carousel component - stops short of correct pocket....sometimes

Hi
I am configuring a carousel tool changer on a milling machine using the carousel component.

The tool-chain has 30 pockets and is driven by a geneva-mechanism. Position feedback is from a binary encoder, so it is a perfect application for the carousel component.

For some unknown reason, the carousel sometimes stops short of the commanded position by two pockets. this happens only in the reverse direction, and not always.

in the forward direction, it stops 1 pocket short, also only sometimes. i couldnt figure out the pattern yet....

carousel.comp is enabled by iocontrol.tool-prepare and iocontrol.tool-prep-number is linked to carousel.0.pocket-number.

I have checked the encoding by jogging the toolchain and carousel.0.current-position follows the numbers on the hardware so this is correct.

Any ideas on where to look for this issue will be a great help.

BTW, i have compiled the latest version of carousel.comp from github

Thanks
Henk

Perhaps you may need to debounce some of your inputs?

Thanks Andy
i found the index pin (proxy) on the cam that rotates the geneva mechanism. I missed this in the wiring diagrams, my German is not so god .

i loaded 5 tristate_bit comps and used that to output the 5 binary bits, netted to carousel.0.senseNN, and it has solved the problem. Thanks for the advice

Henk

Thanks Andy. I compiled the latest version under "carousel1" so man carousel didnt show the latest info.... will remove the tristates and use the strobe input instead.

One other question.
This machine has a random tool changer, but the next tool is not exchanged with the tool in the spindle at tool change. Instead, the tool that was in the spindle is kept in the changer swing arm (it has two claws) and is stowed during the next tool change.

So, starting with tools and pocket numbers the same (tool1 - poc1, tool2-poc2.....etc), nothing in the spindle, and a program using :

M6 T1

...some code...

m6 t2

...some code...

m6 t3

some code

m2

This would result in

tool 0 in pocket 2
tool 1 pocket 3

and tool2 still in the changer swing arm.

Any idea how this could be configured? Random toolchanger only support changing the tool in spindle with the active pocket as far as i could see.

Thanks

Henk

Hi Andy

Random toolchanger doesn't end with the correct result. For example, starting with tools and pockets corresponding....

Tool Poc
0 0 (spindle - no tool loaded)
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4

and calling M6 T1

Tool Poc
1 0 (tool 1 in spindle)
0 1 (poc 1 empty)
2 2
3 3
4 4

after calling M6 T2

Tool Poc
1 - (held in toolchanger)
2 0 (in spindle)
3 3
4 4

and after calling tool 3

Tool Poc
1 3
2 in toolchanger
3 in spindle
4 4

calling tool 4 results in

Tool Poc
1 3
2 4
3 in toolchanger
4 in spindle.

As you can see, the tool removed from the spindle during a change is kept in the toolchanger until the next toolchange is called.

For now I have solved this by remapping M6 and T. The subroutines for these updates numbered parameters that I have added to the .var file to make them persistent.

Is there a better solution?

Henk

Hi Andy
Thanks for the info.

Henk