Is the spindle running?

[johnnw]

Obviously you can hear or see if the spindle is rotating.

But my question is specifically if or how you can tell via program code if the spindle is on.

Seems Acorn neither knows or cares if the spindle is moving.
With the power to the VFD/spindle off you can MDI "M3 S500" and Acorn will report Spindle : 500 with no error or other indications I could find that in fact the spindle is off.

So, I'm just curious if there is a way, something like the M100/M101 calls to find out if the spindle is moving.

No specific situation but I've attached a report.zip anyway.

John

[tblough]

Obvious way is to add a spindle encoder. Other than that, Acorn just knows it's putting a voltage out on the spindle analog output, it has no way to know what your are doing with that voltage unless you connect some sort of signal and tell it what that signal is.

[Gary Campbell]

Use a vfd output and Acorn input set to "vfd up to (at programmed) speed and use it in a M100/101 line of code

[Muzzer]

With my Yaskawa V1000, there is a "spindle at speed" output available (they call it "speed agree") that can be sent to one of the multifunction outputs or the multifunction relay output.

On my system I only use the "VFD fault" output (via the relay) to open the e-stop circuit and stop movement if the VFD stalls or faults - but you could just as easily use the "spindle at speed" signal to indicate that all is well. Not sure how Acorn could make use of that but Gary seems to know.

You still need to ensure the VFD is sent the correct speed and enable signals of course. To see the status of those, you have the "digital operator" (front panel or remote display).

My motor encoder is used to display the spindle speed in the VCP. IIRC, there is a parameter that tells Accord to display that rather than the target speed.

[johnnw]

Thanks to all for the responses.

To Gary, that's what I was after but I'm not sure of the details.

From the Huan Yang VFD manual:
It shows output terminals as:
DRV Multi-Output 1 (Optical couple output)
UPF Multi-Output 2 (Optical couple output)
output ==> DC24V/100mA
Multi-Output 3 (N/O or N/C) output 3A/250VAC
FA（ EFA）、
FB（ EFB）、
FC（ EFC）
Multi-Output 4 (N/O) output 3A/250VAC
KA（ EKA）、
KB（ EKB）

under "DRV it says
PD050 Multi-Output 1（ DRV function） Factory Setting： 01**
01： In Run: The contact will act when the inverter has output or receives the running command.

So, if I set parameter 50 to 1 and then run a wire from DRV on the VFD to an unused input (NO) on Acorn, when the VFD is running there should be 24v to the input which would close it and I can use M101 to check it?

What would I set as the Input function in the wizard?

Thanks,

John

[johnnw]

Answered my own last question use new v4.20 input: VFDUpToSpeed on an unused Input.

Now to select VFD output.

John

[johnnw]

On further analysis I connected the DRV output from the VFD to Input 6 on the Acorn.
I set Input 6 in the Wizard to VFDUpToSpeed .
After restarting everything I checked the voltage from VFD - DRV to Common: 0v if spindle off, 24v if spindle on.
Same voltages at Input 6: spindle off = 0v, spindle on = 24v

So I'm thinking well that's solved. But no...

On the PLC diagnostic screen Input6 is green no matter if spindle/VFD is on or off.

So I used the Wizard to set Input6 to NO vs NC.
Now CNC12 won't do anything due to "Spindle Fault".
I set Input 6 back to NC and everything works but Input6 never changes state.

Just to reiterate: Input6 has 24v when the spindle is running and 0v when off.

I'm close but how to I capture that voltage state in code if Input6 stays on regardless of spindle operation?

I thought surely going from 0v to 24v would trigger a VFDUpToSpeed condition.
Is there a better input description?

Thanks

John

[martyscncgarage]

On further analysis I connected the DRV output from the VFD to Input 6 on the Acorn.
I set Input 6 in the Wizard to VFDUpToSpeed .
After restarting everything I checked the voltage from VFD - DRV to Common: 0v if spindle off, 24v if spindle on.
Same voltages at Input 6: spindle off = 0v, spindle on = 24v

So I'm thinking well that's solved. But no...

On the PLC diagnostic screen Input6 is green no matter if spindle/VFD is on or off.

So I used the Wizard to set Input6 to NO vs NC.
Now CNC12 won't do anything due to "Spindle Fault".
I set Input 6 back to NC and everything works but Input6 never changes state.

Just to reiterate: Input6 has 24v when the spindle is running and 0v when off.

I'm close but how to I capture that voltage state in code if Input6 stays on regardless of spindle operation?

I thought surely going from 0v to 24v would trigger a VFDUpToSpeed condition.
Is there a better input description?

Thanks

John

Would help if you posted a link to the VFD manual....

[cncsnw]

I assume when you write "Input6 has 24V when the spindle is running and 0V when off", that you are measuring that compared to the 0VDC (COM) output of the Acorn logic power supply; and that you have wired +24V from the Acorn logic power supply to one of the two input common terminals (either on H1 or on H4).

Acorn inputs are current-sourcing: you connect +24V to the Acorn input common; you connect one side of your switch or sensor or signal source to the input point; and you connect the other side of your switch or sensor to 0V. When the switch is closed or the transistor is active, then current (conventional current that we view as flowing from plus towards minus) flows out of the PLC input terminal, through the switch or sensor, and back to the minus side of the power source.

The Acorn input detects current flow, not voltage level.

In order for current to flow, you need a complete circuit.

Are you certain that the minus/common side of the inverter's photocoupler output(s) is connected back to the 0V/minus/common side of the Acorn logic power supply?

[johnnw]

To answer cncsnw's question "Are you certain..." the answer is I'm not certain of anything with the input circuitry (obviously).

I only thing I do get that is that there is 24v to the inputs section of the acorn board.
So that the current flows from 24v thru my limit switches back to common. When a switch opens I get a fault.
What I don't understand is what kind of output from the VFD is needed and exactly how it would be wired to the Acorn.


For Marty, here is a link to the VFD manual: http://www.hy-electrical.com/bf/inverter.pdf

However, I thank everyone for taking a look at this but I am going to approach it in another way.
The central problem was the noise of the Huan Yang VFD fan. Very loud. I first looked to Noctua, my goto source for quiet PC fans, but they don't make one in the correct size.

So next I would just leave the VFD off until just before I started a job then turn it on and go.
This left a small but possible chance I would start a job without the VFD being on, I know, dumb, but possible.
Thus I was looking for a programmatic way to halt the job if no VFD.

The simple work around I tried this morning is to disconnect the VFD fan and connect a regular PC fan,blowing on the VFD electronics, that comes on with the VFD.
Seems to work fine and virtually silent and now the VFD will always be on for a job.

As I indicated, I'm not smart enough to figure out exactly which VFD output to use and how to wire it.

Thanks

John