Messages

1

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: May 22, 2015, 03:33:21 AM »

I went through everything and found that I had a bad cable (it was grounding out my pwm signal).  I fixed that and have the router working now.

I currently have full speed control of the router.  It is controlled with M3.  PWM is set for pin 16 and is split to go to both the laser and the router.  The mach3 setting are:

Motor outputs:
   spindle Step pin 16, Direction 0

Output Signals,
   Output 1 port 1, pin 14  (K2 router Relay)
   Output 2 port 1, pin 1    (K1 Laser Relay)

Spindle Setup:
    Relay Control (on - unchecked) M3 and M4 both set to output 1
    Motor Control - use spindle Motor output (check) ,PWM Control (check) Step/Dir Motor (unchecked)

SmoothStepper Config:
     PWM Checked
     Base Hz 5000

Currently M3 works great and I can control the speed.

What I am uncertain of is how disable the router, keep the pwm signal and enable the laser.  I was thinking of modifying M6 to turn off the router, but leave pin 16 active when a tool change was called for with a specific tool number that would represent the laser.  Lets use 150 as the laser tool number.

So the scenario would look like this:

load a g-gode file.  It has a header that has the dust collector start (m7).  Then a m3 with a tool number (say 4) that represents a .25 endmill.  A speed (15krpm)- etc...  G-code..Then, ToolChange! M6 with a call for tool 150 (Laser).

M6 would have a script that starts when it see if it is tool number 150.  If it is, then It turns off the spindle, leaves pin 16 active and turns on the laser (k1).

2

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: May 20, 2015, 12:38:56 AM »

Been a while since I last posted, but I have not been idle!

I set up the 126 as I indicated on the previous diagram - except I set two of the relays on the separate relay board to control the remote for dust collector (as Steve suggested).

I have been able get the dust collector and the other relays on the board to be controlled from J5, but I am having a lot of trouble getting the router and the laser to work. I can't seem to figure out the mach3 settings.

3

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: March 21, 2015, 11:09:13 PM »

I have updated the diagram to reflect what I think will work.  I added a 4 channel relay board that will operate off of J5.  This will give me (I hope) the ability to turn a laser pointer cross hair unit off and on to align to my work.  Also, I was thinking of using a wireless remote to activate the dust collector. It has a momentary on and a momentary off switch to toggle the remote outlet for the dust collector.  I would like use a simple cap circuit that would take a continuous on/off signal from the board and change it to a momentary burst to trigger a relay tied to the remote On button or the remote OFF button.

So, I set up Mach to trigger my collector by activating "A" on j5.  "A" goes high, sending a +5 to the electrolytic capacitor and charging it to +5V via the relay winding resistance. The pulse charge current through the capacitor and one relay will switch momentarily. When "A" is deactivated back to ground, the capacitor will discharge, activating the other relay switch momentarily (I think....)

4

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: March 19, 2015, 06:34:09 PM »

Yeah- it wouxld be nice to control them independently.

5

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: March 19, 2015, 04:19:03 PM »

Hi Steve,

Here is my diagram based on your suggested wiring.

Does this look correct?

Thanks again!

Jason

6

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: March 17, 2015, 11:35:16 PM »

Wow!  Thanks!

Let me process all of this and I will happily make and post a diagram.  I am glad you changed the name of this thread - it has certainly gone beyond my initial question.

Stuff to get - 5v power supply for the Smooth Stepper.  12v Supply for laser (I have one, just need to get it installed nicely).  Separate Solid State relay to control the Dust collector.

7

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead.

« on: March 16, 2015, 10:47:41 PM »

First,  Let me say thank you! Your help is very much appreciated!

Unfortunately,  there is not any real documentation for the laser diode.  It is essentially a custom piece. However, it is a 12v 2 amp laser diode with a TTL control wire. 

This is the closest thing I can find:
http://jtechphotonics.com/?page_id=1436

I am also using a Ethernet smooth stepper

8

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead.

« on: March 16, 2015, 10:36:48 PM »

My apologies about not being more clear in my setup.

Attached is a diagram showing how I have the superpid connected.

9

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead.

« on: March 16, 2015, 10:30:11 PM »

maybe it would help if I describe what my set up is and what I am trying to do.

I have a router controlled by pwm, using a superpid.  The superpid will turn on the router when the activation signal is grounded.  The problem is that there can be a time when the pmdx-126 is on, but mach has not come on line.  During this time, the control is grounded and the router will turn on -Not under control.  To prevent this, I ran the control line through the K2 relay - cutting off the path to ground and keeping the router from spinning up.



Ideally,  I would like to have a relay control my dust collection.

I would also like to have the diode on the same machine.  It seems to have a similar problem as the router in that the laser is activated when the ttl input is grounded.  So it seems I should have it disconnected by a relay as well.  I don't want it to fire while the system boots up.   The TTL signal that controls the laser would be an output (possibly pin 16?) .

I plan on using m11 and m10 commands to trigger the laser.

Even better, would be if I could control the ttl input on the laser with a second PWM signal.   The idea being to have a laser with the intensity level controlled by pwm and the router speed controlled by pwm able to work on the same job with no manual conversion/switch over.  I am not sure if that is possible with Mach3. 

10

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead.

« on: March 16, 2015, 09:49:11 PM »

Ok,


It looks like the problem is as your pointed out - If the spindle is turned on in Motor Outputs and set to pin 1, then if output 2 is set to 1, the relay will not trip.

However,  I am using a superpid as my speed control for the router.  If I uncheck  the spindle in Motor outputs, I can no longer control the speed through mach.

11

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: I think my K1 relay is dead.

« on: March 16, 2015, 08:34:19 PM »

I am not running a script (at least, not that I know of...)  Currently, I do not have anything connected to the K1 relay.  I do have my router connected through K2 (and it is working).

I tried to upload the xml, was given an error.  So I have changed the extension to txt.

12

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / I think my K1 relay is dead (laser diode control question)

« on: March 16, 2015, 03:51:23 PM »

I have recently posted about adding a laser diode to my machine. 

I want to control the diode via pwm in mach3 and have pmdx-126 K1 relay turn the power off/on.  However, I cannot get it toggle on and off via mach3.

I have set output 3 in my ports and pins/outputs to pp1 pin1. 

Am I missing something?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

13

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Re: Laser Diode on the 126

« on: March 13, 2015, 09:59:51 PM »

Thanks!  That is what i needed to know. 

I am still working may way up the learning curve on this.  It is my understanding the smoothstepper can automatically adjust the pwm output to correspond to changes in speed of travel.

14

Parallel Port breakout boards, motherboards, and dedicated accessories / Laser Diode on the 126

« on: March 13, 2015, 09:37:26 PM »

Hoping to get a little help here.

I have a 2 watt laser diode that has 3 wires. It runs off 12v (Black,Red) and has a control line (white). When the white line is grounded - the laser is off. When the white is high, the laser on.   I would like to control the diode with PWM if possible, but would be happy to just to get it reliably turn off and on at the beginning of a cut.

 I am using a pdmx-126 to run my cnc router.  It has a smoothstepper (ethernet) and superPID to control the speed of the router- all running under Mach3.   My preference would be to NOT have to disconnect a but of stuff, but rather to able to switch between the router and the laser through Mach.

My problem seems to be with how things are grounded.  To test the things, I was attempting to control by toggling pp16 located in J6.  I assume everything in J6 is grounded relative to pcGrd.   The idea was to use one of the of unregulated unregulated +12v on the board.  However, they are on a different ground (not pcGrnd) . The documentation says not to tie pcGrnd to any of the other grounds on the board as it could cause a ground loop.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.