Speed up your Galil card. This is described in the Galil manual under the TM command.
The default servo update rate is 1000 microseconds, but even with standard firmware, this can be reduced to as little as 375 microseconds on the DMC1842, which is what I opted for, since there is no penalty. The cards can run even faster, but then you lose some programming options with it.
The reasons to do this? Better response time of the servos and of the onboard I/O.
This is a quite simple adjustment to program into the Galil card, but it makes for a lot of changes in your various settings in your Camsoft setup. The servos have to be retuned since the PID is way out of wack by doing this, and your motor speed, acc/dec settings have to be multiplied by .375 (or whatever unit you have opted for), and the feedrate variable has to be set in startup.fil as
\73=37.5
Again, the exact value of this factor would be contingent upon the update rate you have decided to use. You did leave \73 attached to the feedrate variable, right?
It is a good idea to do a final check of your system, to make sure that a programmed move that should take exactly one minute to execute, actually takes exactly one minute, no more, no less. This is very critical in setup of a lathe, since an improperly proportioned feedrate variable will result in thread cutting that is off pitch.
In my system, I actually found that I had to adjust the feedrate variable from 37.5 down to 33.5 to get it perfect.
Rapidspeeds are affected by this update rate, however these values are controlled directly by encoder counts, so by reducing your Camsoft Rapidspeeds by the .375 factor, they will be equivalent to what they were before you changed the speed of the card.
Also, some care is required to control the feedrate variable in your InputIO.fil, if you have manual feedrate override buttons. Here is the relevant example from my file:
IF#17=1THEN\273={\273+.1} 'feedrate increase pushbutton located on right side of feedhold button
IF#19=1THEN\273={\273-.1} 'feedrate decrease pushbutton located on left side of feedhold button
IF\273<0THEN\273=0 'minimum feedrate override is zero, or equivalent to feedhold
IF\273>2THEN\273=2 'maximum feedrate override is 200%
\73={33.5*\273} : DISPLAY4 {\273*f} : DISPLAY2 {\273*100} 'when feedrate variable \73=33.5, actual commanded feedrate is at 100% by external clock.
EXIT
First you get good, then you get fast. Then grouchiness sets in.
(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)