[dcorga]

Hello,

I just purchase 2 spectra light milling machine from a tech school and they did not come with the pci interface card. is there anyone that can help me out ? Do i need to go directly to light machines to get this card? do i have any other options?

In this purchase i also got an emco compact 5 pc i am looking for any advice on this machine as well. do i need to purchase a seperate interface card for this machine?

thanks

Dinis

[Fastest1]

From my experiences you will most likely have to convert the machine. The ISA cards are hard if not impossible to find or so expensive they arent worth it. Do you have the software? A few pictures would always help. There are a few threads here on the zone of people resurrecting those machines and or converting them to moderm electronics to run G codes. Are you comfortable with electronics? Any experience machining or cnc? Plenty here to challenge anyone.

[dcorga]

Hello

I am not that good with electronics but i do have extensive knowledge of programing cnc machines. all be it larger machines but i would think programing is the same.

i am new to this site so once i figure everything out i will send some photos

[dcorga]

I hope this works i just truied to attach photos

[Fastest1]

Are those the actual pictures, if so they are nice. My first machine was just like your mill. It is an old Sherline that has been refit. The steppers and screws are reusable but it would be better to get the new Sherline stepper mounts as they have thrust bearings. When I started I had the machines as you but had no experience in machining, CAD, CAM and pretty light on electronics. A few years later, I understand some of it! Do you have the controller box with the mill?

[dcorga]

these are not actuals but my machines are in really nice shape. they have been in storage for 10 years and when i check the date of manufacture it was only 13 years ago so the machines only saw about three years of use in a school enviorment. I have 2 of the milling machines and yes i have the control box for both machines. you said they were sherline but i believe the make of the machine is spectra light 0200 mill. which is made by light machine in manchester NH. they are actually part of Intelilink.

anything you can do to help me out point me in the right direction. i am hoping the lathe I can just plug and chug. the mill i am being told are going to be some work.

[Fastest1]

The lathe was an Emco?, a nice lathe in appearance but I dont know anything about them. I do know that the mill you have within that enclosure looks just like mine. If it is all of the mechanicals should be Sherline. The electronics were all done by Intellitek/Light Machines the way I understood it. I modernized all of mine with Sherline parts. A better picture would clear it up.

[Fastest1]

Have you looked in YouTube? Here is a guy running a similar machine YouTube - ‪EMCO Compact 5CNC‬‏
You might look there and ask them too! I have done that many times and been helped immensely.

[dcorga]

what exactly would you like me to take pictures of? just the inside of the sheet metal? maybe the stepper motors?

[Fastest1]

Maybe a close up of the machine (mill) itself and not the enclosure. Steppers should be Vexta's.

[trickaz]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum but have been a tech teacher using intelitek machines for 14 yrs. I have an extra PCI controller and ! want a mill or router. Can we deal. I have the control software you need for the mill as well. PM me and I will send it to you. I need spectralight lathe software if you have it.
I have mapped the pinouts for the cables if you need that info. The 25 pin is a straight through shielded printer cable.
Good luck finding any info on the wiring and steppers. The guys at Intelitek don't share info worth a crap. They'll be happy to fix anything for you if you send it to them. That said: I have not seen a bad controller in 14 years. Never had a bad interface box either. Have seen some bad steppers. Mostly on the z axis due to kids grabbing the connector and breaking it off. The pins inside the connectors on the steppers are very fragile. I have been able to disassemble and fix the pins on a couple of occasions. I had 8 spectralight mills, 2 prolight mills, 2 routers, 2 expert mills, 2 prolight lathes and 3 spectralathes in my shop when I retired. really miss those routers. Let me know if I can help.

[newbietech]

Hi, I really wish that someone can help me
where can I purchse PC controller for Spectralight????
:drowning::drowning:
I have one machine that's connected to an old PC with ISA controller card and I want to replace the computer with a recent one but I'm having difficulty finding a PCI controller card :drowning:

it seems like it's very hard to find PC PCI controller for Spectralight CNC!!

[Maksym]

Hello dcorga:
Did you get your SpectraLight 0200 Mill running? I have the same problem, I have the mill, controller, software (intelitek - Depco) but no computer interface card. I am working with the adapter cord developed by Shannon Hayworth and Mach3 software, but so far no successful results. Not all parallel ports are the same some have 3 volt outputs, some 5 volt, so I am trying to find a combination that works. Maksym

[dcorga]

hello Maksym

I had to break down and buy the card directly from Intelitek. i belive it cost about $900.00.

I was told that the card for these machines are like no other out ont he market and the only way to use the machine id to buy there card.

regards,

[Maksym]

Hi dcorga:
Thanks for your update. Did you upgrade the software as well? I have the DOS, and Windows 95 software, and a milling dongle, as well a few student programs from Depco, that all came with the SpectraLight mill (0200), and perhaps I may eventually come across and ISA card. I thought going through the student activities would be a good introduction to milling. Sincerely, Maksym

[cncadmin]

Did you get any help yet?

[norgaguy60]

Hi trickaz,
I imagine that you have a lot of knowledge on these machines so if you can help me, that would be great. I recently got one of the SpectraLIGHT milling machines and when I had it shipped, they damaged the Z stepper motor connector on the motor. Do you have the specifications on the stepper motor so I can get a replacement. Thanks

[Fastest1]

norgaguy, this thread started in 2011. Do you have a pic of the stepper? Somebody here most likely has 1 in their junk pile. Is it round with a built in 8 pin connector? Looks fragile?

[norgaguy60]

Fastest1, Yes, that is the one. It sets on top of the machine and is for the Z axis that runs the quill up and down. When I got it unwrapped from shipment, the connector was loose and a pin had been broken off and stuck in the connector. I pulled back the wiring cover and discovered that only 4 of the pins are used so I straightened the pins out and re-connected the connector so now I will see if it will work. I wanted to see if someone had one just as a back up plan. What is the best computer to run this machine with. I have to find an older computer that will run the legacy type programs like Win98.

[Fastest1]

I will look thru my pile and see if I have an extra. I wont be using them for many reasons. Do you have the software to run should you be able to communicate with the machine?