Need help to orient spindle with analog VFD

Also unless you have a absolute encoder you _DO_ need index (at least to home once)
to be able to orient

andypugh wrote:

I don't understand what you mean. The whole point of having two independent PID components is that you can tune them both to be correct for their tasks.

This is what I had not realized until PCW told me to use the P parameter to adjust the PID according to my needs

May be I wrong, I have the index on encoder spindle but orient component does not make any use.
Anyway I think scaling position PID as PCW advise can resolve the problem, In the coming days I will try to do so.

Does your mill use any kind of a locking mechanism in its orientation! A shot pin or detent of some sort ? Is this the original spindle drive?if not, did the original use an orientation card? If it's a mechanical orientation, locking the spindle in place and setting the maker on the encoder to this position maybe all you need. You will have to write your own orient routine to reset the marker and fire the shot pin when the control sees the marker.
If your orient position is angular, you will also have to brake the spindle once it is in position.
I have done a couple with a mechanical orient. I can give you the code.

My driver lock spindle by DC injection, I have a pin that when active send DC current to spindle motor and lock it.

I have already modified the orient code to drive the DC injection pin when spindle is oriented, there is also the motion.spindle-locked pin that can be used for this purpose.

Now I'm trying to configure position PID following PCW and Andy directions, if you have some code that may help I would be very happy to see it.

Thank you.

DC injection will not lock your spindle. It creates a drag torque on the rotating spindle but at zero speed you will actually have zero torque. If you need to lock the spindle you may require an external electrically powered brake (eg friction or powder).

I wasn't referring to a hal pin, I was referring to a mechanical shot pin. American machines tend to use them for spindle orientation, where as Japan likes to use an orientation board on the spindle drive that watches the orietation angle and locks the spindle with some sort of electric braking. My code is for a mechanical lock.

Muzzer wrote:

DC injection will not lock your spindle. It creates a drag torque on the rotating spindle but at zero speed you will actually have zero torque. If you need to lock the spindle you may require an external electrically powered brake (eg friction or powder).

Yes, I know is not a real lock, I use DC injection to stop spindle in position during orient cycle, for spindle lock, after oriented, I have an electrically powered brake.

JR1050 wrote:

I wasn't referring to a hal pin, I was referring to a mechanical shot pin. American machines tend to use them for spindle orientation, where as Japan likes to use an orientation board on the spindle drive that watches the orietation angle and locks the spindle with some sort of electric braking. My code is for a mechanical lock.

Ah ok, if you have code like that may be useful for driver electrical brake.