Bridgeport speed control w CNC 10

[drhodes4601]

So I recently bought a Bridgeport Series 1 CNC mill with a Centroid retro. It is running CNC 10 v 1.51 on Linux CNC 2.271. Serial #20551.
X,Y and Z axis work perfectly under both handwheel and CNC control. The spindle motor will start, stop and reverse manually and under CNC control.
So the only thing I can't get to work is the spindle speed control. This mill has the factory vari-drive 2J style head. The speed adjustor is driven by a Gast air motor controlled by pneumatic valves controlled by the PLC.
My problem is I am not getting any voltage/signal going to the solenoid valves to change the spindle speed.
On the display, it shows the supposed spindle speed, but increasing or decreasing the speed is not activating the solenoid valves.
Any one had this problem before or have a suggestion on where to start to try to fix this?
Thanks!
Danny

[cncsnw]

There probably isn't going to be any association between the spindle speed on the screen (the speed that was requested in the G codes, and which it would be doing if there were any way to control RPM with the 0-10V analog signal) and the actual speed. The air motor is not going to respond to programmed spindle speed.

It is possible that your PLC program includes manual speed control. Typically, two of the Aux keys are programmed as speed-up and speed-down buttons, which are active as long as the spindle motor is on.

If you post a Report here, we could look in your PLC program and tell you whether it has any provision for powering the air motor via Aux keys. Or you could just try them all and see what happens....

[drhodes4601]

Tried all the Aux keys. no response. Two Aux keys are lit up, unfortunately the seller didn't give me any documentation so I've got no clue what they mean. The PIC panel has speed +/- keys. They change the speed on the display, but don't activate the solenoids. I have verified with a DVM there is no voltage coming from the control cabinet and going to the solenoids when any keys are pressed. I have also activated the solenoids with a battery so I know they are good and in working order.

[drhodes4601]

Solenoid valve setup and PIC image

[tblough]

Have you verified that there is actually power going to the relays that control the solenoids? If you force the relay, does the power make it to the solenoid terminal block in your first photo above?

[Centroid188]

Looking at your PLC. Aux 1 and Aux 2 look like your Speed up and Speed down for the air solenoid for the spindle.
You can try pushing these and see if the speed adjusts.
The speeds are not controlled by S code in a program..

[drhodes4601]

I have tried the aux 1 and 2 buttons with no response. I have connected a test meter to the solenoid connections and verified no power is going to them when aux 1 or aux 2 is pressed.
Is there any relays of fuses between the PLC and the solenoids in the control cabinet? I have found the wires entry point into the cabinet but haven't started pulling covers off of the raceway to chase the wires yet.

[cncsnw]

According to your PLC programs:
Aux1 and Aux2 will increase and decrease speed.
They only work if the spindle motor is on (OUT14 green).
They expect to control the solenoids through OUT59 and OUT60 respectively.

OUT59 and OUT60 are open-collector auxiliary outputs on header H4, at the top right of the DC3IO unit. Those outputs would have to be wired to a relay board such as an M15SPRLY1 in order to control your solenoids.

Post a clear picture of the whole interior of your cabinet; plus a closer-up picture of the DC3IO unit, with any plugs on at the top edge clearly visible. That will show whether there is anything wired to OUT59 and OUT60.

[drhodes4601]

I hadn't mentioned before, but the spindle brake which is in this same cluster of servos is also not working.

[cncsnw]

Those pictures shed a lot of light on the situation. Unfortunately, they also raise more questions.

The auxiliary outputs from H4 on the DC3IO -- which the Centroid PLC program uses as if the control speed up/down and spindle brake -- control relays on the M15SPRLY boards, which in turn control inputs on the DL05 PLC.

The DL05 PLC unit is not ordinarily part of a Centroid control. Usually I would expect that to have been an aftermarket addition installed by whoever bought the control from Centroid and integrated it with this machine. Oddly, though, the wire markers on your red 63, 64, 65 and 66 wires leading to DL05 inputs are the sort that Centroid used in-house. On the other hand, the AC supply WHT/BLK/GRN wires, and the wires on the DL05 outputs, do not look like factory work.

In any event: it is likely that the DL05 PLC is controlling your solenoids, according to its own programming. The only way to see what that programming is, is to connect to the PLC with the DirectLogic software from Automation Direct and download it; or to get a copy from the person who installed and set up this control.

You could check for some simple things: when you power up the control, do any of the green LEDs in a column on the far right edge of the DL05 light up? At least the top two (PWR and RUN) should be lit. Otherwise, the DL05 PLC is not working.

When you start the spindle, then press and hold Aux1 or Aux2, do either of the X1 and X2 LEDs on the DL05 light up? That would indicate that the Centroid DC3IO outputs are operating, and getting signals through to the DL05 inputs.

If the DL05 was installed at the factory, then Centroid should have a control-specific wiring schematic showing it. E-mail support@centroidcnc.com and ask whether they have a schematic for K20551 which includes a DL05.

The presence of the analog module suggests that the DL05 PLC is an attempt to perform automatic speed control using the air motor. Is there any sign that the DC3IO 0-10V analog spindle speed command, from the bottom edge of the DC3IO, is wired to the DL05 analog module? Is there any sign of a potentiometer on the Bridgeport head, which would provide feedback for the position of the vari-speed drive? See if you can trace where the Bridgeport-labeled blue wires on the odd green circuit board in front of the analog module come from.