[serry]

(chair)Sir ,
forgive me , i am a new member of this nice site. I have a little problem , if you don't mind need help. Building my router , used 3 stepper motors, & Kcam 3 but the accuracy is low ( specially in depth ) because there is no feed back and the software does not support to any kind of encoders . R ether any way to improve the router ???
your help please
thanks to all members
:cheers:

[ger21]

Are you losing steps? If so, try going slower, and remove any binding you may have.

[kong]

The problrm could also be related to KCam. I have no experience with the software, but if it is a windows based controller, it may be that all the steps aren't getting through to the steppers in the first place. Give Mach2 a whirl, or TurboCNC before you look at replacing the steppers. Both of these pieces of sofytware are available on a free trial, so it will cost nothing to try.

[berin]

what kind of a controller are you using? serial or parallel? If your using parallel, your going to find that your machine is slow and studders in windows. try using TURBOCNC in PURE dos. Or if your any good with linux, try one of the FREE linux cnc distro's. Also encoders are only used for feed back of ensuring that a MOVMENT has been acheaved OR, that the controller know's where the motor posision is should power to the stepper motor be turnd off. Then the stepper motor moved around a bit. The encoder would spit back the feed back of WHERE it is.
an encoder would be a GOOD idea if your using very small micro stepping and want to ensure that your machine is doing the movments its supose to.

[serry]

sir
thanks for help . i used the parallel port to control the 3 motors , donot have any experience with linux . by the way what is the min. speed of drilling motors to use in wood .
its really seems that my problem with the mechnical parts , and looking for simple and power design to start again .
any help ?
thanks to all

[berin]

the problem with the parallel port is that windows doesnt give DIRECT access to the port, there for there are intermitent pauses during the pulse rate. and because the step controll is generated directly from the parallel port. any pauses are lack of a smooth output transistion of pulse rates. You get your problem's, as for the drilling thing? I'm not sure I follow you exactly, but your drill rate depends on a lot of things. Mainly what speed your motors are capable of moving at with out losing step. What kind of drilling power your spindle has (dremel/"ac-dc motor in drill press"). There are many many factors. For example my corded power drill, I can put a nice 1" cutting bit on it crank it at full speed and cut threw 1" of hard oak by hand in two seconds. It really depends.
In closing I'm asuming your problem is going to be really software based and your getting studdering due to a windows controll platform. If this is the case try turbocnc, you may find a big difference. The other thing is just the fact that you may have very weak stepping or servo motors? I dont kno what you have becuase you never said.
But all in all the end problem is normaly prity easy to identify.

[HomeCNC]

If you need to use a windows based controller and you don't want to purchase a motion control board for the PC then your only choice is Mach 1 or Mach 2. If you don't mind going to a DOS based system then your choices are many more. Most of us like TurboCNC for the DOS system.

This may or may not be your problem. It is very difficult to figure out problems with just email.

You need to do some checking on your system. Place a dial indicator on your spindle. With the spindle OFF move the spindle in a direction of a known amount. If the indicator says you did move this much then you are not loosing steps. At least not with a simple one direction move.

Is your problem repeatable?