Folks,

I'm working on a turning center with a 0T-B control and I'm trying to understand the requirements for M19 spindle orientation and Cs axis control. This is an older Emco 320 that lost its parameters. I've tried to get the original parameter table Emco, but their techs haven't returned any of my messages asking about assistance decommissioning this machine.

What I'm left with is a parameter set that was for another 320, but someone was kind enough to share. This one works for all of the basic stuff, but one thing remains a puzzle, spindle orientation. This machine's documentation set, schematics, and actual hardware build indicate that it is capable of C axis positioning after issuing M19. I've been working on trying to get this to work for a few weeks, but I'm at a bit of an impasse. I have a copy of the PMC ladder and have been looking through it. The parameter set from the other machine that I used as a baseline left out the Cs axis control feature. With these parameters, activation of the M19 command would result in an aux function timeout alarm. When I dug into the diagnostic bits, the problem appeared to be that the orientation logic in the PMC requires that the CNC issue a spindle unclamp along with a handful of other things in order for the M19 to activate a relay that ties to the ORCM2 input on the spindle drive. Upon enabling the Cs Axis Control feature, the CNC now sends the unclamp, M19 completes, closes the relay and the ORCM2 contact is made. Unfortunately, adding the feature results in a 1018 spindle parameter incorrect error unless I unhook the TLM6 signal coming back from the drive into the PMC.

Can anyone help me understand how the spindle drive uses the ORCM2 and what parameters may be needed in the spindle drive as well as the CNC for an M19 to work? It looks like getting the original parameter table back isn't going to happen, so I'm working from scratch. As of right now, I got no motion at all out of the spindle whenever an M19 is called. I'd like to know what other parameters need to be in place to support spindle orientation on these older controls? I would have expected the ORCM2 to cause the spindle drive to orient and then return TLM6 to let the PMC know that its done. That appears to be a major oversimplification of what's supposed to happen.

Thanks!
-Dave