Stringray THC and linuxCNC

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30 Dec 2022 18:28 #260558 by SRatliff
Hello everyone, I am needing some help with integrating an existing torch height controller from Flashcut CNC into linuxcnc. I purchased an old Lincoln Torchmate 4x4 table and I am in the process of converting the brains over to a mesa 7i96s. I have the control cabinet built out and have completed some dry run testing on the base table and have everything working as it should be to this point. My next goal is to start hooking up the plasma cutter and torch height controller. 

So on to the THC, I have a stingray THC from the previous control system that I would like to use moving forward as it is one module that has Ohmic touch and voltage based control. I believe that I have the Ohmic portion figured out but I do not know how to integrate the THC into linux cnc for control. The Stingray control has an analog output signal (0-10V) rather than the frequency based control of the THCAD. My question is can I utilize the clean analog signal that my stingray outputs as an input for the THC on the mesa board or do I need to purchase a THCAD-10 to convert the analog signal to a digital and wire it up to the encoder pins on the 7i96s? At that point it may be just as easy to hook the THCAD board directly to my plasma cutter and only use the stingray as a ohmic probe controller. 

Link to Stringray page 
www.flashcutcnc.com/product/stepper/thc-ohmic-disc-50/  
Hardware: Mesa 7i96s
Software LinuxCNC 2.9, QTPlasmac, debian 11 
Thanks! 

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30 Dec 2022 20:47 #260569 by rodw
Replied by rodw on topic Stringray THC and linuxCNC
Does your table have servos or steppers?
It sound like the outout could be designed to control an analog -10v to +10v servo in  which case the 7i96s may not be the right card (or you'll need another add on card).

The QTplasmac paradigm is probably not right for your THC as it assumes full control. You would be better off just using a standard config.

Life would be  a lot simpler if you remove the flashcut module and adopt one of the ohmic sensing methods discussed in the plasma primer and use a THCAD to read torch voltage.
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html/plasma/plasma-cnc-primer.html

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30 Dec 2022 22:18 #260579 by SRatliff
Replied by SRatliff on topic Stringray THC and linuxCNC
Thanks for the reply Rod, that is kind of where I was already leaning towards but didnt know if there was something that I was overlooking on linux CNC.

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30 Dec 2022 22:26 #260583 by SRatliff
Replied by SRatliff on topic Stringray THC and linuxCNC
Also my machine does not have servo motors just nema 23 steppers.
The following user(s) said Thank You: rodw

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