[whiteriver]

I built a router a few years ago and used Gecko 320 servo drives with some Home shop CNC servos and 500 count encoders running Mach 3.
Recently I scored a pile of Sanyo Denki AC servo drives and motors. So I have retrofitted the machine with them. I put the cart before the horse and mounted the motors ,built a new electrical panel and mounted the new AC Drives.
I plan on using Linux EMC 2.5.1 with a Mesa 5i25 pci card and a 7i76 breakout. I was told these drives could take step and direction. I can't find that. Best I can find is (Pulse Command Pulse Input) Two inputs One is Normal Rotation Pulse and the Other is Reverse Rotation Pulse. From what I gather is this is not step and direction. Or is it?
Any idea of how to hook these up to Linux EMC?

[chester88]

I believe this is up/down mode in linuxcnc.
look for step_type (under parameter heading) here:
Mesa HostMot2 Driver

It's step type 1


Chris M

[whiteriver]

Thanks for the info. I will see what I can do with it this weekend. I am not very familiar with Linux. Its allot different than Mach. I have built 2 lathes and 2 routers and numerous wave soldering machines with Mach 3. Only one many years ago with EMC. Should be a fun experience.

Donny

[Al_The_Man]

If the input 20-21 is ±10vdc, you may have been better going with analogue torque mode, I believe there is a Mesa card that will control via analogue.
Al.

[samco]

Yes - the 7i77 daughter board would be the analog interface..

sam

If the input 20-21 is ±10vdc, you may have been better going with analogue torque mode, I believe there is a Mesa card that will control via analogue.
Al.

[whiteriver]

If the input 20-21 is ±10vdc, you may have been better going with analogue torque mode, I believe there is a Mesa card that will control via analogue.
Al.

So what would be the advantage of analogue torque mode over position command?

Donny

[Al_The_Man]

The two basic methods used in servo drive amplifier torque and velocity, I have always used the preferred method of torque mode using analogue control.
The drive control of which can be step/dir, analogue, PWM etc.
One other advantage is if you use a system where the PID loop is closed in the controller rather than the drive, simple non-Dsp transconductance drives can be used.
The motor current is directly proportional to the ±10vdc analogue infinite control.
The encoder is returned to the controller rather than the drive.
Al.

[whiteriver]

I have the servos wired to the 7I76 butt am not sure of the setup in Linux
I am running 2.51:drowning:
I copied the Firmware files from MESA to a Folder named 5I25 that i placed into the Firmware folder with the existing card styles.
Under I/O Control Ports/ Boards I select 5i25 from the drop down
On the configuration page I get a list of Firmwares. I chose 7i77/7i76
Is that correct?
I have the encoders connected directly to the drives. Not the 7i76.
I set number encoders to 0
Step Generators to 5. X,Y1,Y2,Z, A
Smart Serial Ports to 0

Under I/O Connector 2:
0= X axis Step Gen
1= Z axis Step Gen
2= Y axis Step Gen
3= Y2 tandem Step Gen
4= A axis Step Gen
034-040 I left blank
I wired: X to TB2 Pins 1-5
Z to TB2 Pins 7-11
Y1 TB2 Pins 13-17
Y2 TB2 Pins 19-23
A TB3 Pins 1-5

Tab I/O Connector 3 settings:
000 X home Gpio input
001 Y home Gpio input
002 Z home Gpio input

I wired home mechanical switches to TB6 Inputs 0-2 Pins 1-3
There is a 24vdc supply running to field power TB1 Pin 1. One side of the switch runs to Vfield pin2 the other to the proper input on TB6
The over travel and under travel switches are not hooked up yet neither is the spindle.

Under the Axis Motor/ Encoder pages I left all default except for the Stepper scale. Which I calculated using there wizard
And I set my travel distances.

Not sure if the above settings are correct.

The next page is the HALui stuff. I have no Idea what to do here.
I am running the servos in step/direction (Which is Position Control Mode in the servo)
Then there is the HAL Component Page. Not sure what to do here.

I try and write the file and click no to continue editing and the program disappears. But when I try and launch the program using the new shortcut it says its still running. . When I try and reboot its still running.

Had to hard shutdown the computer. When I brought it back up it looks like all my settings stuck. I just get no limits or motion. Power is on Estop not on. Jogs on screen but not physically.
The servo motors do turn just fine runing the Sanyo Q software on my windows computer. I just may not have all the internal settings for them correct or I do not have linux set up correctly.

Any suggestion on where to go from here. I believe I need to be in Step Gen mode 1 but do not know how to set that. Regardless I should have inputs from the Normally close home switches I have hooked up.

Donny

[chester88]

The 5i25 comes pre flashed with a firmware.
This is the firmware you must select in PNCconf.
leave the smartserial box at what it says - the 7i76 requires a smartserial channel for it's self.
leave the encoders at the default number it won't hurt.
in fact to start just leave them all default

I wouldn't worry about the limit switches (or anything else) till you get the steppers working.

Use the tune test to test the stepper output.

leave the HALUI page alone.
HAl component page alone.

Are you using step and direction or up down mode?
PNCconf does not have an option for UP down mode, so the tests won't work and you will need to edit the HAL file to change step type.

Check that the field power of the 7i76 is set up and powered properly or else it can cause errors. ( without power some of the pins don't show up in linuxcnc and if you try to use those pins you get an error)

and move your questions to the linuxcnc forum - where more linuxcnc people hang out.

Chris M

[whiteriver]

From what I been told I need to be in Up/Down Mode. I do not know how to set that up in the HAL file.

I did check the limit switches, I used the axis --> show hal configuration --> pin --> watch to verify them one by one. The light is red. Does not change state by breaking the switch.

Donny

[tommylight]

From what I been told I need to be in Up/Down Mode. I do not know how to set that up in the HAL file.

I did check the limit switches, I used the axis --> show hal configuration --> pin --> watch to verify them one by one. The light is red. Does not change state by breaking the switch.

Donny

For UP/DOWN pulse mode in Linuxcnc, you dont need mesa cards or anything, just edit the .hal file and set it to stepgen step_type to 1,1,1 and edit the appropriate output pins.

If you need any more info on how exactly edit that, i can try to explain.
Tom
Edit,
my bad, i will try to explain later, it is past midnight here.