# G0704 CNC Conversion (yes, another thread on this :) )



## wachuko

Well, since you guys did not let me buy an inexpensive metal lathe to play with  (link to that thread)... decided to convert my G0704 to a CNC machine.  Will document my journey with this project here.

Bought the machine back in 2015 (link to thread)

A few threads and videos I looked at on this.  Simple google search... found a few threads on another forum, not sure if it is okay to link to those from this site...so will leave the external links out of the thread for now.  Again, simple google search on "g0704 cnc kit" :



			CNC Update Blog: The Parts & Costs – Practical Renaissance
		







Follow up update he made with some additional changes made:






Sent an email to this gentleman to see if he is still making the adapters (I do not have the skills at this point to try to make them myself) :






Ordered a new Y-axis block (saddle - part 68 on the diagram, part number P0704068) to modify before I disassemble my machine... I did not wanted to use a grinder (like in the video from Practical Renaissance) for the modification.  Figured I would use my milling machine to make the modifications  to the spare saddle before taking my machine apart and then, just swap the modified part.




I will continue to buy the needed parts as finances allow... hope to have this modification completed in the next few months.

Cheers!


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## wachuko

Received a reply from Dave on the adapters.  He is still making them.  

Placing the order for those.


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## arizonavideo

I think I answered your email.

Good looking kit BTW.


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## wachuko

arizonavideo said:


> I think I answered your email.
> 
> Good looking kit BTW.



Thank you.  Was on the road, sorry for the delay on replying.   Email reply sent. 

Since I still do not have the motors, asking for some guidance on going with 23s on X and Y axis and 34 on Z axis... or if it is better to go with 34s in all axis??  I know this will determine the mounts that you need to provide... again, newbie here asking for some guidance.

Shaft diameter for the motors:

On the 23 it is 8mm
On the 34 it is 14mm

I also want to get dual shaft motors as I do not want to loose the ability to move them manually.


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## wachuko

A few more videos I found for reference:


























https://youtu.be/BJ1-AG1hNMw


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## wachuko

Had not noticed the photo, lol.  Yes!  I want that set of adapters!  They look to be well designed and made.  







I will go with 23 on X and Y axis and the 34 on the Z axis.  Seems to be what most folks are doing.  Sending you another email to confirm that and the shaft size for the couplers.

Thanks again Dave.


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## wachuko

These arrived yesterday...


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## wachuko

Well... parts ordered...

From Dave ( @arizonavideo )

G0704 CNC kit. 3/8" and 1/2" couplers

From https://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/

2 - KL-5056E Digital Stepper Driver
2 - NEMA23 570oz/in 5A 3/8” Dual Shaft Stepper Motor (KL23H2100-50-4BC)
1 - NEMA 34 640 oz-in Stepper Motor (KL34H280-45-8B) Dual shaft
3 - Motor cable connector set
3 - 4 conductor 18GA Shielded Motor wires
1 - KL-8070D Digital Bipolar Stepper Motor Driver-32 bit DSP Based
1 - 48VDC/12.5A Switching CNC Power Supply
1- 5V Breakout Board Power Supply
1- Motor Cable with Connector, 12 feet (for the NEMA 34 since it does not come with one)

And based on some videos from Practical Renaissance, ordered these from Amazon:

Ethernet SmoothStepper CNC Motion Controller
C25 - Smooth Stepper Terminal Board
C6 - Variable Speed Control Board
SinLoon DB25 Adapter with Bracket to IDC 26 Pin Ribbon Cable, Motherboard Slot Plate Parallel Panel DB-25 Female to 26 Pin IDC Socket Flat Cable
Hilitchi 40-Pieces 2 3 4 5 Pin 16mm Thread Male Female Panel Metal Aviation Wire Wire Connector Plug Assortment Kit (2 Pin / 3 Pin / 4 Pin / 5Pin)
1/8" Nylon Electric Solenoid Valve 12V DC Normally Closed NBR
Tolako 5v Relay Module for Arduino ARM PIC AVR MCU 5V Indicator Light LED 1 Channel Relay Module Works with Official Arduino Boards

Sure hope that I am not missing anything... oh, and that I ordered the correct parts... went with individual parts rather than getting a kit on the motors and controllers to be able to leverage the feedback/suggestions from those that know what they are doing....


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## wachuko

Now to print a few mounts... using the Thingverse files from Practical Renaissance... mounts for the limit switches, boards, and a cool one for mounting a LED ring light on the spindle.  Dusting off the 3D printer...has not seen action in awhile...


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## wachuko

Saddle came in... I can make the required modification.   Just wanted to be able to do the mods with the milling machine before I take it apart... need to confirm if this is the only modification required... I hope so.





Parts from Automation Technologies also shipped.


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## wachuko

Started with an easy print to make sure the printer is working fine (since it has been sitting without use for so long).  Printing the LED spindle ring holder.


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## macardoso

Hi @wachuko!

I’m a fellow G0704 guy on this site. Converted mine in 2013 first to a Hoss machine style design with dual shaft Nema 23 steppers, then recently to AC servos. I’ve done the works on this machine over the years (far more than necessary) and I’ve had a blast.  

Happy to chat, share ideas, answer questions , etc. as you go through your conversion. You’ll learn a ton as you go along and hopefully have a lot of fun too.

-Mike


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Hi @wachuko!
> 
> I’m a fellow G0704 guy on this site. Converted mine in 2013 first to a Hoss machine style design with dual shaft Nema 23 steppers, then recently to AC servos. I’ve done the works on this machine over the years (far more than necessary) and I’ve had a blast.
> 
> Happy to chat, share ideas, answer questions , etc. as you go through your conversion. You’ll learn a ton as you go along and hopefully have a lot of fun too.
> 
> -Mike



Mike, thank you.  I do have a few questions and pretty sure many mores will come up as I start the build... right now I am diving into videos and build threads.

One question that I have is what tool holder are you using??  Looking to make life a bit easier when changing tools... something that allows quick swap would be ideal.  Guessing this will be even more important with a CNC setup...


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## wachuko

LED holder is done... LEDs should be here in a week or so...





















						G0704 LED Ring by charliexx
					

I slightly modified Pat's original design since i had one different ring light for the top light i used a (110mm) but its thinner https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W6ZXROS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and for the bottom light, same as Pat's original.




					www.thingiverse.com
				




Now that I know that the printer is working fine, on to print the mounts for the limit switches...


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## wachuko

On base for limit switch done... will continue after I get home from work...







Will be a cool project to redo these in aluminum once I have the CNC setup working


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Mike, thank you. I do have a few questions and pretty sure many mores will come up as I start the build... right now I am diving into videos and build threads.
> 
> One question that I have is what tool holder are you using?? Looking to make life a bit easier when changing tools... something that allows quick swap would be ideal. Guessing this will be even more important with a CNC setup...



I have standardized on the Tormach Tooling System - TTS (Short 3/4" shank and master collet system). Tooling is relatively cheap, and it fits the existing spindle. It is an investment to get into, but once you have the CNC done, the ability to save your tool offsets in a table is super valuable. I have 24 ER20 holders, a 2" boring head, a Tormach brand edge finder, and a 5/8" drill chuck setup for TTS. While not strictly necessary for using TTS, my addition of a pneumatic drawbar was one of my favorite modifications. It just works and it is super fast to change tools.

I purchased almost all of these from China. Mixed quality, but the seller always made it right if I had issues. You save about 50% over Tormach pricing doing it this way, but it takes a little diligence on your part to inspect the incoming products. I detailed this starting on post #79 of my build thread. I did a short review of the import chucks on post #95 and #99.









						G0704 CNC AC Servo Rebuild (Picture Heavy)
					

Got some new bolts in the mail and got the spindle assembled. Unfortunately, working just from a CAD model bit me again and not all of the mounting holes on the top of the spindle line up (guess the Chinese factories put holes wherever they please). I'm hoping I can open up the counterbored...




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> I have standardized on the Tormach Tooling System - TTS (Short 3/4" shank and master collet system). Tooling is relatively cheap, and it fits the existing spindle. It is an investment to get into, but once you have the CNC done, the ability to save your tool offsets in a table is super valuable. I have 24 ER20 holders, a 2" boring head, a Tormach brand edge finder, and a 5/8" drill chuck setup for TTS. While not strictly necessary for using TTS, my addition of a pneumatic drawbar was one of my favorite modifications. It just works and it is super fast to change tools.
> 
> I purchased almost all of these from China. Mixed quality, but the seller always made it right if I had issues. You save about 50% over Tormach pricing doing it this way, but it takes a little diligence on your part to inspect the incoming products. I detailed this starting on post #79 of my build thread. I did a short review of the import chucks on post #95 and #99.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> G0704 CNC AC Servo Rebuild (Picture Heavy)
> 
> 
> Got some new bolts in the mail and got the spindle assembled. Unfortunately, working just from a CAD model bit me again and not all of the mounting holes on the top of the spindle line up (guess the Chinese factories put holes wherever they please). I'm hoping I can open up the counterbored...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.hobby-machinist.com



I remember seeing your thread and thinking, wow, what this guy is doing is waaaayyyy out of my league  .  I only looked at the first few pages in the thread and realized that I had a lot to learn.  So I have more reading to do.  Thank you for jumping in here to provide guidance.

I have to say, you have done a lot with your machine.  That pneumatic drawbar is awesome.  Something that I will need to look into after converting the machine.  That is one of the most tedious tasks with this machine...if it can be improve with something like that, I want to do it!

Another question... on the software... should I go with Mach3 or Mach4-Hobby?  I see that you have experience with both.  I just checked pricing and they are about the same price... 

Lot's to read and learn.... thanks again.


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> I remember seeing your thread and thinking, wow, what this guy is doing is waaaayyyy out of my league  . I only looked at the first few pages in the thread and realized that I had a lot to learn. So I have more reading to do. Thank you for jumping in here to provide guidance.



I've been doing this for a long time and I often do things "because I can". Hopefully it isn't overwhelming and I am very much happy to chat and answer questions! Also happy to share design, drawings, etc.



wachuko said:


> I have to say, you have done a lot with your machine. That pneumatic drawbar is awesome. Something that I will need to look into after converting the machine. That is one of the most tedious tasks with this machine...if it can be improve with something like that, I want to do it!



Love the PDB. One of the best mods. Tool changing is tedius. TTS even without the PDB makes it much faster, but pushing a button and having your tool fall out is just so nice.



wachuko said:


> Another question... on the software... should I go with Mach3 or Mach4-Hobby? I see that you have experience with both. I just checked pricing and they are about the same price...



100% Mach 4 hobby. Don't even consider Mach 3. There are other software packages like LinuxCNC, UCCNC, and others that people can comment on, but I am all for Mach 4. Works great out of the box, lots of flexibility to configure for your needs later on. I highly suggest getting a good motion controller. Ethernet Smoothstepper is my recommendation.

Mach 3 is old and buggy. It is only being sold for people who don't want to relearn a new software. You really can't get support for it either.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> ...100% Mach 4 hobby. Don't even consider Mach 3. There are other software packages like LinuxCNC, UCCNC, and others that people can comment on, but I am all for Mach 4. Works great out of the box, lots of flexibility to configure for your needs later on. I highly suggest getting a good motion controller. Ethernet Smoothstepper is my recommendation.
> 
> Mach 3 is old and buggy. It is only being sold for people who don't want to relearn a new software. You really can't get support for it either.



Excellent, thank you.  

And yes on the smoothstepper.  I ordered that yesterday from Amazon - Ethernet SmoothStepper CNC Motion Controller by Warp9 Tech Design Inc.   Should be here before the end of the month.


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## wachuko

Because I wanted dual shafts in all motors (to be able to manually turn them), and because Automation Technologies did not have one with 4 wires, had to buy one with 8 wires (NEMA 34 640 oz-in Stepper Motor (KL34H280-45-8B) Dual shaft ) ...  Just documenting the wiring setup that I need to do to make it into a 4-wire unit.


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## macardoso

Be warned that if you go with ballscrews, you really won't be able to use the mill manually very well. Cutting forces will move the axis you aren't using unless it is locked. On top of that, the motors will cog making it harder to spin by hand and the faster you spin them, the more they'll fight you as you power up the stepper drive with the back EMF.

I had handwheels on mine for a while and the only time I used them was to move the table out of my way when the machine was turned off.

You'd be better off planning on setting up a nice pendant.









						Universal 4 Axis CNC Handwheel MPG Pendant w/ E-Stop For CNC Router Machine【USA】  | eBay
					

X,Y,Z,4th axis selector switch. Required 5V+, 150mA, power for MPG. Wiring:User can wire this unit to the CNC system with easy. LED indicator. TTL output, drive capability +-20mA;. Magnetic base holder can place anywhere on the machine steel surface.



					www.ebay.com
				




Good use for your 3rd port on the ESS. Wireless ones are OK, but I would never trust a wireless Estop.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Be warned that if you go with ballscrews, you really won't be able to use the mill manually very well. Cutting forces will move the axis you aren't using unless it is locked. On top of that, the motors will cog making it harder to spin by hand and the faster you spin them, the more they'll fight you as you power up the stepper drive with the back EMF.
> 
> I had handwheels on mine for a while and the only time I used them was to move the table out of my way when the machine was turned off.
> 
> You'd be better off planning on setting up a nice pendant.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Universal 4 Axis CNC Handwheel MPG Pendant w/ E-Stop For CNC Router Machine【USA】  | eBay
> 
> 
> X,Y,Z,4th axis selector switch. Required 5V+, 150mA, power for MPG. Wiring:User can wire this unit to the CNC system with easy. LED indicator. TTL output, drive capability +-20mA;. Magnetic base holder can place anywhere on the machine steel surface.
> 
> 
> 
> www.ebay.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Good use for your 3rd port on the ESS. Wireless ones are OK, but I would never trust a wireless Estop.



Well... son of a gun... I was not aware of that.  Let me order that pendant...

Looks like I will be making some cool covers for those shafts (not planning on cutting them)...


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Well... son of a gun... I was not aware of that.  Let me order that pendant...
> 
> Looks like I will be making some cool covers for those shafts (not planning on cutting them)...



I mean, it can be done, but you might not want to. Having a good pendant should take care of any need to run the axes manually. Warp 9 has a great write up on setting Mach 4 up for the pendant. If you need help, I'm happy to help as well. I have one on my machine and it works great.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> I mean, it can be done, but you might not want to. Having a good pendant should take care of any need to run the axes manually. Warp 9 has a great write up on setting Mach 4 up for the pendant. If you need help, I'm happy to help as well. I have one on my machine and it works great.



Ordered.  Will take you up on your offer.  I will reach out when I get to installing it.  Thanks again.


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## bakrch

For reference, here is what a pendant looks like for a $120k Doosan VMC.  Not much different, lmao.


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## macardoso

Here are some circuit diagrams for my pendant installation. They might be of use to you.







Please double check that the colors on the pendant you bought match up with the ones in the drawings above. Wouldn't surprise me if they were different. The circuitry is nearly identical though. Your pendant has an enable button that I wish mine had.

The MPG to ESS connections are shown in the 3rd column labeled "Port 3". I detailed the pendant install on post #34 of my build log. 

Can you tell I do electrical drawings for my day job?

*If you go the same route I did, then the following information is applicable to you. If not, please ignore it. *

I opted for an off the shelf IDC-26 breakout board and ribbon cable. Since it wasn't explicitly designed for the ESS, it required me to add a few pulldown resistors to get the inputs reading correctly. This isn't shown on the drawing here. This isn't an issue with the ESS, but rather the cheap breakout board (there aren't really any good ones for the 3rd port on the market).

The resistors are discussed in post #59. You need a resistor on each dedicated input (10, 11, 12, 13, & 15) of a value between 220 ohms and 1000 ohms. 470 ohm would probably be ideal, I used 220 ohm.


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## wachuko

Great thread with lots of suggestions.  Including for future reference when I start the build.  Also getting a few of the tools mentioned there along with a proper enclosure for all the electrical components. 









						Tips for Your Electrical Panels!
					

Hi all!  I am probably an oddball here who really enjoys the process of building electrical panels. I have two CNC mills (Sherline and a G0704) for which I have built several electrical panels over the years. At my day job, I design industrial control panels for some special applications. I...




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## wachuko

Parts are starting to come in... I also printed the limiting switch adapters.












						Grizzly G0704 limit switch mounts by outcastrc
					

Mounts to attach Moujen waterproof limit switches to a Grizzly G0704 for a cnc conversion




					www.thingiverse.com


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## wachuko

Glad to see the site back up and stable.  Even if we lost a few posts, that is okay.

A few tools came in... and link to the Mist Coolant Lubrication Spray System that I got from Amazon




Motors came in




Also got me a 5C indexing spin jig fixture with some collects... looking at a few videos on how to make a few improvements... I should put this in the tool thread that I have... have not updated that one in years.  Getting a few additional tools like a small rotary table and a few more things.  ER20 collects came in as well, forgot to take a photo of those...


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## wachuko

See if you can catch my mistake...







Yeah... started on the wrong side... I hope I did not ruin the saddle... Anywho... flipped it around and made the cut on the correct side...


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## wachuko

Finishing a few projects while I wait for the rest of the stuff to arrive... 

Machine the sides of the 5C to have those side paralelo and also drill holes to make it easier to secure to the table...




and this arrived today


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## wachuko

Finishing a few projects while I wait for the rest of the stuff to arrive... 

Machine the sides of the 5C, drill holes to make it easier to secure on the table... I ordered a
View attachment 311782


and this arrived today

View attachment 311833


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## wachuko

Oh, and elongated the hole by 0.100” as recommended by Dave.  So this should be done.

Now to find a proper enclosure for the electronics...


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## wachuko

I just realized that I have been wasting time... I could have started working on the electronics... do not need to wait for the adapters for that... just need an enclosure to house everything in... let me stop by the local shop and see if they have something that I can use.

Special/dedicated enclosure are not cheap!  Hope that I can find something second hand in the local Skycraft surplus place...


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> ...
> *If you go the same route I did, then the following information is applicable to you. If not, please ignore it. *
> 
> I opted for an off the shelf IDC-26 breakout board and ribbon cable. Since it wasn't explicitly designed for the ESS, it required me to add a few pulldown resistors to get the inputs reading correctly. This isn't shown on the drawing here. This isn't an issue with the ESS, but rather the cheap breakout board (there aren't really any good ones for the 3rd port on the market).
> 
> The resistors are discussed in post #59. You need a resistor on each dedicated input (10, 11, 12, 13, & 15) of a value between 220 ohms and 1000 ohms. 470 ohm would probably be ideal, I used 220 ohm.



I had missed this... I ordered the IDC-26 breakout board and the ribbon cables.  I have plenty of resistors left from other projects.  

I also ordered the cable organizers with covers and some of those slotted rails...

I lost the reference to the breaker/protectors... need to find which one to order as well...


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## wachuko

I have a case!  Old computer case... stripped down... will remove the rivets on the remaining stuff (where the drives are held in place) that is in there and it will have a completely empty area.  Has two fans that will remain in place to keep some air flow.

You can see the power supply, but the internals are also gone.  I just kept the skeleton to use the rear trim for the power plug.  Will modify the rest when I get home.  Side cover has a lock with key...can't say that I have seen many cases with that...

This should do just fine, I hope.


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## wachuko

Usually PC cases covers are just bolted down with a few screws... this one was riveted all over in addition to having screws!!!  After drilling out the rivets I was able to get the other cover out.  With it out of the way, I could get to the rivets  holding the internal brackets that held the disk drives...

All removed now.

I also modified the old power supply housing and left just the outside cover with the power plug...

Fans installed.

I will now measure what I have to work with and get a sheet (not sure if to use plexiglass or aluminum) to make the mounting plate.

Outside dimensions for the case : 8”D x 17”H x 22”W


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## wachuko

Playing with the layout... Here I thought this case was just right for this... space goes away quickly.  Still missing are the rails where the breaker would be... and the wire organizer... And I have to take into account the recommendation of keeping signal wires away from power wires... 

I need to play around with this a little bit more... maybe moving the power supplies to the top or bottom... that would free up space on where the rest of the components are mounted...  humm... rails and wire organizers arrive tomorrow.  I will just wait for those to get here and try again.

The other thing is that I have not seen a wiring diagram with the components that I have... so I need to search and read up a bit more to make sure I got this right.

One thing that I go was a CNC4PC C6 Spindle Speed Control Board... but I do not know if that works with the stock motor or if that is for when I upgrade the motor to one from a treadmill... something else that I got just because I saw another build that had it, but forgot to check what setup it was attached to... 

I ordered a 1/4"x24"x24" plexiglass sheet that I will cut to 16"x18" and use as the subpanel. 

Learning a lot... 

Let me print out a base for those two boards (the CNC4PC C6 and the 5v Relay Module)...  At least I can do that tonight.


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## macardoso

Friendly reminder to think about cable layout for noise/EMI. The DC power supply, relays, and especially the output of the stepper drives will be noise producers. You should physically locate these components away from your ESS and route the cables so they mix as little as possible with the low voltage signals wires.

If you want to use wire duct, make sure to leave room for that. Free bundling the wires and using zip tie saddles is a perfectly acceptable approach, but requires more care in organizing the wires and terminating to a consistent length.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Friendly reminder to think about cable layout for noise/EMI. The DC power supply, relays, and especially the output of the stepper drives will be noise producers. You should physically locate these components away from your ESS and route the cables so they mix as little as possible with the low voltage signals wires.
> 
> If you want to use wire duct, make sure to leave room for that. Free bundling the wires and using zip tie saddles is a perfectly acceptable approach, but requires more care in organizing the wires and terminating to a consistent length.



Understood.  That was just a first attempt at looking at fitment.  And since I did not have the subpanel, with the bottom uneven, it was difficult to accommodate the components.  Good point on the relay, forgot about that one... will move away as well.

I will be moving the drivers all the way to the right.  That will leave the area around the ESS empty.

Once I have the subpanel I can do the layout again.  Will share before I drill the first hole for mounting this stuff.

Thank you


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## macardoso

Read this again. One final comment. Many electronic devices require a conductive path through the subpanel to ground for noise mitigation (bonding). A plexiglass sheet won't provide a conductive path (obviously) so it is especially important to make sure to install a ground bar (tie this to your utility ground) and ground each device that has a ground stud back to this central location. Any DIN rail can be grounded to the ground bar by installing a grounding terminal block on the end of the rail.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Read this again. One final comment. Many electronic devices require a conductive path through the subpanel to ground for noise mitigation (bonding). A plexiglass sheet won't provide a conductive path (obviously) so it is especially important to make sure to install a ground bar (tie this to your utility ground) and ground each device that has a ground stud back to this central location. Any DIN rail can be grounded to the ground bar by installing a grounding terminal block on the end of the rail.



Got it.  Will get a grounding terminal block.  Thank you.


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## wachuko

Playing with the layouts... 

Option 1




Option 2  - Don't mind the cable organizer, I did not wanted to cut any more until I decide on the layout to go with.  Those will be full length 




Some other layout suggestions?


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## wachuko

Option 3 - with these two options the power supply are on the bottom and fixed against the case... metal to metal.  Helps with the ground.  I will still get the ground block for anything that would require it in the rest of the setup.




Option 4- with these two options the power supply are on the bottom and fixed against the case... metal to metal.


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## macardoso

I like option 4.  Fan blowing across the drives.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> I like option 4.  Fan blowing across the drives.



Can you share a recommendation for the type of thermal breaker to use?  I lost those when the site had problems.


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## macardoso

Pretty much any thermal magnetic breaker with a Class C trip curve. If you were doing this according to code, you’d need to select one that is rated for branch protection. 

An example of high quality breakers would be the bulletin 1489-M breakers from Allen Bradley. Honestly I’d just get what Automation Direct has to offer.






						C Curve (0.5A-40A, FAZ-CXX-1-NA-SP) | Circuit Protection / Fuses / Disconnects | Products | AutomationDirect
					

C Curve (0.5A-40A, FAZ-CXX-1-NA-SP) from AutomationDirect, the best value in industrial automation - low prices, fast shipping, and free award-winning service.



					www.automationdirect.com
				




Single pole for 120VAC, double pole for 240VAC. Do not break the neutral.

Downstream of this breaker, you are free to use “Supplementary” type breakers. These are cheaper and more compact. In my CNC control, I use one 50A branch protection breaker and then individual 10A supplementary breakers for each servo drive.


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## wachuko

The challenge that I have is selecting the correct amperage for the breaker... feeding for this project is 120v not 220.. Not sure what the max draw will be at any given time to decide on the amp for the breaker... 

I have seen folks using a breaker for both positive and negative... should I be doing that as well?

Also, just saw the blocks that are mounted on the rails... I had ordered a regular one... going to order one that mounts on the rail... I have to switch my thinking to rail mounted components...

Incorrectly ordered this:




Now ordering this (comes with the jumpers):


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## macardoso

That first big terminal block could pass as a ground bar in a pinch.

To do it correctly, your DC should have some kind of circuit protection. Typically only the positive would be fused. The DC common would be left connected directly. Often the DC common is tied to earth ground but may be left floating for added noise immunity in EMI sensitive circuits.

Your switch mode power supply should self protect and disable the output if it is shorted or overloaded. I’ve built stuff in the past with no DC protection, but it isn’t the right way to do it.

Automation Direct has a great price for terminal blocks. I think $0.20 each in a box of $100. Get those with some end barriers, jumper bars, and anchors and it will last you a long time.


----------



## wachuko

Went with layout option 4... all components now secured:


----------



## wachuko

Another thing... for the main power cable/plug, I wanted a simple/normal connector so that I could use readily available computer power cables.  When I disassembled this case and its power supply, I kept the power receptacle.   But I had already ordered a new one with a built in switch and fuse... 

Looking closely at what the old power supply had, there is some additional circuitry in the old plug... should I use that or go with the new setup?

Here, take a look:





  And the new setup I bought:


----------



## wachuko

On the breaker... so something like this one then?

Eaton miniature circuit breaker, current-limiting, 10A, 277 VAC / 48 VDC, 1-pole, C curve, thermal magnetic, 10kA SCCR, 35mm DIN rail mount.


----------



## macardoso

Post the data for all the devices connected to the AC line in your control box (DC power supplies, Spindle Motor?, Fans, etc.) and I'll double check your breaker sizing. 

The receptacle you posted includes a fuse. If you want to use the circuit breaker, make sure the fuse is larger than the breaker or just don't connect it in the circuit. The externally mounted switch is nice.  The old socket has a ferrite bead for filtering. Not necessary, but you could include it in your wiring of the new socket if you'd like.


----------



## wachuko

Just realized that I will need a 12v power source to drive the fans...  let me order that... I rather get one like the 5v that to avoid having to add an outlet inside the case...


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Post the data for all the devices connected to the AC line in your control box (DC power supplies, Spindle Motor?, Fans, etc.) and I'll double check your breaker sizing.



Thank you.  Will do that exercise tonight when I get home.



macardoso said:


> The receptacle you posted includes a fuse. If you want to use the circuit breaker, make sure the fuse is larger than the breaker or just don't connect it in the circuit. The externally mounted switch is nice.  The old socket has a ferrite bead for filtering. Not necessary, but you could include it in your wiring of the new socket if you'd like.



I think that I changed my mind on this... the receptacle is supposedly rated for 15amp.... the fuse that came with it is a 5amp fuse... I am just going to wire this, using SJOOW-BK 12/3 cable, directly to the breaker with a 10' cable and heavy duty plug...  same stuff I used on the plasma cutter...


----------



## wachuko

I keep finding stuff that I forgot to buy...  Needed a RJ45 feed thru case coupler...


----------



## wachuko

Here we go:

X-Axis - NEMA23 570oz/in 5A 3/8” Dual Shaft Stepper Motor (KL23H2100-50-4BC) - 5 Amps
Y-Axis - NEMA23 570oz/in 5A 3/8” Dual Shaft Stepper Motor (KL23H2100-50-4BC) - 5 Amps
Z-Axis - NEMA 34 640 oz-in Stepper Motor (KL34H280-45-8B) Dual shaft - 6.3 Amps
Power Supply (1) - 48VDC/12.5A Switching CNC Power Supply - Max output 12.5 Amps
Power Supply (2) - 5V Breakout Board Power Supply - Max output - 3 Amps
Power Supply (3) - 12V Breakout Board Power Supply - Max output - 5 Amps
Fan (1) - 12V - .5 Amps
Fan (2) - 12V - 1.0 Amps
1/8" Nylon Electric Solenoid Valve 12V DC Normally Closed NBR - 12V - 0.417 Amps

I do not think there is anything else that will be running out of this box... 

Oh, and a photo... making room for the second power supply.  It is a small unit.  About the same size of the 5V power supply... moved the large power supply to the left... small power supply to the right... 12 V power supply will sit between them.  Enough space to route the wires.

Oh.. and fixing the crooked install of the C6 board... driving me crazy seeing it like that...


----------



## wachuko

Okay... everything straighten out... cable organizers in place... and power supplies moved to allow space for the one coming...

One more photo with these changes done.


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> X-Axis - NEMA23 570oz/in 5A 3/8” Dual Shaft Stepper Motor (KL23H2100-50-4BC) - 5 Amps
> Y-Axis - NEMA23 570oz/in 5A 3/8” Dual Shaft Stepper Motor (KL23H2100-50-4BC) - 5 Amps
> Z-Axis - NEMA 34 640 oz-in Stepper Motor (KL34H280-45-8B) Dual shaft - 6.3 Amps
> Power Supply (1) - 48VDC/12.5A Switching CNC Power Supply - Max output 12.5 Amps
> Power Supply (2) - 5V Breakout Board Power Supply - Max output - 3 Amps
> Power Supply (3) - 12V Breakout Board Power Supply - Max output - 5 Amps
> Fan (1) - 12V - .5 Amps
> Fan (2) - 12V - 1.0 Amps
> 1/8" Nylon Electric Solenoid Valve 12V DC Normally Closed NBR - 12V - 0.417 Amps
> 
> I do not think there is anything else that will be running out of this box...
> 
> Oh, and a photo... making room for the second power supply. It is a small unit. About the same size of the 5V power supply... moved the large power supply to the left... small power supply to the right... 12 V power supply will sit between them. Enough space to route the wires.
> 
> Oh.. and fixing the crooked install of the C6 board... driving me crazy seeing it like that...



I count the following AC loads.

Power Supply (1) = 600W
Power Supply (2) = 15W
Power Supply (3) = 60W
Everything else is driven by these supplies. That's a total of 675W or 5.6A at 120VAC. With solid state loads like you have, there isn't much concern about inrush amperage, but either way I'd install a 10A breaker. 6A is probably too small and 7, 8, or 9A are unusual sizes to find.

By NEC code, your minimum power conductor wiring should be 14AWG. 16AWG is acceptable from an ampacity standpoint but I wouldn't go smaller.


----------



## wachuko

Thank you!!  10 Amp breaker ordered.

I am using 12AWG for power wiring.  This is from outlet to breaker and from breaker to each power supply (via one of the distribution blocks you suggested).


----------



## wachuko

A couple of questions on the wiring...

1. Looking at a couple of diagrams, it calls for wiring together (DIR -) and (PUL -) from each Driver and then placing in one of the ground (GND) terminals in the C25 board... the board has several GND terminals... why can I just combine each of the  (DIR -) and (PUL -) from each of the driver and connect those to one of the GND terminals... three GND terminals that I can use... why wire it all to just one??







2. What do you do with these?  The wire that is not covered in the shielded cable.


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> 1. Looking at a couple of diagrams, it calls for wiring together (DIR -) and (PUL -) from each Driver and then placing in one of the ground /(GND) terminals in the C25 board... the board has several GND terminals... why can I just combine each of the (DIR -) and (PUL -) from each of the driver and connect those to one of the GND terminals... three GND terminals that I can use... why wire it all to just one??



I'd actually prefer to connect each drive individually back to the C25 GND pins like you suggest. Weird things can happen in circuits with too many daisy chains. These PUL- and DIR- pins are the second connection for differential pair signals. Your ESS produces single ended signals so you'd connect the low side of the differential receiver to GND as a reference. I suspect the drawings looked cleaner with only one return to the GND pins.

A word of caution, in 95% of devices with differential inputs accepting single ended signals, you connect the low side to GND, however there are a few devices that I've run into that require this to be floating - read the manuals.

EDIT: Many consumer and hobby electronics call DC Common GND. Do not confuse this with PE (AC ground from your utility) or EG (Ground that literally comes from a copper bar stuck in the ground nearby). They are not equivalent until you tie your PSU DC Common connection to PE. Do not assume that someone else's panel has the DC power grounded as there are many cases where you would not want it grounded.



wachuko said:


> 2. What do you do with these? The wire that is not covered in the shielded cable.



Those wires are called the "drain" wires in a shielded cable. In grounded DC power (where DC common is connected to Physical/Protective Earth - PE) this wire would be connected to DC common. For ungrounded DC power, this drain wire should go back to the PE grounding bar. The whole point is to absorb EMI which the wires like to pick up like antennas and give it a low impedance path to ground such that it doesn't interfere with electronics function.

These should be connected on only one side, typically near the controller. Doing both could actually make the noise worse.

I usually try to leave these long and wrap them in clear heatshrink and a ferrule. I also seal the edge where the cable jacket has been stripped with a piece of heat shrink. This is to give be room to land the shield and not short against anything else. Picture below shows this except the shield is cut a little short (the little black wire sticking out to the right).


----------



## macardoso

Some terminal blocks, like this 3 tier one from AB that I have been using, have a ground terminal built in specifically for landing shield drain wires from external devices or cables.




The terminals just to the left of the timing relay (grey) are where this shielded MPG cable landed in my panel. 




PS: We have the same C25 board


----------



## wachuko

Okay... let me take them out and start again... I have heat shrink tubing here.  Okay, and do the PE grounding bar connection at the board side, got it.  I will cut the excess wire at the driver side then heat shrink at both ends.

A few things arrived... one of the distribution blocks, 12Volts power supply, pass through RJ45 connector.







I also cut and installed the cover in front from the left over plexiglass sheet.  Need to draw the layout for the connectors to the motors and limit switches.


----------



## wachuko

Silly post - deleted


----------



## wachuko

Holes done for connectors and RJ45 passthrough.  I forgot to buy the Emergency Stop Switch... good grief... let me order that.


----------



## wachuko

Sorry... for those that might to do the same in the future... forgot to include one of the wiring diagrams that I am using.  Not my exact configuration, but the only one that I have found that has the C25 with the Ethernet smooth stepper and a speed control board...   If I find something better, I will share it.  Better yet, maybe after I am done I will search for software to make these diagrams and try to create the diagram for my setup.  If I struggled to find one, there has to be others in the same boat...



			http://cnc4pc.com/Tech_Docs/JINAN2ESS.pdf


----------



## macardoso

Student and Education Software | 1-Year License | Autodesk Education Community
					

Unlock your creative potential with access to 3D design software from Autodesk. Software downloads are available to students, educators, educational institutions.




					www.autodesk.com
				




License is free for 3 years (renewable). It is fully featured but will A) Create a plot stamp that writes "Created by an Autodesk Education Product" (Removable by any PDF editing software), and B) Electronically mark the document as educational content so it cannot be used in a licensed software.

Learning curve is moderate, however it is very valuable to learn if you might ever have a job that requires you to make electrical drawings.

Otherwise, use Sketchup, Visio, Illustrator, PowerPoint, or any other normal drawing software.

EDIT: Self-teaching qualifies as "Student". EDU email address not required.


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Student and Education Software | 1-Year License | Autodesk Education Community
> 
> 
> Unlock your creative potential with access to 3D design software from Autodesk. Software downloads are available to students, educators, educational institutions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.autodesk.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> License is free for 3 years (renewable). It is fully featured but will A) Create a plot stamp that writes "Created by an Autodesk Education Product" (Removable by any PDF editing software), and B) Electronically mark the document as educational content so it cannot be used in a licensed software.
> 
> Learning curve is moderate, however it is very valuable to learn if you might ever have a job that requires you to make electrical drawings.
> 
> Otherwise, use Sketchup, Visio, Illustrator, PowerPoint, or any other normal drawing software.
> 
> EDIT: Self-teaching qualifies as "Student". EDU email address not required.



 Good to know.  I have (well, had) their Fusion 360 software... but seems to have expired.  Will check how to enable it again and also download the AutoCAD Electrical.  

I just got another project, 40 watt laser engraver (that, like many of my projects, requires some assembly )... and will need Fusion 360 again to be able to make the designs.   I pick it up tomorrow... here are a few photos the seller sent me:


----------



## wachuko

Quick update... 

Waiting on a safety relay to arrive.  Had to get a 24v power supply for that relay.

Decided to go back to the receptacle from the computer power supply that I had.  I wanted to keep the filter in there and avoid having to build it myself.  Also purchased a magnetic switch.  All wired up and installed. That sleeve that you see is in addition to the cover that the 12-3 has... I still need to put the heat-shrink cover at each end.  







Decided to change the 24v, 12, and 5v DC power supplies.... all those arrived and installed.  Had to rearrange the rails as the three PS are larger than I expected.  Also installed the 10AMP breaker.




Also moved the C6 board further apart from the C25 board.




Used 4 pool cue rubber ends as legs for the case.




Will now continue to wire the rest...


----------



## wachuko

Making the 8 wire motor into a 4 wire and attaching to long cable


----------



## wachuko

Done... so easy to get confuse with all the wire colors as you match to the cable...  I used the diagram on the first page to convert from 8 wires to 4 wires Bipolar (Series) connection...  Checked continuity for each set of coils and wire it up...




I have it all so that the pins on the connectors are:

Pin1: A+
Pin2: A-
Pin3: B-
Pin4: B+

Easier for me to then remember the wiring order from the connectors to the stepper drivers.


----------



## wachuko

Maybe I should wait until the 4th of July to plug this in... you know, just in case there are fireworks when I do....

Only waiting for the safety relay and emergency stop switch to finish it...  Will not deal with the C6 board and relay for the cooling/air nozzle until everything else is working...


----------



## wachuko

Oh, and I need to read up on how I need to configure those dip switches in the stepper drivers...


----------



## wachuko

Well... thinking of doing a test run without the safety relay in place...

What could go wrong, right?







I had the ethernet cable directly from the board to the computer for the initial tests.... but then connected that to the passthrough port to test that as well...  All working as expected.  I need to get a shorter ethernet cable to put inside the case.  The one currently in there is too long...


----------



## wachuko

Could not resist... had to give it a go....

Only question/concern that I have.  Z-axis motor gets warm without using it.  Is that normal?  Did I wired something wrong?    The X and Y 23 stay cool to the touch without activating them... the Z, without activating it, is warm to the touch... 

Videos:

Manually controlling the motors






Running a demo program Mach4 had


----------



## wachuko

On the Z-axis motor... I wonder if it has to do with dip switches configuration...  but even with Mach4 turned off I can feel the motor... like it is humming...  where the other two are completely off (or at least, I can't feel any vibration in them)... 




I should be setting all dirvers to the same steps values, correct?  X and Y are the same drivers, Z is a different driver...

I see that I now have them set differently (pin settings are the same, but being different drivers, they are set at different steps/rev settings...

Current with the way the photo above shows:

Z - SW5-On/SW6-On/SW7-On/SW8-Off = 1000 Steps/rev
X - SW5-Off/SW6-Off/SW7-On/SW8-On = 1600 Steps/rev
Y - SW5-Off/SW6-Off/SW7-On/SW8-On = 1600 Steps/rev

So I know that can be changed... but what should I change it to?  All to 1000 Steps/rev?  Or?

Also, current setting???  Currently, base on the photo shared:

Z - SW1-Off/SW2-On/SW3-On = Peak Current 6.1A / RMS 4.3A  also SW4-Off meaning that the standstill curren is set to be half of the selected dynamic current... whatever that means.
X - SW1-Off/SW2-On/SW3-On = Peak Current 5.6A / RMS 4.0A  also SW4-Off meaning that the standstill curren is set to be half of the selected dynamic current... whatever that means.
Y - SW1-Off/SW2-On/SW3-On = Peak Current 5.6A / RMS 4.0A  also SW4-Off meaning that the standstill curren is set to be half of the selected dynamic current... whatever that means.

Guidance here would be extremely appreciated...


----------



## wachuko

For now I just set them all to 1000 Steps/Rev

Z - SW5-On/SW6-On/SW7-On/SW8-Off = 1000 Steps/rev
X - SW5-On/SW6-On/SW7-On/SW8-Off = 1000 Steps/rev
Y - SW5-On/SW6-On/SW7-On/SW8-Off = 1000 Steps/rev


----------



## wachuko

On the vibration that I feel when the motor is idle... found and article.






						FAQ: What is stepper drive idle-current reduction and why does it help?
					

When stepper motors operate, they operate by drawing current continuously. This method of operation ensures more accurate positioning and more consistent




					www.motioncontroltips.com
				




"When stepper motors operate, they operate by drawing current continuously. This method of operation ensures more accurate positioning and more consistent torque. However, this also means an increase of energy they use and the amount of heat they produce. This holds true even when the stepper motor is idling."

So I am guessing that since it is always receiving current that explains the slight vibration at idle and the warm temperature. 

My stepper driver has Automatic idle-current reduction set to off... so at idle it current should be reduced by 60%...  I just do not get why the 23 motors do not display any vibration at idle and the 34 does... I am tempted on ordering a 4-wire 34 motor just to compare...  I am trying to validate if this is related to my install/configuration or if it is normal


----------



## wachuko

So there is more than just setting DIP switches... need the specs on the lead screws before I can determine those settings...


----------



## macardoso

Lots to answer back to here. Just got back from a funeral so it might take me a minute to get responses!

Panel is looking great! Awesome job.

Stepper motors will get warm/hot. This is fine. They should be good to 200F or so, usually hotter than I prefer to run them. If they are too hot, reduce the current limit on the drive or live with the temp. I would not turn on idle current reduction, it is not appropriate for CNC machines which can be loaded up at any time. Better for pick and place type setups. 

You might find the braided cable jacket on the steppers to collect dirt, chips, and coolant. Perhaps heat shrink over it?

Higher steps per inch gives increased resolution to a point, however the higher step counts have lower torque in those intermediate positions, so don't expect too much beyond say 1600 steps per rev.


----------



## wachuko

A funeral?  Sorry to hear .

Braided cover is of my own doing... thought it would be good but forgot about trapped dirt...  Figured it would be a good cover over the 8 to 4 connection that I made there.  Will cover all that with some heat shrink tube...


----------



## wachuko

E-stop arrived... Now installed.  Wiring to be done when the relay gets here...




This case is heavy.  I need to install some handles on top to make it easier to move around.


----------



## macardoso

You may wish to install a port which allows you to wire a remote ESTOP in series with the original one. You want that ESTOP right next to you if anything goes wrong.


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> You may wish to install a port which allows you to wire a remote ESTOP in series with the original one. You want that ESTOP right next to you if anything goes wrong.



I also have the pendant... with the 20 thousand wires still needing connecting


----------



## macardoso

Oh right... Yeah that one is a pain. Do it right once and you'll love the pendant!


----------



## wachuko

The screws are 5mm pitch or 5.08 TPI.



macardoso said:


> ...Higher steps per inch gives increased resolution to a point, however the higher step counts have lower torque in those intermediate positions, so don't expect too much beyond say 1600 steps per rev.



So... if I stay at say, 1600 steps/rev  / 1.016 inch/rev = 1,575 steps/inch ...  Am I calculating that correctly?


----------



## macardoso

5 revolutions at 5mm pitch = .984252 inches of travel. This would occur after 1600*5 = 8000 steps. If 8000 steps equals .984252 inches then *X* steps equals 1.0000 inches. (1/.984252)*8000 =  8128 steps per inch.

There will be a rounding error due to the metric leadscrews of .00000004 inches per inch of travel. Trust me, you aren't going to care  This can become more significant with different microstepping selections.


----------



## wachuko

Waiting on safety relay to finish the electronics.  This should be here between today and tomorrow.  With that the box will be done, that is, until I try to tackle the install of the pendant (I am really dreading that, lol, so many wires!!! )

Waiting on the G0704 adapters and lead screws from Dave.  Those should be here next week if all goes well.


----------



## wachuko

LEDs finally came in... had to cancel original order and find another vendor... these are bright!!  Sorry, forgot to take a photo when I tested them... will do so later.

Looking forward to better illumination when working with the mill. 

Glued in place and will cover the wires together with heat shrink sleeve...


----------



## wachuko

Here you go...




Shadows be gone!!!


----------



## wachuko

Installed


----------



## wachuko

Relay arrived.. now to wire that. 

It was a tight fit... had to invert the locking plastic insert on the distribution block (you can see the bolt facing towards the bottom) for the relay to fit...





Adding for future reference:



> 24V to A1
> DC COM to A2
> Jumper S21 to S22
> S11 to one side of your ESTOP (jumper to both N.C. contacts if you have 2)
> One ESTOP N.C. contact to S52
> One ESTOP N.C. contact to S12
> 5V to terminal 13
> Terminal 14 to ESS ESTOP input pin.
> 5V to terminal 23
> Terminal 24 to Stepper Drive Enable
> Make sure that your V- from all 3 power supplies are tied together (this is very important). This wiring will give you simultaneous ESTOP channels, one killing the steppers and one telling Mach 4 that the steppers have been shut down.
> 
> You have one more Safety channel (33 & 34) that can be used to power down a device (like a spindle) and one Aux channel (41 & 42) that is N.O. and can be used for diagnostics like a lamp that is ON when the ESTOP is pressed in.


----------



## wachuko

G0704 adapters and lead screws from Dave should be here this Thursday via UPS!!!


----------



## wachuko

I hope everyone is staying healthy. 

Sharing a few photos of the adapters as I did not updated the thread when these arrived...




I have been kept busy with life events so this has taken a bit of a back burner...   Yesterday I did a bit of cleaning in the garage to make space for starting to work on this...  It shames me to admit that I had not seen the top of the workbench in over a year... now clear of most of the crap that was on it...







And moved the adapters over to start figuring out what is next.










I will have to modify the base more, to accommodate the larger double nut.  Emailed Dave to get confirmation before starting to cut.







That is all for now.  Stay safe, stay healthy and continue to take care of yourself and your family.


----------



## wachuko

Okay... based on this video, I do need to enlarge that area under the double nut.  I made the cut initially for single nut.






On the Y-axis, I should be fine as the block fits without problems.


----------



## macardoso

Looking great! Keep it up!


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Looking great! Keep it up!



Thank you!

For those that have used double nuts, well, I guess this applies no matter what was used... 

Does the block has to complete be below the ways?  I am trying to figure out and validate if I need to cut the double nut pocket deeper or not... Right now, if I place a flat piece between the sides, the center block does not clear it... 

Want to get this correct before I take the machine apart...and not take additional material out if unnecessary...


----------



## macardoso

So I don't think that it needs to clear that aluminum block since the aluminum block cannot physically pass the sides of the saddle. The main thing you need to worry about it is hitting the underside of the table. Mine was pretty bumpy and had a few bulges of paint that needed to be scraped down. 

I'm interested in feedback from you on the quality of the screws and travel error. I did my G0704 in 2013 and purchased Roton brand ballscrews. They really aren't designed for precision motion control and I've had a lot of issues with them. If you really like them and get very low backlash, I may need to buy a set.


----------



## wachuko

Keep in mind that I do not have the milling machine apart.  I purchased an extra saddle to be able to modify it.   That way I was able to use my milling machine to modify it. 

So I do not have the table out to be able to look under it... I was just using whatever piece of flat metal I had to validate clearance between the saddle's ways.... That aluminum block was supposed to mimic the table... but now thinking about it, not sure of the shape of the table under it... is it as flat as that block of aluminum or is it raised int he middle?  Makes sense?

I am going to have some contortionist move and try to look at the shape under the table and see what that looks like...


----------



## macardoso

If nothing has changed, the table has an arch down the middle that was used to accommodate the original screw and nut. My Roton blocks fit without modification to the nut or table, but they don't have a flange.

I purchased a model of a BF20 back in 2014 which I have heavily modified to match my real G0704. I think it was $20. The model was nearly identical to my machine, but I definitely got bit a few times where I had a mounting hole slightly off position compared to the model. Taught me to check.

Looking online I now see a lot more free model options available. For example here is one: http://a360.co/2GrT4W0 

All these machines are similar but not identical. Be careful what dimensions you assume to be correct.


----------



## wachuko

Thank you for that file!  Coo!!




Still waiting for my son to release the computer so that I can play with that model you shared.   I have three computers in the office at home: a work computer, a very old mini Mac (the one I am using now), and a super powerful/mega computer I built for image and video rendering (daughter is into character animation).  Very capable and fast... but my son has taken over this one for school-at-home and VR games... I will wait until tomorrow morning to look at the model on that one, the mini-Mac is painfully slooooooow....

But it looks like I should be fine with the cut made to the saddle.  So I am good to go.  Next is getting time to disassemble the machine and start installing the adapters.  Soon to reach the point of no return...

Stay safe and stay healthy!!


----------



## wachuko

Well... finally started to install the kit from David.... and made a mess...

I noticed I had installed the assembly backwards...




I had practiced taking out and installing the ball nuts... I have a laser pointer that was damaged and it was the perfect diameter for sliding the ball nuts.   Of course it all went to he** when I went to install it on the G0704

I must have let a ball get out of place and the ball nut will screw one way, but not on the opposite direction (goes a little bit and stops). 




Watching Daves video, I figured out what I did wrong... one of the balls must have gotten into that space where there is supposed to be no balls... He mentions this at time mark 2:32






Sent Dave an email to see if there is a way to get out of this mess or if I will have to cut the threaded rod and order a new setup for that axis...  Good grief...


----------



## wachuko

I did take the time to inspect everything as I was taking it all apart.




Removed the back plate to check the condition of the plastic gears.  All looked good...




I should have stopped at this point and gone to bed... but noooooooo, I had to press on and make mistakes for not checking the photos and whatnot... I kick myself...  anyway, that is all for tonight.


----------



## Richcan22

Great job! I have a CNC mill need to get retrofitted. Analog to Digital. I’m thinking also Mach 3 and would like to keep the servo motors.


----------



## wachuko

Richcan22 said:


> Great job! I have a CNC mill need to get retrofitted. Analog to Digital. I’m thinking also Mach 3 and would like to keep the servo motors.



Thank you, but you must have missed my second to last post hahahahahha....  Great job screwing up (no pun intended) the ball nut screw setup? lol


----------



## wachuko

I could not stay still waiting for news on how to fix my mistake... so I went ahead and installed the next one...









Question I had, since watching a few videos I see differences... in my case the Z-Axis Gib screw does not go in all the way... this is how it was when I removed it... so I installed it the same way.  The Gib will not go in any more than that.


----------



## wachuko




----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> I could not stay still waiting for news on how to fix my mistake... so I went ahead and installed the next one...
> 
> View attachment 372113
> 
> 
> View attachment 372114
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Question I had, since watching a few videos I see differences... in my case the Z-Axis Gib screw does not go in all the way... this is how it was when I removed it... so I installed it the same way.  The Gib will not go in any more than that.
> 
> View attachment 372116


That's actually good. Means you have a lot of adjustment left in the gib. Screwing it down increases the tightness. On my G0704, it hangs out at least that much below the slide and isn't tight enough. Need to scrape in a new gib.


I highly recommend purchasing some Hi-Spot blue and checking the gib/slide fitup. It is probably worse than you think. Some of that can be corrected with gentle bending (if the gib is bowed) or locally scraping/lapping off high spots.


----------



## wachuko

It is out!!!!  Thank you Dave for the multiple suggestions given!  I started with the less destructive one and it worked!




Going back and forth 20,000 times... good thing that I am married since I will not be able to use my hands in about a month... I have no grip! LOL

I had a towel with vaseline under the ball nut as I turn back and forth... so vaseline was getting into the ball nut as the screw was coming out... so all the balls (except those you see in the bowl) stayed inside the ball nut stuck to the vaseline. 

DISCLAIMER: No balls were harm during this exercise.


----------



## wachuko

Fixed and mounted!









macardoso said:


> That's actually good. Means you have a lot of adjustment left in the gib. Screwing it down increases the tightness. On my G0704, it hangs out at least that much below the slide and isn't tight enough. Need to scrape in a new gib.
> 
> 
> I highly recommend purchasing some Hi-Spot blue and checking the gib/slide fitup. It is probably worse than you think. Some of that can be corrected with gentle bending (if the gib is bowed) or locally scraping/lapping off high spots.



I have the blues!   . I will remove them and do that.  Thank you!


----------



## wachuko

Just whistle while you work...
And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune
When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work
So whistle while you work...


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> View attachment 372213
> 
> 
> Just whistle while you work...
> And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune
> When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work
> So whistle while you work...
> 
> View attachment 372214
> 
> 
> View attachment 372215
> 
> 
> View attachment 372217


So you have found that your gibs aren't all the flat - not surprising. You should check the fit often to make sure you don't take too much off.

Also, I'd recommend some Dykem high-spot blue rather than your dkyem steel blue. The high spot blue is a non-drying oil pigment that can be applied to the ways of your column. The gib is then installed and lightly slid (only a few inches) and removed. The blue points are the only points of contact.  Sanding it against the table does not truly reveal the nature of the gib fit to the ways. If the blue points are near the ends, the gib is bent. If they are only on one long edge, the gib may be cut at the wrong angle, if they are only a stripe down the middle then the face of the gib is not flat. Etc.

Happy to describe more in detail if you are unclear. 

FYI, replacement gibs are moderately cheap if you mess something up, but shipping is slow.

Mike


----------



## wachuko

Learned something new.  Will order that and do this once it gets here.  Thank you for the clarification! 

I also have a replacement table on order (it is backordered)... because I want to stop looking at all the mistakes that I have made with this one


----------



## wachuko

Well... almost done.  The amount of parts that are removed is significant... Guessing there are still a few more parts that will need to come off...  I need to go back and take a look at the builds from other folks to see what else needs to come off.  Once done removing everything that is not needed, I will package all that and store away for future archeologists to analyze when they find it...




I need to make a cover to replace the stock Y-axis way cover (it cracked).  I want to make it just a bit wider.  I find the stock one to be too narrow... I also need to order a new column accordion cover (Z-axis way cover) that is also cracked...




I got my motors with double shafts... so I ordered some hand  wheel jog knobs...  Yeah, sorry, not ready to let go of the training wheels just yet...  





And the reason I wanted a new table... It is a great conversation piece... a conversation that I really try to avoid, hahahahahahha... shame...shame...


----------



## ScottGunSmith

^ My vice has one of those too lol


----------



## hman

wachuko said:


> I have the blues!   . I will remove them and do that.  Thank you!





Uh ... @wachuko ... I don't think you're supposed to use blue Loctite as a high-spot blue


----------



## wachuko

Forgot to add the photo of the parts removed so far...




And on further inspection, the protective cover for the Z-axis was fine... so installed that last night....




And something silly... I did not like having mismatched colors.... the vise had blue in it... well, that would not do anymore... painted that to match the hammered green of the G0704.... 

It was also a good opportunity to clean and re-grease everything.

Yes, I know, that is the bottom side.  Never to be seen when in used... but I would have known...




Here you can see some of the blue color before I painted it green...




Let it dry... 




I will clean, with a razor blade, the small spots where there was no tape...  And yes, I too can see the newbie mistakes of bits getting to the vise... luckily it does not impact the functionality of it... only my ego...


----------



## wachuko

Done with the vise...  ...amazing how easily I get distracted.  Look! Squirrel!!!


----------



## hman

Ya ... my shop is probably as full of squirrels as yours is.  Sure glad I'm retired, or I'd have been fired long ago!


----------



## wachuko

Stuff that happens when you let a project just sit...  I installed the computer and the case with the electronics.  All hooked up to make sure everything was still working... Quickly noticed that I installed the E-Stop to the case, but never connected the wires ... no matter, just a test, let's keep going...




Everything moves... slowly... not sure how to increase the speed.  I need to go back and learn everything again about the setup, wiring, using the software... sigh... 






I also need to install (well, need to find them first, lol) the limit switches and do the wiring for those...


----------



## wachuko

Received the Y axis cover... made the holes already to get it ready for install.  Since I was ordering, got a spare plastic double gear to keep as spare.  I believe this is the one that folks see getting damage with heavy use... so figured to better have it ready to go when needed.


----------



## wachuko

Installed....




And now printing the correct mounts for the limit/home switches... ran out of black ABS filament in the first try, so yellow it is...









						Grizzly G0704 CNC Homing Switch Mounts by PracticalRenaissance
					

I got the idea for these from this set of files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1816765 and decided to create my own mounts from scratch in Fusion360.  These use all the existing holes on the milling machine and mount some Moujen Style rocker switches for all 3 axes for a homing switch setup...




					www.thingiverse.com


----------



## wachuko

Note to self... never, but I mean, never! place the 3D printer in the switched outlet... because after running out of filament the first time, and being 2am in the morning... the last thing you need is to switch off the printer as you head out to bed and switch off the wrong switch on the wall 

So I got to print them a third time...




And thank you for the recommendation on the youTube channel for Blondihacks ... Besides mill and lathe skills, I am learning a lot in other areas.  In one of her videos she talks about using the Norton white aluminum oxide wheels (I got 60 and 150 grit).  Went ahead and replaced the crappy grinding wheels I had and got the diamond thingy to clean them.  

Nice and balanced and everything!   For balancing, I thought I was going to have to buy some sort of accessory that shift bolts to off-set the weight... 




But there was not need for that!  It was as easy and flipping them around...   I used this video for getting it to run smoothly.  

This thing has not worked so smoothly as it is working now!!!




Apologies for the off-thread/topic comments... I just had to share!!


----------



## wachuko

Installed....  Need to do the wiring next.




On this one I need to cut the angle aluminum stock to make the stops... and just realized I need to flip it around.  Needs to point in the other direction... 




And on this one I need to make the stops that bolt to the factory t-bolts on the side.  A lathe to make those would be amazing...lol... I want a lathe!


----------



## wachuko

Not much done... I need to go into the software.  I move 9" on the X-axis and the computer is telling me that I moved 24"....  Some setup needed...  

Not wanting to do that now, I instead flipped the Y-axis switch and installed the knobs...


----------



## wachuko

So when I started testing I was using Mach3... Downloaded Mach4 and came to the thread to look for what I needed to do to make it work... I did not document this step... Darn it! 

Let me try to do that now:


Download and install Mach4 software
Download and install Mach4 Warp9 plugin for ESS.  This is a two step process.
Download the Plugin and drop the files in the Mach4 Plugin folder
Install SCU Application and follow the instruction to perform the PC Configuration


Let me do that... will be right back to finish the documentation of these steps.


----------



## wachuko

Man! When they say that it is the first thing to go, they were not kidding!     

I had Mach4... this was discussed early on and that was the recommended version I went with... uff.. Both the Mach4, SCU, etc... need updating... so I will grab a better notebook this weekend and trash this old one... I just can't work with this one... it is sloooooooooooooooow beyond belief...  I will do a fresh install of all the software and start again with the configuration.  I tried using my work notebook but backed out as soon as I saw all the modifications it wanted to make... this needs a dedicated computer... so I will do that instead... I have one, but not here.  More on this next week.

Since I needed to feel like I had done something at least, to progress the build... I opened the case for the controls and will finish all the pending tasks in there... need to connect:

the second fan in the front - I left the wiring there ready to connect and never installed the plug!!  
the emergency/panic switch
the Handwheel MPG pendant for the manual control...this one will be a lot of fun to figure out...


----------



## wachuko

More baby steps...  second fan connected.  E-stop next... if I can find the other half...


----------



## ScottGunSmith

That's very clean and organized. I can't wait to have funds to convert mine. Following yours closely. Thanks!


----------



## wachuko

ScottGunSmith said:


> That's very clean and organized. I can't wait to have funds to convert mine. Following yours closely. Thanks!



Thank you for the kind words.  All the credit for the organization goes to @macardoso for the encouragement and coaching he has provided during all this build... All the crappy stuff, well, that is all me!  

Some good news... found the other half of the emergency stop.  Looks like I had started to wire it.  

And also meditating and calling upon the gods of CNC to help me getting into the right state of mind to tackle the wiring for the pendant... I am really, really dreading that task...




Looking at other conversions, looks like this shield has to go along with the safety switch.  I did not wanted to cut any wires at this time, so just took a blade and got the two wires connected to each other.  Some heat shrink on them and tucked it away from any spinning parts.




The next, I must admit, is what a typical poser will do...   I am so far from doing any cooling... but I had to install this just for encouragement.   No, stop it Wachuko! Okay, okay... I did it just for the photo, buaaahahahhahahaa


----------



## wachuko

Found translated photos for the wiring of the pendant.

Placing here for future reference:







And had to order a DB25 connector... looks like I never order one...




I should be able to connect the ribbon cable I had to the Warp9 Ethernet Smooth Stepper (ESS) board.

Wiring diagram from Warp9 and link to the setup I need to do in Mach4







And the MPG Pendant will connect in the back of the case to this... cool...




So it should not be that complicated... fingers crossed.


----------



## wachuko

Additional information to remember for the wiring of the E-STOP



> 24V to A1
> DC COM to A2
> Jumper S21 to S22
> S11 to one side of your ESTOP (jumper to both N.C. contacts if you have 2)
> One ESTOP N.C. contact to S52
> One ESTOP N.C. contact to S12
> 5V to terminal 13
> Terminal 14 to ESS ESTOP input pin.
> DC common to terminal 23
> Terminal 24 to Stepper Drive Enable
> Make sure that your V- from all 3 power supplies are tied together (this is very important). This wiring will give you simultaneous ESTOP channels, one killing the steppers and one telling Mach 4 that the steppers have been shut down.
> 
> You have one more Safety channel (33 & 34) that can be used to power down a device (like a spindle) and one Aux channel (41 & 42) that is N.O. and can be used for diagnostics like a lamp that is ON when the ESTOP is pressed in.


----------



## wachuko

Okay... went back to play with the dip switches on the drivers to see why it was going so slow... Turns out, I had them set incorrectly.  




I moved them all (SW5-8) to ON.  This is supposed to allow for the software to control it.




All working fine now.  Another mistake corrected.


----------



## wachuko

Wiring the E-STOP...







Still need to confirm if the wire that goes to the ENA on the stepper drives needs to be jumped to all ENA+ pins on the stepper drives or to just one...  And then, I think that there is software changes I need to make to enable the E-STOP function.

Oh, and just noticed I forgot to install back the cover on the left wire organizer...

DB25 ribbon cable to parallel port installed as well.  That is where the MPG Pendant will connect to...


----------



## wachuko

Okay... MPG A is yellow and goes to 12... oh no, wait... that is not the correct color... so Green is MPG A and goes to 3 and... and what is this Orange/Black COM, where does that goes???  arghhhhh....


----------



## wachuko

Giving the pendant a rest... going over the wiring of the relay.  Thank you @macardoso !!!









I think that is done...


----------



## wachuko

I was getting confused with the Pendant wiring... made a table for the mapping as I understand it, from reading that link I posted from warp9td.com




And the wires not used:

Purple: MPG A- (or also called Not A )
Purple/Black: MPG B- (or also called Not B )

Will wire it that way and test next week...  Looks like I will be doing hard labor in the yard this weekend...


----------



## wachuko

I am still not wiring the Pendant correctly... so many mistakes...

Pin 1 goes to Green/Black (LED +) that is the only wire that goes there...

These wires DO NOT go to the SmoothStepper Input pins:  Red (MPG VCC), Blue (E-STOP C), Orange/Black (COM) -  these need to be connected to 5V. 

So now I need to see how I can feed 5 volts to those wires with the current setup.  I think that I will need a bridge of some sort to be able to still connect to the DB25 plug in the back and then, inside the box, with a punch out block (??Name??) map those wires to 5volts while the rest go to the SmoothStepper board...

And the E-Stop is not working as it should.  So I unplugged the two wires that go to each driver (ENA+, ENA-), to get the system working again.  Will sort that out later.


----------



## wachuko

Took a break to practice indicating the vise... I have to do this all over when I am done with the conversion, but being that I have never done it... and after watching all those videos...  I had to give it a try...   






Now I can finish packing for my trip, lol.... really, Iook! squirrel!!  I get distracted so easily...


----------



## wachuko

Well... was out a few weeks... Friend needed help and invited me to be part of his crew for his runs at Bonneville Salt Flats... got back Friday and we had family arriving that night... so it has been good, but no work on anything else.

I did managed to sneak into the garage tonight to test the tramming tool... Made the adjustments and this axis is done...




Now, how do I adjust the column??  There is no adjustment that I could see... Do I have to loosen the four bolts and insert feeler gauges in there to get it where I want it?  Or is there a better way to do this? 

Doing a search in the forum to see what others have done.  Also checking YouTube for any videos on this as well.







A few threads on this;









						PM932- PDF Gearhead Tilting Modification.
					

Adjustment/tramming of the gearhead after tilting for milling operation (or procedure for oil change as described in owners manual) is less than desirable IMHO.  I would like to share my modification with all other owners of PM932 and other mills of similar design. Please note that this...




					www.hobby-machinist.com


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Now, how do I adjust the column?? There is no adjustment that I could see... Do I have to loosen the four bolts and insert feeler gauges in there to get it where I want it? Or is there a better way to do this?


Shim it or scrape it. Remember, there are two surfaces that contribute to the "nod" of the head. The first is the column fit to the base of the mill, the second is the Z axis slide to the head.

You need to bring in a square reference (cylindrical square, granite square, a really nice set of 2-4-6 blocks, etc) and measure the squareness of travel along the column to that reference. It is the easiest way to figure out where the error is coming from.

EDIT: Google image of someone tramming against a cylindrical square.


----------



## wachuko

Got it.  Let me get something like that to do the test.  Thank you.


----------



## macardoso

I managed to pick one of these up at a surplus place listed as a "weight" for $15. Don't know if I would have sprung for one otherwise but I love it and use it more than you'd think.









						Fowler 52-750-006-0 6 Inch Cylindrical Square | ToolDiscounter
					

6 Inch Cylindrical Square. Shop Fowler 6 Inch Cylindrical Square at ToolDiscounter




					www.tooldiscounter.com
				




I also recently got one of these to use as a scraping reference 






						10" x 6" x 1" Precision Granite Square
					

<!-- <ul><li>Length: 10"</li><li>Width: 6"</li><li>Height: 1"</li><li>Squareness: +/- .0001"<br /></li></ul> -->




					www.shars.com
				




The cylindrical square has a couple limitations that drove me to the granite square, but in general, I'd argue the cylindrical square is far more versatile. You can use it on a surface plate as a squareness reference to zero an indicator on, or to tram your mill. I also used mine between centers on the lathe to true up the headstock and tailstock alignment. No fiddling with cutting test bars, just pop this in, indicate down the length and call it a day!


----------



## wachuko

Had a roll of .006" and .004" feeler gauge... cut a piece of each, the same width of the column.  Slid that under the bottom bolts.  Tighten everything back and checked again.  Much better but not there yet...

I still need to buy that cylindrical square for the final test... but wanted to try with what I had here...





I will try with the .006" and a .002" feeler blade and see if that gets me there...


----------



## wachuko

I am not going to push my newbie's luck and will call that done for now... I know this does not mean much until I can validate with the cylinder, but feels good to get it that close.





I checked on the other axis to make sure the angle had not moved... all good there as well.


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> I am not going to push my newbie's luck and will call that done for now... I know this does not mean much until I can validate with the cylinder, but feels good to get it that close.
> 
> View attachment 375704
> 
> 
> 
> I checked on the other axis to make sure the angle had not moved... all good there as well.


This proves your spindle is square to the table which means your cutters will give nice square cuts. Checking the column against a square reference (like a cylindrical square) will determine if the travel of the Z axis is also square to the work. If it is not, the spindle centerline will drift in the XY plane while moving up and down. 

Awesome work - it is fun to follow along! I love that tramming tool.


----------



## wachuko

Okay... I need to finish installing the pendant.  I have a few things I would like to play with making chips and can't do them because I now have everything setup for CNC and those knobs are not really that great for manual work... 

Let's try this again, now with the correct parts and approach... ...sorry @macardoso , had I read your recommendation several times, I would had been done a long time ago... you can tell that I flunked reading comprehension... .  Thank you for your patience and guidance.


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Okay... I need to finish installing the pendant.  I have a few things I would like to play with making chips and can't do them because I now have everything setup for CNC and those knobs are not really that great for manual work...
> 
> Let's try this again, now with the correct parts and approach... ...sorry @macardoso , had I read your recommendation several times, I would had been done a long time ago... you can tell that I flunked reading comprehension... .  Thank you for your patience and guidance.
> 
> View attachment 376356
> 
> 
> View attachment 376357


Happy to help, just need to check my notes first. Just to verify - you are wiring this to the 3rd port of the ESS right?


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Happy to help, just need to check my notes first. Just to verify - you are wiring this to the 3rd port of the ESS right?



Correct. 

And I just noticed that the link from Warp9 ( https://warp9td.com/index.php/faq/faq-pendants-and-mpgs#AvailablePendants ) - he used 47 K ohms resistors for pull down and 4.7K ohms for pull up... humm...


----------



## wachuko

Trying to map for the colors I have...


----------



## wachuko

Still stuck working but managed to install terminals on all the wires...


----------



## wachuko

This is kicking my as$....

So the pins on the ESS are different?  So I have to map the Terminal Block to those on the ESS?







And this would be the corresponding pin assignment on the Terminal Block so it maps to the ESS pinout?




Meaning I install these incorrectly?  Let me move these pins around...


----------



## wachuko

Okay... Done...  I do not have any Pink and Pink/Black wires... so 19 and 21 left empty




So now to figure out where the resistors go... per recommendation will use 220 ohms resistors.  And still need to provide 5Volts and GND to the cables not connected.  That part is easy.


----------



## macardoso

Allright, sorry for taking so long to get back to you @wachuko.

The trick with this is that all the port 3 DEDICATED INPUT PINS (Port 3 Pins 10, 11, 12, 13, 15) are pulled HIGH to 5V by the board. These require external PULLDOWN resistors since we are applying 5V to the pin through the pendant.

You can use a range of values for the resistor, but choose something between 200 ohm and maybe 2000 ohm? An external 4.7kohm resistor might be too weak to pull the input down. I chose 220 ohm and they work great, but the exact value is not super important.

Read the note here about the input pins from Warp9 TD




As for the pin numbering, read the following:






I personally don't like this, but I understand why they did it. Since the IDC-26 breakout board follows the IDC-26 pinout, the numbers will be wrong for the smoothstepper. A piece of masking tape and a fine point sharpie will help you renumber the board.

Take a look at my installed board. The black devices jumpering between pins are the external pulldown resistors. There are 5 of them. Terminal 1 starts on the bottom row, bottom of the image and counts upwards to pin 13 on the bottom row, top of image. Then the numbering starts again at 14 on the top row, bottom of image, and finishes up at pin 26 on the top row, top of image.




You may prefer to source 5V to the pendant directly from the ESS using pin 26. If you do this, you need to make sure JP4 is installed on the ESS. The risk is that a short outside the cabinet in the pendant will drop out the ESS and potentially damage it. For this reason I externally sourced 5V.

Let me know if this clears things up a bit more.

Mike

EDIT: all of this info is presented here: https://warp9td.com/index.php/documentation/doc-ess#TechnicalDetails


----------



## wachuko

No worries, I am just happy to get the help figuring this out.  

Okay.  So that means that the mapping of the pins I did is now correct.  Easier for me to have the mapping on a spreadsheet.  Maybe later I can replaced the label on the terminal block for matching the numbering of the ESS... spreadsheet will do for now.

As you did, I will source the 5V from the same power supply that feeds the ESS board.  I will not do it via the ESS board and pin 26.

I am also following your recommendation and using 220 ohms resistors.

But the question that I still not able to answer is:  Where do I install the resistors?  I see them on your board... but what are these connected To/From - The "From"  I get, it is the "To" that I do not see... That is where I am confused. 

You have one resistor going from 4 to 12
And the other going to 18, 20, 22, 24

Is this because that means you are placing the resistor between the GND on the ESS board and the Pendant wires?  So I can basically do that with mine...  any ESS pins between 18-25 (corresponding Terminal Block pins 10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24) is fine?




Also, why only 5 resistors?  X, Y, Z and ??  MPG A and MPG B?


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> No worries, I am just happy to get the help figuring this out.
> 
> Okay.  So that means that the mapping of the pins I did is now correct.  Easier for me to have the mapping on a spreadsheet.  Maybe later I can replaced the label on the terminal block for matching the numbering of the ESS... spreadsheet will do for now.
> 
> As you did, I will source the 5V from the same power supply that feeds the ESS board.  I will not do it via the ESS board and pin 26.
> 
> I am also following your recommendation and using 220 ohms resistors.
> 
> But the question that I still not able to answer is:  Where do I install the resistors?  I see them on your board... but what are these connected To/From - The "From"  I get, it is the "To" that I do not see... That is where I am confused.
> 
> You have one resistor going from 4 to 12
> And the other going to 18, 20, 22, 24
> 
> Is this because that means you are placing the resistor between the GND on the ESS board and the Pendant wires?  So I can basically do that with mine...  any ESS pins between 18-25 (corresponding Terminal Block pins 10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24) is fine?
> 
> View attachment 376715
> 
> 
> Also, why only 5 resistors?  X, Y, Z and ??  MPG A and MPG B?


Ah shoot left out that info...

The "To" is any available GND. This could be any terminal 18-25. Whichever is convenient from a location standpoint.

You only need resistors for the GREEN dedicated inputs. Bidirectional inputs (YELLOW) have pulldown resistor already and don't need anything external.


----------



## wachuko

Got it!!  Driving back home tonight.  Will give this a go tomorrow!!!  Can't wait to test it out.  

Thank you!


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Got it!!  Driving back home tonight.  Will give this a go tomorrow!!!  Can't wait to test it out.
> 
> Thank you!


Let me know! Should work well for you.


----------



## wachuko

IT WORKS!!!! The MPG Pendant is finally working!!  E-Stop on the MPG Pendant is also functional!










Thank you @macardoso !!!


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> IT WORKS!!!! The MPG Pendant is finally working!! E-Stop on the MPG Pendant is also functional!


Whooo!!! nice work


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Whooo!!! nice work


You rock!

Nothing like the sound of stepper motors in the morning


----------



## macardoso

wachuko said:


> You rock!
> 
> Nothing like the sound of stepper motors in the morning


Just a quick recommendation. I'd recommend X1 to be set for 0.0001", X10 to be set for 0.001" and X100 to be set for 0.01". Set the jog speed and acceleration in the smoothstepper config for the MPG to as high as your machine can do.

The reason for this is avoiding windup on the knob where you spin it a long distance, and your machine lags behind and overshoots where you want to go. It is better to have each click on the MPG move a smaller distance and then you spin the MPG faster.

Just my recommendation!

EDIT: This change is made in the LUA code, "local PendantStepSize = 0.0001"




These should be set to velocity 100%, Accel 100%




You'll also benefit all over from maximizing the acceleration settings for each of your axis motors in the Motors tab. This will affect your machine performance and cycle time much more than increasing the top speed. You can set up some repeatability tests to verify you are not losing steps.


----------



## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Just a quick recommendation. I'd recommend X1 to be set for 0.0001", X10 to be set for 0.001" and X100 to be set for 0.01". Set the jog speed and acceleration in the smoothstepper config for the MPG to as high as your machine can do.
> 
> The reason for this is avoiding windup on the knob where you spin it a long distance, and your machine lags behind and overshoots where you want to go. It is better to have each click on the MPG move a smaller distance and then you spin the MPG faster.
> 
> Just my recommendation!
> 
> EDIT: This change is made in the LUA code, "local PendantStepSize = 0.0001"
> 
> View attachment 376799
> 
> 
> These should be set to velocity 100%, Accel 100%
> 
> View attachment 376800
> 
> 
> You'll also benefit all over from maximizing the acceleration settings for each of your axis motors in the Motors tab. This will affect your machine performance and cycle time much more than increasing the top speed. You can set up some repeatability tests to verify you are not losing steps.



Got it... I have it now at: 

local PendantStepSize = 0.001

I will change it to:

local PendantStepSize = 0.0001

I believe that I have Accel % and Velocity % set to 100%.  But I will double check as well as I do not recall changing anything on that field... hummm... 

I am currently using an old, very old, laptop... It works, but slow as heck... But it works.  It has the RJ45 port integrated and has been able to connect to the board without any issues.  

The newer machine that I have is very fast but it has a USB adapter for the RJ45 connector and I have not been able to make that one communicate with the board.  Will tackle that in a few weeks... for now I just want to make sure everything else is setup correctly.

Will be right back, let me check these settings and make the changes.


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Got it... I have it now at:
> 
> local PendantStepSize = 0.001
> 
> I will change it to:
> 
> local PendantStepSize = 0.0001
> 
> I believe that I have Accel % and Velocity % set to 100%.  But I will double check as well as I do not recall changing anything on that field... hummm...
> 
> I am currently using an old, very old, laptop... It works, but slow as heck... But it works.  It has the RJ45 port integrated and has been able to connect to the board without any issues.
> 
> The newer machine that I have is very fast but it has a USB adapter for the RJ45 connector and I have not been able to make that one communicate with the board.  Will tackle that in a few weeks... for now I just want to make sure everything else is setup correctly.
> 
> Will be right back, let me check these settings and make the changes.


Nice. Sounds like your settings are correct - just try to play with the motor settings to maximize the acceleration as much as your motors can handle. If you hit the limit where they stall, back off 20%.

I'll warn you that USB -> RJ45 adapters are known to not work with the ESS. Call Warp9TD and see if they have any recommendations. Mach 4 is not very CPU intensive. I run mine on an industrial PC with an Atom processor (think Kindle) with 2GB of RAM. Probably half of the minimum system settings and it runs great. I'd look for a cheap windows 10 PC with maybe an i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and an integral Ethernet port. 

A USB Type C to RJ45 might work OK since the protocol is native to the port (that's how docking stations work). USB Type A to RJ45 sort of fakes the ethernet connection and is not OK for demanding applications.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Nice. Sounds like your settings are correct - just try to play with the motor settings to maximize the acceleration as much as your motors can handle. If you hit the limit where they stall, back off 20%.
> 
> I'll warn you that USB -> RJ45 adapters are known to not work with the ESS. Call Warp9TD and see if they have any recommendations. Mach 4 is not very CPU intensive. I run mine on an industrial PC with an Atom processor (think Kindle) with 2GB of RAM. Probably half of the minimum system settings and it runs great. I'd look for a cheap windows 10 PC with maybe an i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and an integral Ethernet port.
> 
> A USB Type C to RJ45 might work OK since the protocol is native to the port (that's how docking stations work). USB Type A to RJ45 sort of fakes the ethernet connection and is not OK for demanding applications.



Got it.  Was trying to use an old, but faster notebook that I had.  After reading your comment, not going to even bother any more to try to make it work... I will find something with an integrated ethernet port.

Made the change to the local PendantStepSize parameter.  Less scary to move on the X100 now... hehehehe

I forgot to check the Motors settings... will play with those next.

Now searching for an inexpensive notebook to replace this dinosaur...


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Got it.  Was trying to use an old, but faster notebook that I had.  After reading your comment, not going to even bother any more to try to make it work... I will find something with an integrated ethernet port.
> 
> Made the change to the local PendantStepSize parameter.  Less scary to move on the X100 now... hehehehe
> 
> I forgot to check the Motors settings... will play with those next.
> 
> Now searching for an inexpensive notebook to replace this dinosaur...


Do you already have a computer for CAD/CAM? If not, it might be worth getting a laptop that can run the CNC and run whatever CAD CAM you'll use. Might be a bit more expensive but save you from getting two machines.


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## wachuko

macardoso said:


> Do you already have a computer for CAD/CAM? If not, it might be worth getting a laptop that can run the CNC and run whatever CAD CAM you'll use. Might be a bit more expensive but save you from getting two machines.



About 6 years ago I  built a computer for image and video rendering.  At the time, my daughter had started college.  She is currently finishing her masters in character animation... She now has her own computer and Wacom MobileStudio, Wacom tablet, etc... so she no longer is using the tower I built...

It is a graphics processing monster... But it is huge...I wanted excessive cooling and placed everything in a large tower with 8 fans, liquid cooling, 6 cores Intel i7 4930 chip, 32 gigs of RAM, 2 - 1T SSD, NVidia  GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti with 12 Gig video card (since I built several years ago, I have been upgrading the video card as better ones come out)...  Not something I am going to move to the garage.

It is where I have the Fusion 360, Simplify3D, ZBrush, you name it... 3D printer is connected to it as well...

A cheap notebook, dedicated to the milling machine, will be good for now... Money better spent in tools for the lathe and milling machine 

Right now I am just not shutting down the old notebook...the time it takes to boot up... man... lol


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> About 6 years ago I  built a computer for image and video rendering.  At the time, my daughter had started college.  She is currently finishing her masters in character animation... She now has her own computer and Wacom MobileStudio, Wacom tablet, etc... so she no longer is using the tower I built...
> 
> It is a graphics processing monster... But it is huge...I wanted excessive cooling and placed everything in a large tower with 8 fans, liquid cooling, 6 cores Intel i7 4930 chip, 32 gigs of RAM, 2 - 1T SSD, NVidia  GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti with 12 Gig video card (since I built several years ago, I have been upgrading the video card as better ones come out)...  Not something I am going to move to the garage.
> 
> It is where I have the Fusion 360, Simplify3D, ZBrush, you name it... 3D printer is connected to it as well...
> 
> A cheap notebook, dedicated to the milling machine, will be good for now... Money better spent in tools for the lathe and milling machine
> 
> Right now I am just not shutting down the old notebook...the time it takes to boot up... man... lol


Got it - yeah a basic laptop with an ethernet port should be perfect. I'd look for an i3 with 4Gb RAM and a 128Gb SSD. If it is Win10, then it should boot in 10 seconds flat.


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## wachuko

I have the newer notebook working!!  Took the time to go over the interface configuration to have it in the same domain as the ESS... network adapter configuration done, had to get rid of McAfee as well.  But now it sees the card!!

So with that, I also went ahead and downloaded the latest version/build of Mach4.  I did not dare to try to upgrade the software in the older machine...

Configuration completed and all is working as expected.  The only difference is that the motors are working with a heck of a lot more acceleration... and on the Z-Axis is overpowering the grip on the leadscrew.... the coupling is as tight as it would go... so I need to lowered that value....

It has been such a great day that after changing the acceleration value, I do not want to touch or do anything else today, hahahahahhahahaa


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## wachuko

Something is different from the configuration I had in the old computer... all three axis are accelerating at a faster rate than before.  This is creating a torque that makes the leadscrew slipping on the coupling... I need to fix the acceleration on the motors.  Seems like they go full blast in a split second.  The movement is still control by the Pendant wheel/control... that is not the issue... 

I need to go over all the configuration again...





Also I had different motor profiles/config...

This is what it looks like in the new machine...




I tried playing with it to slow it down...




Doing some searches I came across this document: https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=27363.0;attach=38008

I might need to look at the Kernel Speed setting on the old machine... that might be influencing what I am seeing...

I need to re-trace my steps when I did the configuration... something is not correctly setup... I also need to go over the manual section on Motor Tuning...

Once this is resolved, is it worthwhile to take apart the motors and apply some loctite on the coupling and motor shaft?


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## wachuko

Here, take a look... If I have it on X1, it moves without issues... if I switch to X10 or X100 and try to move it a couple of clicks at the time... torque overcomes grip in the couplings...  This is in any of the axis...


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## macardoso

wachuko said:


> Here, take a look... If I have it on X1, it moves without issues... if I switch to X10 or X100 and try to move it a couple of clicks at the time... torque overcomes grip in the couplings...  This is in any of the axis...


Hard to tell 100% from a video, but that definitely looks like your motors are stalling rather than the coupling slipping. This is an expected result of going too high on the acceleration.
Doesn’t hurt the machine at all but it basically happens when the next step the motor needs to take arrives too soon and the motor can’t accelerate the inertia of the connected load in time.  Reduce your acceleration until this stops happening and then reduce by a further ~20%. That should be a realistic max acceleration.

could be something else, but if all you changed was the acceleration then I have a feeling this is the issue.


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## wachuko

What I did was change the computer for the newer one that I had.  And install the most recent Mach4 build.  I followed the same step for the configuration that I did on the old one.

The images I shared where the default configuration on the Motor screen in the newer notebook.  Much different from the one in the older machine.

So there are default differences from the initial install I made due to the build/version for Mach4.

If I connect to the older notebook, all speeds and accelerations on the axis are fine.

I will read the manual and play with the acceleration settings as suggested.  This is the easy part. 

The difficult part was the wiring and the rest of the hardware setup.  Your help was instrumental in getting me here.  So glad that is done, hehehe.

Busy day at work so I will work on this in the afternoon.


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## wachuko

I just had to... could not resist... .  Plugged the old computer back to it and gave it a simple X-axis run...


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## hman

Smokin'!!!!


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## macardoso

I've found on my G0704 that a lot of rigidity can be gained on bigger tooling like boring heads and facemills if you cut the shank a bit shorter and relieve the back of the tool so the rim of the tool body only contacts the nose of the spindle. 

This is how Tormach makes their Tormach Tooling System (TTS) for R8 tools. I've copied that design for my own tooling. 





.


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