster? Less resistance and not so reducted as a mill ? :?

SCN5 make >400mm/s! They are much faster due to higher thread pitch (ballscrew) and very big stepper steppings (~3,6°)
Unfortuntly they have just 10kgf.

So your 40mm/s actuators are quite slow. But if you want to build a general avation simulator (Boeing etc.) the speed may be sufficient perhaps...

However, is your CNC controller able to receive and execute a new command, before the last command is accomplished?

transmission ratio smaller than 1 ;D

regards

Isn't that a strange thing to do execute a command before the one that was in front of it? :?

But i don't know if it can but this http://stappenmotor.nl/Datasheets/microstapdrivers info/MSD-50-5.pdf is the info of the drivers which are directly coupled on the printer port and the stepper motors.

Just imagine following scene: you are driving over a curb bench which gives massive positive and negative magnitudes/values in an alternating manner in a fraction of a second to simulate rumble.

The first command due to this value spike is full extraction. A fraction of a second later, the Profiler outputs another value, likewise high, but in the contrariwise direction. But unfortunatly your controller cannot execute this command, as the is still executing the last command, to fully extend the actuator. So, depending how long your actuator needs to extend/retract, your simulator executes consecutive commands just after several seconds.
Not that immersive, I guess

I get it now :yes:, but that has nothing to do with the drivers, thats more about the speed that you can get from the motors. The CNC mill that i have here is slow because the computer is configured at 700mm/min (I don't see what the drivers have to do with that).

Steppers are driven with an acc/deacc ramping. If you set up your system that the motors reach target position before the Profiler transmitts a new position, you will have a consistant stick-slip movement, as your motors deaccellerate to reach the target. The result would be alot surge.

To achieve an instant and smooth movement, the motors have to move consistantly in the stepper ramping (fast enough to follow close the target position, but they almost never reach it actually).

But this behaviour is impossible with a controller that does not accept commands before the last one is executed.

The max speed of your hardware is restricted as well, as windows is no realtime OS. Windows is task based, which means the more applications you are running, the slower your motors will move. Just imagine cutting a thread with a home CNC lathe, and one of your windows applications starts an automatic internet update, which increases your CPU load :lol:

Nothing. You need an external stepper controller with encoder input and PID positon control.

Servo controller VSD-E can be controleed by PWM. So maybe Thanos board could handle it.
CNC driver isnt slow its all about money, you cant have cheap strong and fast acutator (you can chose two of them: cheap and strong or cheap and fast or fast and strong )

stepper motors have crossed my mind a few times recently. Correct me if i am wrong but would a stepper motor type solution eradicate the need for position feedback?

Chris

Maybe, it is help.

hello how are you? somebody could solve this problem? I am trying to configure an interface cnc but can not configure step enb dir and I can start up the engines and sending the signal direction but they do not respond as they should. I think that the controller sends a single pulse. everything is working correctly in the CNC program. I look forward ideas! bye

Andre Calegari