Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

Hi all,

Does anyone have experience that can share about integrating the Acorn board and a ClearCore (https://teknic.com/products/io-motion-controller/) board?

I'm considering using a ClearCore for an automatic tool changer (motion in 3 axes), but a very important part of the integration is how both platforms would talk vidirectionally.

Any comments or ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks!

"both platforms would talk bidirectionally"

This is the problem, and this is your reply: https://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopic. ... 8&start=20

I have a ClearCore module w/expansion module. I did not buy it to work directly with my Acorns. It can provide drive signals for Teknic servo motors or for stepper motors via stepper drivers. With a little ingenuity, you might find a way to use an Acorn and the ClearCore to control a tool changer. To drive an eight position changer, you would need three Acorn outputs (2^3=8) and at least one Acorn input to indicate when the tool was locked in position. You could use a single Acorn output to serially step through the tool positions and two inputs, one for tool zero home and one that pulsed each time a tool was sensed, but that would be slow and tedious.

Personally, I would use the Acorn expansion board to interface with the Teknic ClearCore and then use the ClearCore to intelligently handle the tool changer. That option would be more costly (about $800-900 for the Acorn, expansion board and the ClearCore), but it would easily do the job.

The new Centroid board would probably be a better choice - when it is released. (At my age, I'm not counting on living long enough to see that board released. It seems like I was in my midteens when it was announced and now I'm in my 70s.)