retrofit on EMCO PC turn 55

Yes it works (you need a 7I78 compatible configuration of course)

So I think I'm going to go with 6i25+7i78 and pick up a $30 small form factor PC (probably a Dell GX620, which is 12x12x3) with a PCIe slot. The 6i25 the PCIe version of the 5i25. I'm leaning toward that because it is in stock, while 5i25 is "2-3 weeks" in the future. I figure that is the minimum time it will take for them to get them.

I've started looking at the VFD. It's a Lenze E82EV751. (Manuals can be found for the 8200 series, if anyone cares to look.) It's incredibly sophisticated, offering all sorts of analog and digital inputs and outputs, breaking, network configuration, etc. There are pins that should allow me to to conventional analog control, but I'd like to look into more sophisticated features too.

I'd like to figure out what kind of connectors the original uses--they look to be unbranded. They resemble Molex connectors, most of them with 4 pins. All the wires are connected using are screw terminals-very nice. Also, one side of the connectors is rounded around each pin. These are also used for the VFD connections, so they might be fairly standard in Europe. I'd like to find the female connectors so that I can use all the original connectors. If anyone has any clues as to what they are or where I could find them, I'd appreciate your input.

I actually just found them. They are "front style terminal blocks" or "Euro style terminal blocks". I had despaired after looking through most of the connectors in the DigiKey catalogue.

andypugh wrote:

My shopping list would probably be
Intel BOXD525MW $80
8 GB SATA DOM $40
60W PicoPSU $30

How would you install th OS on this system?

For the mesa board, the 7i76, due finally to arrive today, I seems like there is only one voltage used for communications, and that that voltage is 24v. My system, however, has a mixture of 5v and 24v inputs and outputs. The differential stepper lines have an impedance of only 500 ohms, for example, so they require 5v, and were driven by 5v in the original.

What would be the standard circuits for doing the voltage conversions? In particular, what would be a standard way to convert the inputs from 5v (the spindle and tool changer signals are actually 3.6v) up to 24v?

First, the 7I76s step and dir signals are differential 5V (they are not part
of the field I/O)

Can you describe the spindle and tool changer signals, that is, their
direction and function?

PCW wrote:

First, the 7I76s step and dir signals are differential 5V (they are not part
of the field I/O)

That's great!

I haven't studied the spindle and changer circuits, but I'll tell you what I think I know without having them in front of me. There are two signals for each. For the spindle, there is a pair of optical encoders, one going on and off perhaps 100 times per revolution and one that goes once per revolution. These are debounced, and alternate between 0 and 3.6V. The tool changer is similar, with one firing for each of the 6 tools, and a second firing once per revolution.