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Re: Cncpc

Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 10:25 pm
by ShawnM
We just bought a used Shop Sabre Sidekick 10 which is a 5x10 plasma table with a Hypertherm 85 plasma cutter. It currently has WinCNC software and their own THC. The nice thing is that it has all Clearpath servos. As soon as the Centroid system is available the WinCNC stuff is coming out. :mrgreen:

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:31 pm
by Chismsammy
Forgive my ignorance … if M3 will run the acorn controller then yes ? I literally inherited a disaster . Old Pic below . So I bought an acorn controller and new computer . Started over from scratch . I have managed to get the x,y,z axis functioning properly with cnc12 . It will run a cut file . But I have no idea where to wire in the plasma interface to the acorn . Need a start , on, voltage ,0hmic sensor and my x,y laser spot? That’s what was plugged into old system . I just have the wires coming from plasma cutter not hooked up just not sure where they go …just sourcing info from everywhere …lol. Now it’s just the acorn controller and a relay board hooked to computer lot less wires

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 12:08 am
by BARN_Bob
I too am running a Proma 150 THC with a switch to determine the material top and then increase Z incrementally to .20 inches and start the torch. The Proma takes over after seeing a voltage then adjusts Z accordingly to maintain the voltage of the plasma. The problem is if I have either multiple or long cuts with varying heights of the material on the bed. The centroid control loses track of where Z is actually, it still thinks it's at .20 inches above the material, when in fact it might be off much more. When it goes to make the next cut it reaches the soft limit before reaching the material and I need to reset home on Z to resume after finding the line number where stoped. My question why are my encoders not communicating the true position of Z?

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 7:21 am
by tblough
Acorn is a open-loop control that does not use feedback from encoders for position. If you have closed loop drives with encoders on the motors, that encoder information is only sent to the servo driver and not the Acorn.

If your THC sends out step and direction pulses to the Z motor driver, Acorn will know nothing about them so Acorn's "position" will not change.

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 9:40 am
by martyscncgarage
Tom is correct. Since Acorn moves the axis, and then you have your THC essentially hijacking the Z axis stepper signals, and the only purpose for Z is the Torch, and actual control comes from the THC which touches of on the material, it would seem reasonable to change the soft limits or have none but use mechanical limits with their own inputs.

I would think you would want to reset Z home before each job though, which could be done with a script in a macro.
...just thinking out loud....I've never done it myself.
Marty

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 10:09 am
by BARN_Bob
Thank you to tblough and martyscncgarage for confirming.

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 12:43 pm
by ShawnM
It'll be interesting to see how the Acorn handles the THC. With the Shop Sabre 5x10 plasma table I have, comes from Shop Sabre with a WinCNC controller and THC, you tell the software what material you are cutting because the pierce height and cut height (which are different) are programmed into the software. The torch touches off on the material then backs up to a pierce height, pierces the material and then moves down to a cutting height and starts cutting. It does this for every cut in the part, it touches off each time the before the torch starts cutting. Do these aftermarket THC's do this as well? I know Marty pointed to one that was very inexpensive but if it can do what the WinCNC THC can do then it should work great once setup properly.

I'm really looking forward to Centroids THC and what it can do. I'd love to swap out the WinCNC controller for Acorn.

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 1:57 pm
by Gary Campbell
Open the folder and look at the touch off macro. Very simple and usually has nothing to do with the THC until torch voltage is applied. Careful what you wish for. The guys at WinCNC have their "stuff" together when it comes to plasma

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 3:05 pm
by ShawnM
Correct and I was just pointing out how the THC and touch off work on the WinCNC system. It seems like a very robust system but there are many things I'm not a fan of. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the Acorn. I know you are a WinCNC fan Gary and the interface is just ok in my opinion. Shop Sabre couldn't even use the correct arrow bitmaps pointing the correct direction for the X axis on the control screen. Both the X and Y axis arrows point in the same direction on the screen. I said wait, what? That was easy enough to change and have buttons with arrows pointing left and right for the X axis. It's just the 2 routers I use BOTH have the Acorn controller and when I have to plasma cut anything it's a different system. WinCNC does have their "stuff" together when it come to plasma and hopefully Centroid will have an equally robust and versatile system.

Re: Cncpc

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 9:05 pm
by Gary Campbell
Shawn...
Agree. All except for the "fan" part. No more a WinCNC fan than I am a Centroid fan. Both are very good controllers, they have a few differences, but very good. Each has some strong points that they do better than the other, but virtually tie in all the rest. Both are head and shoulders above all the hobby grade stuff I worked with years ago.

As far as the WinCNC screen goes, that's all on the OEM. Each OEM has the option to customize the screenset to their particular features and preferences. I wont say that WinCNC doesn't know what SS has, but as a rule they don't have any more input into them than Centroid does with the variations that are posted here by those that modify their VCP.