Linux CNC: Anybody using Mesa control boards?

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DMS

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I have my mill running on a parallel port interface, but as I move forward and start adding additional sensors, I am edging towards an upgrade to control boards from Mesa. My current thought is that a combination of the 6I25/7I76 boards is what I need. (3 axis mill , eventually 4, with spindle encoder). I was hoping somebody could comment about difficulty of setup/general experience.

I had through the price would be a lot higher than they are, if I had realized they were as reasonable as they are, I would have gone this way in the first place.
 
I did an upgrade of my mill with a 5i25 feeding a Gecko G540.

Once I got past a mental block of how it actually feeds the G540, it has been a breath of fresh air!

I did purchase a 7i76 for a CNC lathe project I'm slowly working on, but for my mill, it was just the 5i25.

What kind of hw do you have on the down side (mill side) of your parallel port cable?

John A. Stewart
 
I think we lost a few posts off of this thread. To follow up, I pulled the trigger and ordered a 6i25 and 7i76 from Mesa. Got it next day! (well, they are only about 50miles from me). Installation was easy, configuration was easy once you figure out how to install the firmware...really wish they included software installation instructions because the packages available through LinuxCNC don't have drivers for the 6i25/5i25.

After that, I ripped out my existing breakout boards and replaced with the 7i76. I spent a couple days thinking I blew up the spindle interface, but it turns out I just had it configured wrong in the software (the instructions for setting the spindle parameters IMO are not very clear). Got that working last night. So, I'm just about back to where I was before the upgrade as far as capabilities, but I have much more IO, and with 2 more connections I will have full spindle control (speed/direction).
 
Hi DMS;

Yes, Somehow I agree that some posts/something was lost in the process.

I'm not happy about the directions, but with anything that I seem to touch, "it's all crystal clear in hindsight". Sigh!

Working on my CNC lathe - Mesa 5i25/7i76 combo, I expect to have a few stages on this CNC lathe build.

Congratulations; John A. Stewart.
 
If you use the spindle control, keep in mind that the "max" and the "scale" need to match up. That was the main thing that caught up. I also found that the 6i25 would not work in the single lane PCIE slot, I had to use the 16lane slot. Not an issue for you since you are using the pci version, but I thought I would mention it.
 
I have setup the mesa boards on both a bridgeport series one and a Yam 1428 with anilam lathemate. great boards. they are very
helpful on the IRC. Configuration not much different mostly naming. I was using linear encoders on all axis on the bridgeport with
servos. Bridgeport now retired for HAAS. still playing with the Yam 1428.

Jim
 
Hi DMS;

DMS said:
If you use the spindle control, keep in mind that the "max" and the "scale" need to match up...
Click to expand...

When I did my install, (5I25 feeding a Gecko G540) I spent a bit of time with my new tachometer, I thought I'd get the spindle speed requested and the speed on the mill as close as I could;

http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.ca/2013/02/kx1-5i25-and-spindle-speeds.html

shows the (probably over the top) method I used to get the spindle speed running. I was surprised that the results were as close as they were; much better than I had thought.

Fun stuff - John A . Stewart.
 
Hello everybody, Does anybody know where to get a schematic for using MESA boards (6I25 - 7I76 ) on a bridgeport with an Anilam Crusader control ? I Was paying a guy to retro my machine and he got in over his head . Luckily he did not tear into the machine yet. I have a box with a bunch of electronics and know body in the area that knows what to do with it. I have scanned the internet looking for any information I can get. Thank you in advance. Harry
 
The only thing I can add is that the 7i76 is a simple step/direction output. If you can identify the right inputs for your drivers, it should be relatively easy to connect (there are only 2 wires per axis, step and direction).
 
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