Question relating to the tools & training

I have a noob question that break down to the following areas, relating to the tools, and training a person should have or have access too, so the retrofit goes as smooth as possible. With the common hand tools and liniment knowledge of electronics are the starting point.

Are there work around for things like a way to find where the drives “need input” without a wiring diagram for the drive or how to specify the type and size of power supply to match the drive that has no wiring diagram. Currently considering 2 projects (ProtoTrak Plus (Magnetek drives) is under power, looking to update controller and a set of Balder/Osseo drives as the start for the 2nd project)

Other special electronic equipment other than a volt meter (what comes to mind is an oscilloscope) that help. Is there a way to test prior to applying power to the components to verify assembly is wired correct?

Todd Zuercher from a earlier question about “suggested reading and or viewing” provided the following, that was very informative, if there are other areas of required reading please respond.

Links to the Forum, e-mail list, and the IRC chatroom are all here.
www.linuxcnc.org/community/

The e-mail list is just a standard e-mail list, where members mail messages to a central location then those e-mails are then sent out to all members (either individually or in digest form) depending on the user's preference.  Follow the links on the above page to sign up for it.

The Reading the documentation is a good place to start learning how to setup and use Linuxcnc.
linuxcnc.org/docs/

When I say a steep learning curve, I mean that there is a lot of "basic" information about Linuxcnc that you will need to learn and understand, in order to be able to setup and use a machine with it.
Things like:
-How to use Linux in general
-How to use a CNC Machine.
-How to program a CNC Machine (G-code)
-How to configure your hardware (specific to your machine)
-How to configure the software to work with your machine (Linuxcnc)
-How to use Linuxcnc
All of these things are large topics, with many sub topics, that you may have to delve into to varying degrees, depending on your particular situation.

As to the wiki, it is just that a wiki, an enduser created, modified, and maintained wiki.  Often information there is old and outdated, because users create pages and don't maintain them and/or forget about them.  That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of good info there, just that you may have to sift through a lot of dross to find it.


This is a link about building a PC specifically for Linuxcnc, with bill of material at the end with pricing, its dated 3/12/16.

or


Many Thanks for your advise in advance!

Google is your friend. Information on most drives and machines can usually be mined from somewhere on the internet.

An o-scope usually isn't necessary, but can be handy for troubleshooting some problems.

new2linux wrote: Are there work around for things like a way to find where the drives “need input” without a wiring diagram

You can typically assume that the existing power supply is the right size. In many cases there will be no need to change it.

If the machine is under power then you can try probing the inputs to the drives to see if anything looks like a command voltage. But other than that it is a puzzle, and sometimes a difficult one.

""and a set of Balder/Osseo drives as the start for the 2nd project)""

Could you give your best guess as to the work around (to find a power supply & the drives need power input) for a set of drives without any thing else, I have tried the "search engines" and find the company (or the latest version) OK, but don't see any way to get info there, after all they sell the new models, no reason to support the early stuff.

I have seen a power supply company called Meanwell, but from first glance it has to do with interior lighting power supply.

I have included the info from the tag on the drives and what they came from in the hope someone else may have access to a factory wiring diagram, and will ask around other forums for it. It would be helpful to understand what I am looking for, and I can understand this may not be easy to answer but I will need to over come this.

Drives are from a Bandent controller, made by Allen Bradley:
Baldor/Osseo ; 500 oz-in; 100 VDC (max); 2500 rpm; encoder 500L; p/n216-340-33

many thanks!

So we/you know something about what your motors and encoders are. Can you get any more info off of the drives, besides what control they were used with?

If you can't find any model or part number info on the drives, maybe some good photos of them might help someone recognize what they are. (or at least tell you "Hey look, that right there is the part number."

Your Magnetek drives are probably just a re-branded Yaskawa product, just have to figure out which one.

new2linux wrote: I have seen a power supply company called Meanwell, but from first glance it has to do with interior lighting power supply.

Yes, most of their stuff is small regulated power supplies for instruments etc.

A power supply for a servo machine tool will normally be vaguely custom, but also not very complicated. Typically just a transformer, rectifier and a lot of big capacitors.

I did get some spam recently from www.teknic.com/products/servo-motor-dc-power-supply/
But I have made my own for my machines.

new2linux wrote: I have seen a power supply company called Meanwell, but from first glance it has to do with interior lighting power supply.

I like Antek power supplies and notice the k not a c.

JT

Thanks for the leads for power supplies; Antek & Teknic brands, and especially from andypugh "A power supply for a servo machine tool will normally be vaguely custom, but also not very complicated. Typically just a transformer, rectifier and a lot of big capacitors. "

I have looked at the 2 brands pictures, the price doesn't look too bad, do you need a power supply for each drive or as long as the drives are the same power rating I can use same power supply for more than one drive? It appears the power supply has a "Watts" requirement as to sizing, for the drives in question what wattage is required?

Attached are pics and some of it is hard to read so: Baldor/Osseo ; 500 oz-in; 100 VDC (max); 2500 rpm; encoder 500L; Tach Output 7.0 V/KRPM; p/n216-340-33; 10.0 Amp Current Cont; 39 Amp Max. Pulse Cur; .

Many thanks for all the help!!
Chris

Well 10 amps at 100v is 1000 watts. (Watts = Amps x Volts) so if you have say a 90v power supply and 3 10 amp drives that is 90 x 10 x 3 = 2700 watts. And yes you can power all the drives with similar volts with the same power supply. I might mention that my old BP knee mill with Analiam 1100M just has a bridge rectifier a rather large cap and a resistor to make a 90vdc power supply. I can give you the part number later if you like. The advantage of the Antek is you can get a 24vdc and 5vdc regulated power supplies built in.

JT

Thank you JT for " Watts 101"! I will look at the Antek power supply again. Just to be clear in my mind about the "bridge rectifier" (from building a 3 phase converter I have some experience with them) I could assemble the correct group of caps and buy a resistor for the 1st power supply? This 2nd piece of equipment is more of proof of concept that may require tweaking of the design as its refined. As to the part number it maybe better with the value of the components, if this is the option I go with, I plan to start collecting caps now, as to have a good selection to pick from and the information about the components would be most helpful.

Thanks again!
Chris

Edit: After viewing the Antek power supplies, the largest is 1500 watts, would I use 2 of the power supplies?