[Xerxes]

Just curious, is this controller card work in companion with your 6 each VSDE or it will be 1 card with 6 ea driver on board. Thanks.

It's one card that has connectors for 7 VSD drives. No integrated drives on board.

[winner]

Thanks for answers. I taken a look to TwinCAT yesterday but this software seems to be just a configurator for devices. They have a 30 day trial who is composed with the following exe: SystemManager, Event Configurator, System Control, PLC Control, Scope View, Remote Manager. Frankly I expected something like Mach3 or EMC2, a more "human" approach, but this seems to be very confusing. I have at work a router with PLC, so this TwinCAT using PLC is targeted to the Professional market? I can get something like DIY with this without using any PLC? Know somebody how much is costing TwinCAT (Licens/PC).

[Xerxes]

Yes, TwinCAT is confusing even to me but I'm learning. That's because it's one hammer for every problem, not just CNC. There is way to configure it and run G code straight from SystemManager. Perhaps there are nicer GUIs for it, however I'm not aware of them.

[vishnu]

Apart from 7 Axis control what other features have you integrated on the controller, and the ease of setting up limits e-stop etc. Whats would be the max & min Pulsing required by the computer.

[Xerxes]

Apart from 7 Axis control what other features have you integrated on the controller, and the ease of setting up limits e-stop etc. Whats would be the max & min Pulsing required by the computer.

In the USB7AX design there are many general purpose digital I/O's that user may use on whatever he needs. Some can be used as switch inputs etc.

There is no pulsing requirement from computer at all.

[roger_e]

I have been looking to put an ethercat system together....my price in quoted from beckhoff(guys who make twincat) was 5400 for three axis drives and software...not expensive(but not cheap)

EMC2 has an ethercat module(?)...

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/emcinfo.pl?...AT_Digital_I_O

would your drive communicate with Beckhoff or yaskawa ethercat amplifiers?....If EMC2 has an EtherCat component why wont your driver work with EMC2?

[Xerxes]

I have been looking to put an ethercat system together....my price in quoted from beckhoff(guys who make twincat) was 5400 for three axis drives and software...not expensive(but not cheap)

EMC2 has an ethercat module(?)...

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/emcinfo.pl?...AT_Digital_I_O

would your drive communicate with Beckhoff or yaskawa ethercat amplifiers?....If EMC2 has an EtherCat component why wont your driver work with EMC2?

Possibly the easiest way to control VSD-E on EMC2 is to use pulse/direction control or quadrature pulses (almost the same thing but usually better than pulse/dir).

The control signals & pulses can be generated by any digital I/O device. Perhaps Ethercat I/O terminals can be used with EMC2 for that purpose (at least the link says it supports I/O terminal). It's best to ask EMC people whether that Ethercat I/O is suitable for fast pulse/direction control.

[Xerxes]

There is change in plans regarding USB7AX. The replacement will be:

• RS485 multidrop communication link
• Less wires, longer distances, higher speeds, more noise immune
• Allows synchronous mutliaxis operation
• Allows real time control (USB doesn't)
• Only tiny & cheap RS485 adapter card needed on each drive, no complex & expensive USB card
• Cabling with standard RJ45 ethernet cables
• Integrated safety, E-stop button can be connected to the other end of RJ45 cable chain
• More plattform independent. Possible to control from PC, microcontroller, EMC2 etc

The attached image shows RS485 adapters as well as our all new DIN rail fixtures and servo power supply.

[paul3112]

Great stuff. I will continue to look for updates and the finished goodies

Paul

[lubchi]

That's actually the right development-direction. Now comes the difficult question: when?

Wish you creativity!
Lubchi

[Xerxes]

Thank you for feedback! My goal is to make the RS485 available before the end of this summer.

[integerspin]

My goal is to scrape together the money to buy my drives by then.
Any more details of this available?

[Xerxes]

My goal is to scrape together the money to buy my drives by then.
Any more details of this available?

Details of scraping money? No. But just ask if you need to know anything I didn't mention about the multiaxis or RS485 stuff.

Few things I didin't remember to say:

• Even though it's RS485, it can be still used thru USB with USB->RS485 converters that cost about $40/€30.
• The RS485 communication specifications will be open, anyone can program for example a microcontroller for I/O's that talks the same language
• There will be distributed clock feature in the protocol, so all devices in the bus will stay in sync infinitely

[integerspin]

When I am scrapping some lolly I will let you know.
So where is the motion controller, getting a bit confused, are the adapters on the drives com devices and the controller lives some place else, no pics of it?

[Xerxes]

So where is the motion controller, getting a bit confused, are the adapters on the drives com devices and the controller lives some place else, no pics of it?

There are two ways to control drives over RS485:
* Direct, command is executed instantly when sent from controller (PC/MCU etc) to drive
* Buffered, drives store batch of commands in drive memory and they are executed at predefined frequency. So PC/MCU just keeps the drive command buffers filled to achieve continuous multiaxis motion.

So, there is no other hardware requirements than just the drives + stamp sized adapters + RS485 output on PC/MCU.

[Montabelli]

what are the prospects for a plugin to work with Mach3?

is there an 3xisting software package capable of smooth fully integrated 6 axis motion?

[Xerxes]

what are the prospects for a plugin to work with Mach3?

is there an 3xisting software package capable of smooth fully integrated 6 axis motion?

No such software, yet. We may set-up a open source project regarding Mach3/EMC2 plugins. To get developers interested, we could offer great discount on drives for developers.

[veteq]

Tero,
Really like the idea`s you had the last years and the way you make those HQ products. For me (CNC junkie..) you are really at the top off the game with the drives. A controller from Granite Devices would be briljant, especially if there would be a total solution, so no other companies that are added in etc..(it complicates everything, could be bad for the company...we all know forum talk...)

For the customer a total solution from a high end company for Moderest prices is the ultimate solution. Offcourse time is difficult, it takes a lot off time to develop things, but cnc will be there for years and the hobby/pro market only gets bigger.

Mach is really a wide program, 90% doesn`t need al that function and "juke box" interface. in time more function could be ad if you started with a simple Granite devices G-code interpeter.

[veteq]

Ooh man....i like that Oktober month...lol

Any updates...?

Kind regards,

Roy

[Xerxes]

Ooh man....i like that Oktober month...lol

Any updates...?

Yes, there is development on this almost every day. The RS485 bus implementation is nearly ready.

Also the VSD-E/XE Rev 2.2 drives are in production which will eventually support the RS485 bus. Older revisions can also support it but they will need one manually added resistor on bottom side of PCB.