Which Mesa Card Should I Buy?

OK
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spumco wrote:

My hope is/was that this is more of a 'teach them how to fish' thing where new users are provided some context for the LCNC/Mesa jargon. 

Agreed.

spumco wrote:

Might not be a bad idea to start (or just think about) another pinned post "Mesa Card Examples".  Create a format, perhaps similar to what I did above, and people can post a summary of their machine for others to use as inspiration.  Kind of like HAL-Examples.

Nice idea, will you do the honors?
I have plenty of machines that i can try to summarize there with a picture or two and configs.
Are you thinking of something like, very short:
description of the
-machine
-functionality
-boards used
-maybe explain some decisions
-maybe explain some solutions
-picture of machine
-picture of control box W/mesa
-attach the config just in case
/
To much?

Will you finish my lathe for me?image missing /media/kunena/emoticons/wassat.png

Yes.

Simple simple simple.  Easily digestible by novices.  Like a chart or table.

Let me think about something that's easy to populate or fill in, yet still works with Satan's Forum Editor.

Okay, this thread has been posted at the perfect time. I built a smaller 3-axis CNC gantry router approximately 10 years ago. It's been a super machine and has done all I've asked of it. Over the years I've upgraded the ACME screws to ball screws and and six months ago I replaced all of the guide bearings with linear rails.

Before I go any further, I should say I'm pretty good mechanically, but know just enough electronically to be dangerous and to free the magic smoke on occasion. My machine has used the 5i25 and 7i76 to run the I/O and Parker CompuMotor OEM750's to drive the steppers since the day I built it. Never a problem in all of those years.

Fast forward to yesterday. When I tried to turn on my system, LCNC wouldn't start and threw errors on the debug screen. It didn't take long to figure out that my 24v power supply had failed. So I ordered another from Amazon and received it today. Plugged it in and got a solid 24.0v out. Then, when I connected it into the 7i76 board, it (the power supply) blew. Unfortunately, I haven't a clue how to troubleshoot the board, so I'm looking for a replacement and see that the 7i76 is no longer available.

After reading spumco's great summary and looking at the Mesa site, I guess I settled on the 7i96S. If I understand correctly, this is a stand-alone I/O board that only requires an Ethernet connection back to the host PC. Is this correct? I need to drive three stepper drivers (and maybe a 4th down the road), the analog VFD spindle control and an additional 6 I/O. Pretty simple set up.

If I posted this in the wrong spot, I'm sorry and feel free to move it. Otherwise any comments, advice and/or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dean

Dean wrote:

After reading spumco's great summary and looking at the Mesa site, I guess I settled on the 7i96S. If I understand correctly, this is a stand-alone I/O board that only requires an Ethernet connection back to the host PC. Is this correct? I need to drive three stepper drivers (and maybe a 4th down the road), the analog VFD spindle control and an additional 6 I/O. Pretty simple set up.

Yes it is correct, glad to see this was useful as soon as it got posted!
7i96S is good for 5 drives + spindle with encoder feedback, and if you ever need more IO, a 7i84 will do just fine and very easy to wire in.

spumco wrote:

Will you finish my lathe for me?

I would gladly, even if you were somewhere in Europe as i might do a tour this spring.
Don't think i can do a tour to US though, as if i go there i can not come back here for over 6 months till papers are done, i do have US citizenship, i just never went there to actually become one.
P.S.
Later, I am deleting all my posts to keep this clean.

I'm sure Sean won't mind, if I share his 7i96s plasma wiring diagram here.   I'm not saying its perfect but I think it covers everything. I would not ground the high voltage side of the THCAD as shown as it adds some AC ripple into the torch voltage.


Spumeco, Now you just need to add one for a mill and lathe image missing /media/kunena/emoticons/laughing.png