Method of Controlling Dust Collector for CNC Router

Hi Guys,

I am setting up LinuxCNC v2.8 on a CNC Router (learning as I go) and want to control the dust collector but not sure where to start.

Running a MESA 7176e with the dust collector controlled by a mains relay connected to OUTPUT 15 on connector TB5. The machine is all running fine and now want to setup the dust collector to switch on when I start a wood routing job.

I have read through the HAL section of the manual and been left pretty confused how to deal with outputs.

What is the suggested method to automatically control it. Is there some way to tell the machine to turn on the output every time a job starts or do you need to add codes within the GCode file. I will be using Fusion 360 to generate the CAM if that makes a difference.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

It kinda depends how you want to do it.

Give or take a typo in the output pin name, this in your hal file would turn it on and off with the spindle.
You could also use the timedelay component to turn on immediately with the spindle and turn off a number of seconds after the spindle turns off.

Another attempt:
Most woodworker not using coolant, a way is, use the available G Code for coolant control (also for the CAM). Run with M7, M8. both off with M9.
example configuration in HAL, use M7 for output 15 and M8 for output 7.

Here in our big shop the dust collector system is running all the time. But for controlling our vacuum clamping I usually use custom M-codes to turn them on/off, in g-code, and usually have buttons, either real or on a VCP for controlling them manually.

Thanks heaps guys. I will try a couple of options over the weekend.

I used Rod's suggestion of adding net spindle-enable => hm2_7i76e.0.7i76.0.0.output-15 which works as I want. Thanks Rod.

Is there documentation somewhere that tells you what each part of the 7i76e parameter is for? For example what are the three zero's for? I would like to know what I am doing rather than just copying lines.

Also, are these I/O parameters officially documented somewhere? Basically, how would I find this info without asking on the forum? I have searched the LinuxCNC docs and MESA 7i76e user manual but couldn't find anything. Maybe I am going blind.

Yes, there is and somebody had to tell me once. If you go back to the main Linuxcnc web site and go to documents for your version. Lets say V 2.8. Go to the very bottom of the page, clcik on "expand man pages" and you will have enough reading for a month!

Each topic can also be read on your pc. eg. From the command line try typing "man motion" and you will see the same content..

And specifically for your question about Mesa doccumentation, type man hostmot2. or
www.linuxcnc.org/docs/html/drivers/hostmot2.html

Our system is a quite large centralized system (100HP fan) with a huge filter bag house. There is an air lock at the bottom of the bag house that seals off the air so a blower (15hp) can transfer the dust up to the top of the collection silo via a closed loop circuit. (There is a cyclone and air lock at the top of the silo.) The big fan is on the clean air side of the bag house. The bag house looks almost like a silo. it brings in the dusty air in (through a 36" duct) near the bottom, just above the base cone, with some cyclonic action to remove heavier debris. then the air moves up through the filter bags (a few hundred 3" diameter wire reinforced cloth tubes 12ft long). Above the filter tubes on the clean side there is a large blower fan (25hp?) mounted to a rotating arm that blows jets of air down the filter tubes to clean them. We have to replace the filter bags every 5-6 years or so, as they start to develop holes and we see dust carry over.

Just for curiosity: What do you do against dust explosion.
Mike