Old control box out -newer box in -but....

[dhunt]

I've just spent about two hours swapping out the old SB Control box that came with our 2000/01 PRT-96
replacing it with another PRT-96 SB-supplied Control box of 2006 vintage.


The replacement control box says
ShopBot Controls V3.54
copyright 2001
up along the top edge of its green circuit board

-and there's a white sticky label down at the bottom edge saying
ShopBot Control Box
PRT 071306 02704


I've installed firmware successfully, but now I run the machine in X and Y
the motors are making unusual whirring,whining noises that I don't like
-they are Vexta PK299-01AA 2-phase motors, 1.8"/step
Our cogs are 20 teeth..

and instruction JX -13 inches yielded waaay more travel than just 13 inches
so it seems like my VU values have to be changed from the current values:
(X and Y are both) 509.296
Z is double that -at 1018.592 --and seems to moving way too fast under Keyboard Page-Up/Page-Down...
Circle Res. is .05
and Multipliers are all set at 1.

These numbers were working fine and accurate for the old control box, but not for this one!
Are the two control boxes that different?? :confused:

Any bright ideas?

[srwtlc]

Dave,

Check this out.

http://shopbotwiki.com/index.php?title=PRTInchUnits

[frank]

Hi Dave,

The PK299 motors will make a strange sound when connected to the version 3 control board. The only setting on the board is the step ratio. If you are going the wrong distance you might want to try changing the jumper setting from 1/4 to 1/2.

[dhunt]

Hi, Tech Support... thanks for talking on the phone...

I found the little jumper thingy over on the top right of the board
and swung it so it uses the center pin, but the other setting.

No appreciable difference in sound, as a result of that move..
I told the machine to JH Jog Home and it moved almost-alarmingly quickly,
with an awful grinding wrenching noise towards the end of the movement.
Not a pleasant sound!

Movements under K =Keyboard are a bit smoother sounding, but real quick motion!

What can I do now, now that I've selected the other jumper setting?

-----------------------

I have the values Scott pointed out, in his post above (shopbotwiki URL)
but am not skilled enough to figure out what the heck I'm looking at, almost.

Our motors...the shafts come straight out of the motors and have the pinions stuck on the ends of those shafts
and so I'm assuming we are in the 1:1 crowd (?)

I'm also assuming that the block of info that pertains to our 2000/01 PRT-96
is either the second or third block of info. ...prob. the third block
for early PRTs ??

[dhunt]

Changed my VU settings to 254.6479 for both X and Y
and movement is a lot more sane and rational (what we're accustomed to)
but the overall sound of the motors is both unpleasant and un-nerving
and I have a funny feeling I'll be switching back to the old slow poke control box
that came with our machine, intended for our motors.

[frank]

Hi Dave,

I have looked into this more and there are possibly more differences in the boxes. Set the jumper back to 1/4 step and change your unit value to 254.6479. Your resolution will not be very good, but see if that gives you the correct distance. When we were doing the upgrades on the version 2 boards I believe we also programmed the PIC chip differently, so it wasn't a simple swap of control boxes.

[dhunt]

I have looked into this more and there are possibly more differences in the boxes.
Set the jumper back to 1/4 step and change your unit value to 254.6479.
Your resolution will not be very good, but see if that gives you the correct distance.
When we were doing the upgrades on the version 2 boards I believe we also programmed the PIC chip differently,
so it wasn't a simple swap of control boxes.Thanks for your effort.
It's becoming clear (to both of us?) that this box-swap is not to be.

Both the boss and I think it best to return to our original control box
which was intended for our motors!

I was expecting better-sounding, smoother motors -but got quite the opposite. :D

We tried. That's all you can do.

[Brady Watson]

3:1 belt reduction boxes would do wonders on that machine - new or old electronics....

-B

[gc3]

Care to elaborate further? -What's a belt reduction box?
Whose belt you gonna reduce?


http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12709


u computer guy :D search engine ring a bell :eek: