Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

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martyscncgarage
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Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by martyscncgarage »

A good friend of mine has a Milltronics Knee Mill, has the older Centurion V control. I found a good used M39 Centroid Control with an early All in One DC and Centroid DC Brush Servos. We are going to remove the Milltronics control and install the Centroid Control.

PIctures can be found on Brian's Google Album here. We will add to it as we go. Hoping next weekend we pull the Milltronics cabinet off and install the Centroid Cabinet. Today, I installed CNC12 Beta 3 on the control, installed the wireless MPG, and got Virtual Control Panel going, installed the cable for the original VFD and tested the motors.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xzqgfdrsc5qYnDHz8
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BrianL
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by BrianL »

Hi Everybody, I'm the friend... Marty is helping me immensely by getting this old machine going with a current control. We have been running it for about the past 6 years using the original Milltronics Software. Given that it was new in 1992, it's getting a bit long in the tooth. While it works decently, it doesn't do well with large programs, I had a program the other day that was a tad over 50,000 lines of code and it has to be run DNC, so it will be nice to have a good updated software that allows larger programs and upload/download from a server or cloud situation so I can centrally store the programs.

I'm sure we will have a lot of questions and can hopefully contribute to the group as things progress.

Thanks,

Brian
BrianL
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by BrianL »

Well, we are getting ready for the control transplant. I have a Google photo album if anybody is interested. The real process starts this coming weekend, so we will see how it goes.

Link to the album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xzqgfdrsc5qYnDHz8
martyscncgarage
Posts: 9912
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:01 pm
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Location: Mesa, AZ

Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by martyscncgarage »

Today is the start of the removal and installation of the Centroid All In One DC M39 control
Hope to accomplish removal of the Milltronics control and mount up the M39 control cabinet and mount the Centroid motors.
Tomorrow, wire it up....

Stay tuned for more pictures added to the album as we go this weekend. If anyone has any questions, feel free to post and we'll try and answer them.

Marty
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gwiz
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by gwiz »

Looks like you guys do nice work! keep it going.
martyscncgarage
Posts: 9912
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by martyscncgarage »

Saturday's goal was tearing off the old Milltronics contr and getting the new cabinet installed, the operator's console that Brian built, and the Centroid DC brush servos installed. We accomplished that and a bit more. Got the servo cables cut down and wired in. Limit switches we're getting new cable and the air lines replaced.

Today is more wiring, and hopefully getting the mill to move under Centroid Control.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xzqgfdrsc5qYnDHz8

Team effort, there are 4 of us working on the machine.
Marty
Reminder, for support please follow this post: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=383
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martyscncgarage
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by martyscncgarage »

It was a good day. I got the control wired up, configured CNC12, tested axis movement, set home position, soft limits, ran autotune, and then ran the system test (ran fine after two attempts and adjustements.)

Milltronics is up and running on Centroid All in One DC and CNC12
I got a few more pictures added to the album, more to follow.

We are going to setup a TT1-B Tool Touch probe soon. Brian is going to run the machine and reacquaint himself with CNC12. He has tested and run it on an Acorn control.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xzqgfdrsc5qYnDHz8

Again, it was a group effort, Brian and his wife Karen, his son Chris, Bill "Beevo" VanOrden and myself. Really made this install enjoyable.

Marty
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ghack
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by ghack »

So did you use the old m39 or buy a new all in one as you say you have cnc12 on it?
martyscncgarage
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by martyscncgarage »

ghack wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 9:25 am So did you use the old m39 or buy a new all in one as you say you have cnc12 on it?
Let me clarify.
We are using the M39 control on the Miltronics. It has an early generation All in One DC (160VDC max)
Brian has become a Beta tester. His extensive experience with CAD/CAM, Previous owner of a shop, and CNC operation, and currently making parts part time, made him a great candidate for becoming a Centroid Beta Tester. SO, Brian is helping get things fleshed out.
There is a release of 4.12 for Servo systems, its just that it includes a beta PLC for wireless MPG and VCP. So if you decide to use it, you are aware that it a beta version of the PLC and it is so labeled. If you do use it, and find something odd, report it.

As of this weekend the machine it looks like the machine is fully functional. Brian machined his first parts using the Centroid Control.

I missed that Milltronics put the REQUIRED snubbers in their control cabinet. Brian had the 452 Ethernet Communication Errors popping up. All was well until I programmed the lube pump. I have seen this before. Added quencharc suppressors to the lube pump and the pneumatic solenoid valves and the problem appears to have been cured.

I personally have also see the monitor go dark when the lube pump is turned on for a brief second. Same thing, lube pump needed a Quencharc snubber. The can be purchased from Centroid here: http://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_diy ... oller.html (almost to the bottom of the page)

I also installed a TT1-B Tool Touch off Probe for Brian, something he did not have before with the Milltronics control. I think he's finding it is helping him setup his tools.

Lastly, I added a contact block to the Estop button so that if the Estop button is hit, the spindle pneumatic spindle brake comes on and stops the spindle.

Marty
Reminder, for support please follow this post: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=383
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ghack
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Re: Milltronics to Centroid Control Upgrade

Post by ghack »

Reason i ask is i have a partner 2 very similar. i converted back in 03 with the servo3io so its almost 16 years old now and cant update past cnc10 linux v 2.36. its the old ISA slot cnc 7 board. so i think mine is way older.
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