Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

Servo drive logic power must remain on all the time. Otherwise, as you noted, you will get EtherCAT communication faults on a Hickory system, or you will lose axis position (and get an encoder differential error) on Oak, OpticDirect or GPIO4D systems.

If your drives lack a separate input for logic power (vs. motor bus power), then all the power must remain on all the time.

In that case, we hope that the drives have a reliable "safe torque off" (STO) circuit, which can be used to inhibit the drive when in emergency stop, even if the motor bus power remains available.

Looking at schematic S15215, it appears that the LeadShine EL7 drives:
1) Lack separate power input for drive logic vs. motor power, but
2) Do have a "safe torque off" feature on CN6

That schematic shows a reasonable implementation, using two separate poles of the E-stop contactor to interrupt the two STO channels when in an emergency stop condition.

Thanks Marc, your response gives me another question, forgive the crumby drawing, but this is what I did on the e-stop circuit.

Since I was using the original CR1 I couldn’t really see a reason to use the CNT1 relay and send 24v to power a relay to power the CN6 24v when I could just power the CN6 directly.

Do you see any problems?
Thanks Gary

Just as a general comment: EL7 drives come in different power input configurations. The lower power drives (400-1000 watts) are 220VAC single phase while >1kW 220 VAC and the 400VAC -FT series drives have 3 phase main circuit and single phase control inputs.

They have some new EL7 series with suffixes -N and -NT. We recommend -NT for 400VAC applications over the -FT series.

Made some pretty good progress today. I have all the inputs hooked up and most of the outputs.

It shouldn’t be long until I can power things up and do some testing.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KL88FycMxDj5WmwWA

That looks great!! How are your pneumatics..

Prior to starting, I could operate the turret, open and close the collet chuck, disengage the spindle brake by jumping them out manually without any problems.

The turret has alway been a bit iffy on whether it would land and lock down properly. I am hoping at some point to convert it to a servo drive instead of the air motor.

I have been gathering what little information about the conversion is out there for a while. It’s been done a few times, but at present I am not quite sure on the motor size or mounting.

I hope to have more information on that soon and I all ears if anyone has suggestions to accomplish that.

Gary

My problems in the pneumatic area are leaks...I can see the collet closer actuate when I apply air directly, but I cannot open and close properly yet. I can spin my turret and sometimes the ALLIN1DC is happy other times it kinda waits for a signal that it's finished... I always seem to have the correct tool number listed and the diag screen has the correct leds lit...but... My parts chute works, haven't tried the part cutoff slide
For the air motor upgrade I would like to find a non-functioning air motor that could be used for mock up - that would be a start. I'd guess you would need the gear. The manual says the motor is screwed in but I have not tried to remove it...only when required 9-) It would be nice to get some specs for it to find out how much force it delivers. I've looked but haven't found any info on the two listed options; ARO & Ingersoll-Rand
The thread on that other place said he used a 200 watt servo...about 1/4 hp. I found a couple pictures of one that was long and skinny and it had a rear mount, but no place to buy...The air motor looks like it's slightly bigger than 1 inch dia. maybe 5 in long...? Most 200 watt servos I found are slightly larger than 2 inch
A NEMA 8 Stepper motor may fit the general size requirement but I have no idea how much torque is required...
I wonder about the PLC requirements...CNCSNW?

I have two machines, so once I get this one functional I will probably tear into the other and just see how much room there is and what can be done. I hate to mess with this one at this stage of the game because I know it will work enough to get by.

With Hickory I am also tied to ethercat servos which is fine, maybe best if I can find motors that will fit. For programming I was just thinking it could be a third axis. Since I am using ethercat with absolute encoders it could home while locked down and then travel the exact distance to the tool location, lock down and home again. Always start from zero. If it had to be, I think that could possibly be done without getting into the plc, but I am not sure.

Motor size is what I really need to know. I am hopeful I have a lead that we have already discussed.

Add on: I have been looking for a parts manual for the CHNCIII because the later models were equipped with a turret servo mounted on the back of the carriage. I thought that would give some help on the motor specs that are required.

Other than finding a few whole machines for sale I have been unsuccessful finding any documentation online. If anyone has a parts manual for the CHNCIII I would love to have the turret section.

Gary

Yes, you can run the turret using a servo axis motor.

PLC and macro changes are required, since the PLC will still need to manage the unlock/lock action, but only the CNC macro can move the axis.

Some care is required to ensure that CNC12 does not try to move that axis in home, park, G28, and other moves that normally move all axes.

Thanks Marc, that is somewhere in the future although it is something I am pursuing.

I do have a question for the now. The Hickory diagram shows the spindle load meter attached from the drive Fanuc in my case to the Hickory board. The machine has a spindle load meter already attached to the drive.

The questions are:
1. Does CNC12 use that information or is it just displayed on the screen?
2. Can they be paralleled together to display the same information?
3. If not can I just leave as is, since the gauge is what I am used to?