[jips]

Well done you did a great job for a first try and by the way gave me some ideas your silicone mold are really clean and the process seems pretty easy , congrats , let's see how the mold will react in some next batch

[AUSTINMACHINING]

Very cool. Well done on the molds. Cast urethane looks like a perfect application for those types of parts and probably way more cost effective than injection molding.

[BTP]

Hey Ray,
Are you using Smooth-On products? If you're not I would suggest looking into them. They have pretty much any pigment you want to add to the urethane to get color. Your covers look like pretty simple casts, but if you are experiencing air bubbles in your parts, start looking into degassing and/or pressure casting.

[CROSSHATCH]

Hi Ray, real nice stuff! If you don't mind me asking, what urethane did you use?

I have been looking at some products from SmoothOn and they offer a range of shore durometer, was curious to see when you say "hard" what duro. you had.

Regards,

-Jason

[BTP]

Jason,
Typically anything above 90"A" is considered a hard urethane. Likewise 50"D" is the equivalent to 90"A" shore durometer.

[CROSSHATCH]

SmoothOn has some interesting stuff and I'm definitely thinking about giving this a go, when it makes sense. Looks great, very nice to see the parts come out the way they did.

-Jason

[SCzEngrgGroup]

The first samples of the "production" ATC PCB showed up today. It still amazes me that I have have these boards fabricated, shipped from China, and delivered to my door in a matter of days, for a ridiculously low cost!

They look great, and so far everything is fitting perfectly. I should have the first one "smoke tested" sometime tomorrow. Here it is sitting in the upper carousel shroud, where it will reside:



Regards,
Ray L.

[LeeWay]

That looks great, Ray. Nice and tidy.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

The new PCB is up and fully functional! Only a couple of VERY minor issues, all mechanical rather than electrical, and most of which I was already aware of. I need to add a small cutout under the Ethernet connector, to provide clearance, due to board-to-board differences on the Ethernet daughter boards. I had to hand-drill the mounting holes for the voltage regulator heat sink, as I didn't have exact dimensions for the heat sink when I released the PCB to production. Doing the final production board will be quick and painless, as it will have only extremely minor changes from this one.

Now I need to make up a new set of cables, so I can test it out on the real ATC!

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Wow! Long time since I've updated this thread! Things are moving along very quickly now, and I expect (hope?) to ship the first ATCs in early January. I've had my head down ironing out all the millions of little, tiny details necessary to get something of this complexity into production, and the list of things left to do is now getting pretty short.

Over the last few weeks, I did a near total re-write of the firmware, radically changing the architecture. It is now much cleaner, simpler, and FAR easier to modify and debug. I implemented an internal "device" architecture shared by all the functional units (carousel, arm, lift, lock, "console", web server, telnet server, PDB, Mach3, KFlop, etc.). They now all communicate through a system of message queues, which makes "seeing" what's going on inside as it runs really easy, by just passing messages out to the console. I can now get a detailed trace of exactly what happens when any operation is run, showing the exact sequence of states all the many state machines go through, and all messages sent within the system. This makes debugging really easy, as I can now send information to the console from virtually anywhere inside the firmware, even from within interrupt handlers. It took about 2 weeks to do the bulk of the re-write, and it's talen only a few days to bring it all up, get it all running on the real hardware, and tested. The result is spectacular! Things that would've taken hours, or days, to debug with the old firmware now took only minutes, and overall it has been absolutely rock-solid right from the start. And, adding new interfaces and devices is now almost trivial.

I hope tomorrow to get the newest ATC mounted on my machine and running within the next two days, dressed in a full set of production plastics (except for the housing for the new LCD "front panel" which will mount to the front of the carousel). With luck, it'll all be up and running by end of day tomorrow, as all the pieces are working perfectly on the bench. The new hardware, and especially the electronics, are working flawlessly, and I now have ALL sensors fully working for the first time. Overall operation is smoother than ever. I see only two very minor hardware issues yet to be resolved, both of which I've been aware of for some time, so I know how to fix them, I just haven't had time to make the two new parts required.

We also now have a nearly complete Mach3 interface. The Mach3 interface supports MachStdMill, in addition to pretty much any Mach3 screenset, even custom ones. It is fully integrated into MachStdMill, and "installs" into any other Mach3 screenset as a "Wizard". This "Wizard" will be used primarily to setup the ATC before each job - control loading/unloading tools to/from the carousel, set logical-to-physical mapping, control homing, provide on-screen control of the PDB, etc.). The GUI, in concert with the LCD front panel, will make setting up the carousel for a job very quick and convenient. And, if you use the "Pro" version of MachStdMill, you'll also have automatic tool length measurement, and tons of probing functions to play with.

Regards,
Ray L.

[upnorth]

I'm really glad to see an update on the tool changer. I have a torus Pro due to arrive any day now with your power drawbar. One of my hopes it to get the toolchanger at some point in the near future. I do think I will wait until a few others have bought one and I can get some feedback.

I do have a question for you Ray. I'm setting up a compressed air outlet in the shop later today to feed the power draw bar you make. What do you recommend for the air. Specifically should I put a lubricator in the line? I currently have a filter/regulator but can add a lubricator if required..

Tom

[SCzEngrgGroup]

An oiler should not be necessary. You should limit the pressure to about 90 PSI. Higher pressure will accelerate wear to the drawbar head.

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

The ATC is now mounted back on my machine, and appears to be working well. Except... the encoder on the arm is acting flaky. I'm sure it's something simple I can get sorted tomorrow. I suspect I just didn't get the two sensors phased properly.

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

The new ATC, PCB, and firmware are all now fully functional! I have a couple of marginal sensors, which will be resolved by using different magnets, which will be here in another week or so. But, despite that, it's all working very nicely, and operation with the new firmware is definitely much smoother and more tightly controlled than previously. In particular, engagement of the transfer arm fork with toolholders in the carousel and spindle is now much gentler than before.

I've also sorted out how it will connect electrically to the machine, and it could not be simpler. It will use one of the four existing USB connectors on the USB/Monitor/Reset panel on the E-box. Power for the ATC electronics and servos will come from a dedicated power supply. On new machines, with the new, larger E-box, this power supply will mount inside the E-box. On older machines, with the smaller E-box, it will mount in a separate enclosure which will fasten to the bottom of the E-box by a few sheet-metal screws. A small hole will be drilled in the bottom of the E-box for the wiring. The ATC power cable will exit through a small hole drilled in the USB/Monitor/Reset panel on the E-box. The USB cable, power cable, and air hose will be encased in flexible wiring loom, and will route via any convenient path over the top of the E-Box to, and inside, the ATC carousel shroud, which houses all of the ATC electronics.

As of a few months ago, all new machines come pre-drilled for mounting the ATC, while older machines will need to have the mounting holes drilled and tapped by the customer - three in the column, and three in the head carriage, all either 1/4-20 or M6x1. A drilling template, using hardened drill guide bushings, will be available to ensure all the holes are drilled in the proper locations. This will obviate the need for any adjustment in the locations of the brackets on the column/carriage, simplifying installation. The only physical adjustments necessary will be setting the length of the transfer arm, for proper alignment to the spindle, and adjusting the carousel offset from the column, for proper alignment to the transfer arm. Both of these adjustments are very simple, and not terribly critical, and a test program will be provided it verify that both adjustments are sufficiently accurate to ensure reliable operation. The few other necessary adjustments and calibrations will be carried out in software. and most of these I hope to make self-calibrating during the homing process. I anticipate installation should take no more than perhaps two hours on average (it's much simpler than the PDB installation), and will require nothing more than a few simple hand tools (Allen wrenches, box wrenches, drill bits, taps, and an electric drill.)

Regards,
Ray L.

[upnorth]

Sounds like the Automatic tool changer design is coming along nicely. Its certainly something I would like to get in the future. I'm glad its you and not me doing all the design and troubleshooting.

Still waiting on my power drawbar and looking forward to that also.

Tom

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Just to give some idea of the complexity of a toolchange, and how helpful the new "trace" capability is to debugging, below is a sample trace from a single toolchange. This will be invaluable in getting to the bottom of any customer issues as well, as it will be easy for the customer to turn trace on, capture what happened, then e-mail it to me for analysis. In most cases, the trace alone is enough to understand exactly what happened, without having to resort to other methods. By loading new firmware (a very easy thing to do) I can add additional debugging output to help in understanding specific more complex problems.

Each device in the ATC firmware is implemented as a finite state machine, each of which outputs a trace message whenever it changes states. Each line of the trace indicates which device issued the message (Console, System, Carousel, Arm, Lift, PBD, etc.), the time, in mSec, the message was created, the current state machine state, the new state it is transitioning to, and, for the servo "axes" (i.e. the carousel, arm and lift), additional data like the current axis (encoder) position, and the current H-bridge (servo motor driver) PWM value.

T: System: 38069 SYSTEM_IDLE->SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL: Trace Begin
T: System: 38079 SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE: StateChange
T: Lift: 38104 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 38114 LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1902 PWM=0
T: Lift: 38124 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1902 PWM=-200
T: System: 38129 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_1: StateChange
T: Lift: 38864 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB_1: StateChange Pos=1382 PWM=0
T: Lift: 38874 LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1382 PWM=0
T: Lift: 38884 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 38900 ARM_IDLE->ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 38910 ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=965 PWM=0
T: Arm: 38920 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=966 PWM=200
T: System: 38929 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_1->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_2: StateChange
T: Arm: 39200 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_1: StateChange Pos=1059 PWM=0
T: Arm: 39210 ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_1->ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_2: StateChange Pos=1061 PWM=200
T: Arm: 39460 ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_2->ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_3: StateChange Pos=1157 PWM=-30
T: Arm: 39560 ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_3->ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_4: StateChange Pos=1125 PWM=30
T: Arm: 39660 ARM_SPINDLE_TOOL_4->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1141 PWM=0
T: Arm: 39670 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: PDB: 39692 PDB_IDLE->PDB_RELEASE: Trace Begin
T: System: 39719 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_2->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_3: StateChange
T: PDB: 39792 PDB_RELEASE->PDB_WAIT_ACK: StateChange
T: PDB: 39802 PDB_WAIT_ACK->PDB_WAIT_OK: StateChange
T: PDB: 42052 PDB_WAIT_OK->PDB_DONE: StateChange
T: PDB: 42062 PDB_DONE->PDB_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 42084 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 42094 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1381 PWM=0
T: Lift: 42104 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1381 PWM=-200
T: System: 42109 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_3->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_4: StateChange
T: Lift: 42584 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1: StateChange Pos=981 PWM=0
T: Lift: 42594 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=977 PWM=0
T: Lift: 42604 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: System: 42609 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_SPINDLE_4->SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL_1: StateChange
T: System: 42619 SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL_1->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL: StateChange
T: Lift: 42644 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 42654 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=965 PWM=0
T: Lift: 42664 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=964 PWM=0
T: System: 42669 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_1: StateChange
T: Lift: 42734 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1: StateChange Pos=972 PWM=0
T: Lift: 42744 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=972 PWM=0
T: Lift: 42754 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 42770 ARM_IDLE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF: Trace Begin
T: Carousel: 42772 CAROUSEL_IDLE->CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 42780 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF->ARM_BREAK: StateChange Pos=1141 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 42782 CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT->CAROUSEL_SEEK: StateChange Pos=842 PWM=0
T: Arm: 42790 ARM_BREAK->ARM_BREAK_1: StateChange Pos=1139 PWM=-200
T: Carousel: 42792 CAROUSEL_SEEK->CAROUSEL_LOCK_PARK: StateChange Pos=842 PWM=0
T: System: 42799 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_1->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_2: StateChange
T: Lock: 42805 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_PARK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 42815 LOCK_PARK->LOCK_TO_PARK: StateChange
T: Carousel: 42842 CAROUSEL_LOCK_PARK->CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK: StateChange Pos=842 PWM=0
T: Arm: 42850 ARM_BREAK_1->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1: StateChange Pos=1074 PWM=0
T: Arm: 42860 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1063 PWM=0
T: Arm: 42870 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1055 PWM=200
T: Lock: 42945 LOCK_TO_PARK->LOCK_TRANSITION_OFF_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lift: 43044 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_EXTRACT: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 43054 LIFT_CAROUSEL_EXTRACT->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=971 PWM=0
T: Lift: 43064 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=971 PWM=200
T: System: 43069 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_2->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_3: StateChange
T: Lock: 43095 LOCK_TRANSITION_OFF_SENSE->LOCK_PARK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 43105 LOCK_PARK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 43115 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Carousel: 43122 CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK->CAROUSEL_SEEK_1: StateChange Pos=839 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 43132 CAROUSEL_SEEK_1->CAROUSEL_SEEK_2: StateChange Pos=839 PWM=71
T: Carousel: 43252 CAROUSEL_SEEK_2->CAROUSEL_LOCK_LOCK: StateChange Pos=849 PWM=0
T: Lock: 43265 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_LOCK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 43275 LOCK_LOCK->LOCK_TO_LOCK: StateChange
T: Carousel: 43302 CAROUSEL_LOCK_LOCK->CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK: StateChange Pos=849 PWM=0
T: Lock: 43405 LOCK_TO_LOCK->LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE: StateChange
T: Arm: 43530 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2: StateChange Pos=1652 PWM=0
T: Arm: 43540 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1652 PWM=0
T: Arm: 43550 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lock: 43555 LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE->LOCK_LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 43565 LOCK_LOCK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 43575 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Carousel: 43582 CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK->CAROUSEL_SEEK_3: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 43592 CAROUSEL_SEEK_3->CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT_1: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 43602 CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT_1->CAROUSEL_DONE: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 43612 CAROUSEL_DONE->CAROUSEL_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 43634 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_EXTRACT_1: StateChange Pos=1235 PWM=0
T: Lift: 43644 LIFT_CAROUSEL_EXTRACT_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1235 PWM=0
T: Lift: 43654 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 43670 ARM_IDLE->ARM_CAROUSEL_ALIGN: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 43680 ARM_CAROUSEL_ALIGN->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1652 PWM=0
T: Arm: 43690 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1653 PWM=111
T: System: 43699 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_3->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_4: StateChange
T: Arm: 43950 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_CAROUSEL_ALIGN_1: StateChange Pos=1725 PWM=0
T: Arm: 44100 ARM_CAROUSEL_ALIGN_1->ARM_CAROUSEL_ALIGN_2: StateChange Pos=1743 PWM=0
T: Arm: 44250 ARM_CAROUSEL_ALIGN_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1739 PWM=0
T: Arm: 44260 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 44284 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_PRELOAD: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 44294 LIFT_CAROUSEL_PRELOAD->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1235 PWM=0
T: Lift: 44304 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1235 PWM=200
T: System: 44309 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_4->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_5: StateChange
T: Lift: 44754 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_PRELOAD_1: StateChange Pos=1429 PWM=0
T: Lift: 44764 LIFT_CAROUSEL_PRELOAD_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1429 PWM=0
T: Lift: 44774 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lock: 44795 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_UNLOCK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 44805 LOCK_UNLOCK->LOCK_UNLOCK_1: StateChange
T: Lock: 44815 LOCK_UNLOCK_1->LOCK_TO_UNLOCK: StateChange
T: System: 44819 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_5->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_6: StateChange
T: Lock: 44945 LOCK_TO_UNLOCK->LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lock: 45075 LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE->LOCK_UNLOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 45085 LOCK_UNLOCK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 45095 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 45114 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_LOAD: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 45124 LIFT_CAROUSEL_LOAD->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1429 PWM=0
T: Lift: 45134 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1429 PWM=136
T: System: 45139 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_6->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_7: StateChange
T: Lift: 45444 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_LOAD_1: StateChange Pos=1527 PWM=0
T: Lift: 45944 LIFT_CAROUSEL_LOAD_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1597 PWM=0
T: Lift: 45954 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lock: 45975 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_LOCK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 45985 LOCK_LOCK->LOCK_TO_LOCK: StateChange
T: System: 45999 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_7->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_8: StateChange
T: Lock: 46115 LOCK_TO_LOCK->LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lock: 46245 LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE->LOCK_LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 46255 LOCK_LOCK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 46265 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 46284 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 46294 LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1597 PWM=0
T: Lift: 46304 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1597 PWM=-112
T: System: 46309 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_8->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_9: StateChange
T: Lift: 46604 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB_1: StateChange Pos=1526 PWM=0
T: Lift: 46614 LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1526 PWM=0
T: Lift: 46624 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 46640 ARM_IDLE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 46650 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF->ARM_BREAK: StateChange Pos=1724 PWM=0
T: Arm: 46660 ARM_BREAK->ARM_BREAK_1: StateChange Pos=1722 PWM=-200
T: System: 46669 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_9->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_10: StateChange
T: Arm: 46740 ARM_BREAK_1->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1: StateChange Pos=1635 PWM=0
T: Arm: 46750 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1621 PWM=0
T: Arm: 46760 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1610 PWM=31
T: Arm: 47000 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 47010 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 47020 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: System: 47029 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_CAROUSEL_10->SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL_2: StateChange
T: System: 47039 SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL_2->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL: StateChange
T: Carousel: 47062 CAROUSEL_IDLE->CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 47064 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_NOP: Trace Begin
T: Carousel: 47072 CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT->CAROUSEL_SEEK: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: Lift: 47074 LIFT_NOP->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 47082 CAROUSEL_SEEK->CAROUSEL_LOCK_PARK: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: Lift: 47084 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: System: 47089 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_1: StateChange
T: Lock: 47095 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_PARK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 47105 LOCK_PARK->LOCK_TO_PARK: StateChange
T: Arm: 47110 ARM_IDLE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 47120 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF->ARM_BREAK: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 47130 ARM_BREAK->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 47132 CAROUSEL_LOCK_PARK->CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: System: 47139 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_1->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_2: StateChange
T: Arm: 47140 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 47150 ARM_SEEK->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 47160 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 47170 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 47194 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 47204 LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=0
T: Lift: 47214 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=0
T: System: 47219 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_2->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_3: StateChange
T: Lock: 47235 LOCK_TO_PARK->LOCK_TRANSITION_OFF_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lift: 47314 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB_1: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=0
T: Lift: 47324 LIFT_CAROUSEL_GRAB_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=0
T: Lift: 47334 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lock: 47385 LOCK_TRANSITION_OFF_SENSE->LOCK_PARK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 47395 LOCK_PARK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 47405 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Carousel: 47412 CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK->CAROUSEL_SEEK_1: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 47422 CAROUSEL_SEEK_1->CAROUSEL_SEEK_2: StateChange Pos=850 PWM=-150
T: Carousel: 48422 CAROUSEL_SEEK_2->CAROUSEL_LOCK_LOCK: StateChange Pos=3 PWM=0
T: Lock: 48435 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_LOCK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 48445 LOCK_LOCK->LOCK_TO_LOCK: StateChange
T: Carousel: 48472 CAROUSEL_LOCK_LOCK->CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK: StateChange Pos=9 PWM=0
T: Lock: 48575 LOCK_TO_LOCK->LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lock: 48725 LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE->LOCK_LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 48735 LOCK_LOCK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 48745 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Carousel: 48752 CAROUSEL_WAIT_LOCK->CAROUSEL_SEEK_3: StateChange Pos=14 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 48762 CAROUSEL_SEEK_3->CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT_1: StateChange Pos=14 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 48772 CAROUSEL_GOTO_SLOT_1->CAROUSEL_DONE: StateChange Pos=14 PWM=0
T: Carousel: 48782 CAROUSEL_DONE->CAROUSEL_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 48800 ARM_IDLE->ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 48810 ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 48820 ARM_SEEK->ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_1: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: System: 48829 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_3->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_4: StateChange
T: Arm: 48830 ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_1->ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_2: StateChange Pos=1653 PWM=200
T: Arm: 49080 ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_2->ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_3: StateChange Pos=1747 PWM=0
T: Arm: 49090 ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_3->ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_4: StateChange Pos=1742 PWM=0
T: Arm: 49100 ARM_CAROUSEL_TOOL_4->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1736 PWM=0
T: Arm: 49110 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lock: 49135 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_UNLOCK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 49145 LOCK_UNLOCK->LOCK_UNLOCK_1: StateChange
T: Lock: 49155 LOCK_UNLOCK_1->LOCK_TO_UNLOCK: StateChange
T: System: 49159 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_4->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_5: StateChange
T: Lock: 49285 LOCK_TO_UNLOCK->LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lock: 49415 LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE->LOCK_UNLOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 49425 LOCK_UNLOCK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 49435 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: System: 49679 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_5->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_6: StateChange
T: Lift: 49704 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 49714 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=0
T: Lift: 49724 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1525 PWM=-200
T: System: 49729 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_6->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_7: StateChange
T: Lock: 49805 LOCK_IDLE->LOCK_LOCK: Trace Begin
T: Lock: 49815 LOCK_LOCK->LOCK_TO_LOCK: StateChange
T: System: 49829 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_7->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_8: StateChange
T: Lock: 49945 LOCK_TO_LOCK->LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE: StateChange
T: Lock: 50075 LOCK_TRANSITION_ON_SENSE->LOCK_LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 50085 LOCK_LOCK_DONE->LOCK_DONE: StateChange
T: Lock: 50095 LOCK_DONE->LOCK_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 50324 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1: StateChange Pos=981 PWM=0
T: Lift: 50334 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=977 PWM=0
T: Lift: 50344 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 50360 ARM_IDLE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 50370 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF->ARM_BREAK: StateChange Pos=1715 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50380 ARM_BREAK->ARM_BREAK_1: StateChange Pos=1713 PWM=-200
T: System: 50389 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_8->SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_9: StateChange
T: Arm: 50450 ARM_BREAK_1->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1: StateChange Pos=1633 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50460 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_1->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1619 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50470 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1608 PWM=33
T: Arm: 50720 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50730 ARM_CAROUSEL_BACKOFF_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50740 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: System: 50749 SYSTEM_LOAD_FROM_CAROUSEL_9->SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL_3: StateChange
T: System: 50759 SYSTEM_SWAP_TOOL_3->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE: StateChange
T: Lift: 50784 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 50794 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=966 PWM=0
T: Lift: 50804 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=966 PWM=0
T: System: 50809 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_1: StateChange
T: Lift: 50864 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1: StateChange Pos=972 PWM=0
T: Lift: 50874 LIFT_SPINDLE_CLEAR_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=972 PWM=0
T: Lift: 50884 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 50900 ARM_IDLE->ARM_SPINDLE_BACKOFF: Trace Begin
T: PDB: 50902 PDB_IDLE->PDB_DOWN: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 50910 ARM_SPINDLE_BACKOFF->ARM_BREAK: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50920 ARM_BREAK->ARM_SPINDLE_BACKOFF_1: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: System: 50929 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_1->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_2: StateChange
T: Arm: 50930 ARM_SPINDLE_BACKOFF_1->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1651 PWM=0
T: Arm: 50940 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1649 PWM=-200
T: PDB: 51002 PDB_DOWN->PDB_WAIT_ACK: StateChange
T: PDB: 51012 PDB_WAIT_ACK->PDB_WAIT_OK: StateChange
T: PDB: 51512 PDB_WAIT_OK->PDB_DONE: StateChange
T: PDB: 51522 PDB_DONE->PDB_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 51550 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_SPINDLE_BACKOFF_2: StateChange Pos=1067 PWM=0
T: Arm: 51560 ARM_SPINDLE_BACKOFF_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1067 PWM=0
T: Arm: 51570 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 51594 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_EXTRACT: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 51604 LIFT_SPINDLE_EXTRACT->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=972 PWM=0
T: Lift: 51614 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=972 PWM=158
T: System: 51619 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_2->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_3: StateChange
T: Lift: 51954 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_EXTRACT_1: StateChange Pos=1091 PWM=0
T: Lift: 51964 LIFT_SPINDLE_EXTRACT_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1091 PWM=0
T: Lift: 51974 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 51990 ARM_IDLE->ARM_SPINDLE_ALIGN: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 52000 ARM_SPINDLE_ALIGN->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1067 PWM=0
T: Arm: 52010 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1069 PWM=108
T: System: 52019 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_3->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_5: StateChange
T: Arm: 52260 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_SPINDLE_ALIGN_1: StateChange Pos=1139 PWM=0
T: Arm: 52410 ARM_SPINDLE_ALIGN_1->ARM_SPINDLE_ALIGN_2: StateChange Pos=1156 PWM=0
T: Arm: 52560 ARM_SPINDLE_ALIGN_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=1154 PWM=0
T: Arm: 52570 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 52594 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_LOAD: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 52604 LIFT_SPINDLE_LOAD->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1091 PWM=0
T: Lift: 52614 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1091 PWM=200
T: System: 52619 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_5->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_6: StateChange
T: Lift: 53204 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_LOAD_1: StateChange Pos=1379 PWM=0
T: Lift: 53704 LIFT_SPINDLE_LOAD_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1426 PWM=0
T: Lift: 53714 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: PDB: 53732 PDB_IDLE->PDB_GRAB: Trace Begin
T: System: 53759 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_6->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_7: StateChange
T: PDB: 53832 PDB_GRAB->PDB_WAIT_ACK: StateChange
T: PDB: 53842 PDB_WAIT_ACK->PDB_WAIT_OK: StateChange
T: PDB: 56682 PDB_WAIT_OK->PDB_DONE: StateChange
T: PDB: 56692 PDB_DONE->PDB_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 56714 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 56724 LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1426 PWM=0
T: Lift: 56734 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1426 PWM=-86
T: System: 56739 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_7->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_8: StateChange
T: Lift: 56984 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB_1: StateChange Pos=1381 PWM=0
T: Lift: 56994 LIFT_SPINDLE_GRAB_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1381 PWM=0
T: Lift: 57004 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: Arm: 57020 ARM_IDLE->ARM_PARK: Trace Begin
T: Arm: 57030 ARM_PARK->ARM_BREAK: StateChange Pos=1139 PWM=0
T: Arm: 57040 ARM_BREAK->ARM_BREAK_1: StateChange Pos=1138 PWM=-200
T: System: 57049 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_8->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_9: StateChange
T: Arm: 57110 ARM_BREAK_1->ARM_PARK_1: StateChange Pos=1073 PWM=0
T: Arm: 57120 ARM_PARK_1->ARM_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1062 PWM=0
T: Arm: 57130 ARM_SEEK->ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE: StateChange Pos=1053 PWM=-66
T: Arm: 57390 ARM_WAIT_SEEK_DONE->ARM_PARK_2: StateChange Pos=965 PWM=0
T: Arm: 57400 ARM_PARK_2->ARM_DONE: StateChange Pos=965 PWM=0
T: Arm: 57410 ARM_DONE->ARM_IDLE: Trace End
T: Lift: 57434 LIFT_IDLE->LIFT_PARK: Trace Begin
T: Lift: 57444 LIFT_PARK->LIFT_SEEK: StateChange Pos=1381 PWM=0
T: Lift: 57454 LIFT_SEEK->LIFT_WAIT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1381 PWM=200
T: System: 57459 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_9->SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_10: StateChange
T: Lift: 58234 LIFT_WAIT_DONE->LIFT_PARK_1: StateChange Pos=1902 PWM=0
T: Lift: 58244 LIFT_PARK_1->LIFT_DONE: StateChange Pos=1902 PWM=0
T: Lift: 58254 LIFT_DONE->LIFT_IDLE: Trace End
T: System: 58259 SYSTEM_LOAD_TO_SPINDLE_10->SYSTEM_DONE: StateChange
T: System: 58269 SYSTEM_DONE->SYSTEM_IDLE: Trace End

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Sounds like the Automatic tool changer design is coming along nicely. Its certainly something I would like to get in the future. I'm glad its you and not me doing all the design and troubleshooting.

Still waiting on my power drawbar and looking forward to that also.

Tom

I wish it was YOU doing all the work! I'm exhausted! :-)

I'll be putting your PDB kit together over the weekend, and it should go out Monday. Hopefully it won't get hung up in Canadian Customs - they can be very difficult sometimes. And Canada is the ONLY place I've ever had a package simply disappear and NEVER show up anywhere.

Regards,
Ray L.

[upnorth]

I had no idea how complicated the code for a tool change is. I'm ok with mechanical and electrical but coding is well beyond my ability.

As for the power draw bar. I hope it does not get caught up in customs either. I have been fortunate with them though things usually come through quickly, I can't say i have had a package disappear either.

I just tried out the quick change tooling today manually as I had never used it before. My mill prior to the Novakon was a Hercus v300. It uses nmtb tooling. I had to completely remove the holder for tool changes. Since I do not have the proper wrench it usually involved much knipex plier slippage and pinched skin. Too add insult to injury the tool holders are expensive. The quick change tooling in the Novakon is nice. A major improvement for me.

The power draw bar should make it fantastic.

Ray I'm going to send you a private message as I do have a question.

Tom

[RCaffin]

Hi Ray

Very nice, but remember Caffin's Rule: 'Anything before version 6 is premature' ...

Cheers
Roger

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I got a very nice "gift" from a friend today. He works for a company that sometimes sets up demos of their product. Yesterday he tore down one of these demo systems. Their usual practice when they tear them down is to simply throw out part of the setup. My friend thought that was kind of wasteful, and though I might be able to make use of their "trash". He was right! What he brought me is about 130 feet of 2"x2" "8020-type" aluminum extrusions (like this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...sL._SX342_.jpg), most of it in 6-8 foot lengths, along with four sheets of 3/4" plywood, and two 4 foot by 6 foot sheets of 1/4" aluminum "diamond plate".

The extrusions are just perfect for the large vacuum-forming machine I'll be building in the next few months. They will be perfect for building the entire enclosure and supports for the heter assembly. I've already ordered the heating elements, electronic controls, etc.

Regards,
Ray L.