Evergreen Automation

[evermech]

Hello all I am new to the forum thing

I own a cnc machine shop near Vancouver on the west coast of Canada, specializing in design and fabrication of automated equipment.

Just recently used a Masso control on a 3 axis custom router project using 3 750watt Teco servos and drives. Looking forward to asking and maybe even

answering some questions if I can.

Guy

 

[clover]

@evermech

Welcome aboard Guy, we look forward to your questions and input.

Nice to see you use Bootlace Ferrules, I love em - so does @simjim33 apparently

@simjim33

Makes the job look, good. It s why I use boot lace Ferrals as well.

I see the masso videos where they just fold over the wire and think oh no not like that

Cheers, Patrick

 

[evermech]

Hi Patrick,

I try to do a nice job on the wiring. Most of the supplies I use come from Automation Direct which is a great source.

Do you think the small 24v relay next to the usb connection could be causing a little EMI? sometimes it seems I lose

communication with the pen drive and have to either reload prog. or reboot entire system.

Guy

 

[clover]

@evermech

My experience Guy is that USB is fairly susceptible to EMI being only 5v logic thresholds even though it is a differential signal. I have seen this when a poor quality unshielded USB cable has been used in close proximity to a brushed motor (as in a router) or its cable.

Having said that I think it unlikely your relays would would cause enough EMI to affect it. Does a disconnect occur when the relay activates? If not that's unlikely to be the cause and I think you would have to look further for the problem.

I have never had problems with disconnects with my Masso small hobby installation - perhaps I am tempting fate here!

 

[breezy]

Quote from evermech on June 13, 2019, 5:57 am

Do you think the small 24v relay next to the usb connection could be causing a little EMI? sometimes it seems I lose

communication with the pen drive and have to either reload prog. or reboot entire system.

Others have reported various problems with USB drives and generally it is the quality of the drive that is the problem. Sometimes reformatting the drive fixes it, other times they have to replace with a better quality drive. Even the USB drive that I'm using has problems with Win 10 after MASSO has written to it. Mainly after a system upgrade when MASSO renames the file extension, Win 10 complains, so I just tell Win 10 to scan & fix and all is OK again.

Regards,

Arie.

 

[simjim33]

Nice set up.

good clear labels.

Good ferrules.

Masso could do well to note that in their instruction videos.

i know it s a bit nerdy but it s a matter of a good looking job is seldom wrong.

I will take a picture of mine when I get back to the workshop. I even have powered circuit id.

That will make the tool setter hight calibration simple.

 

[evermech]

Quote from clover on June 13, 2019, 7:37 am

@evermech

My experience Guy is that USB is fairly susceptible to EMI being only 5v logic thresholds even though it is a differential signal. I have seen this when a poor quality unshielded USB cable has been used in close proximity to a brushed motor (as in a router) or its cable.

Having said that I think it unlikely your relays would would cause enough EMI to affect it. Does a disconnect occur when the relay activates? If not that's unlikely to be the cause and I think you would have to look further for the problem.

I have never had problems with disconnects with my Masso small hobby installation - perhaps I am tempting fate here!

Thanks Clover for the insight.

The drop outs seem quite random which is a bit annoying. I think I will move the relay just in case and try some of the suggestions Breezy

offered.

 

[clover]

@simjim3

i know it s a bit nerdy but it s a matter of a good looking job is seldom wrong.

Not only that Simon (Bootlace Ferrules) they ensure a good solid connection for stranded wire. Moreover, if insulated and fitted correctly ensure wires will not short to adjacent connections. IMHO Bootlace Ferrules are mandatory for good long life solid equipment performance.

 

[testyourdesign]

@evermech

Don't mind @clover he can't get past the wiring and optocoupler circuits without giggling. The rest of us less nerdy folks deal with the programming and general interface. Personally I like to design lots of stuff and make tons chips. Welcome aboard fellow North American!

Cheers, Stephen Brown

 

[evermech]

Thanks all that was a nice welcome to the forum. Tomorrow I am moving the relay and messing around with the

usb pen drive a bit to see if it improves. I will try and post a few photos and a short video so you can see what this thing

looks like.

cheers Guy

 

[clover]

@testyourdesign

Don't mind @clover he can't get past the wiring and optocoupler circuits without giggling

Spot on Stephen, I'm a hardware man from waaay, waaay back. I've a lot to learn from you "less nerdy folks" so please keep the information coming. Mind you I also like to make lots of chips (wood).

Attachment - my stock of Bootlace Ferrules, now that is nerdy

 

[breezy]

Quote from clover on June 15, 2019, 1:01 am

Attachment - my stock of Bootlace Ferrules, now that is nerdy

That's more than what is stocked at my local Jaycar store!!!!

Regards,

Arie.

 

[evermech]

Try this link to you tube video of the machine I built at work

 

[clover]

@evermech

Thanks for sharing Guy. That's one heavy duty machine, does it run with a Masso? Cheers Patrick

 

[evermech]

Quote from clover on June 16, 2019, 4:40 am

@evermech

Thanks for sharing Guy. That's one heavy duty machine, does it run with a Masso? Cheers Patrick

Yup this is the machine I put the Masso on. I actually built this 5 years ago but there were some other electricians that put on a Mach Motion system.

That system was never configured properly and some of the internal scripts may have been corrupted, so it has always been a little glitchy. My customer

finally got fed up and let me put the Masso on. Haha I get paid to play. Anyhow Masso should be thinking about their control for projects like this as

there are a lot of customers looking to be able to have synchronous motion control on they're purpose built equipment. The only other alternative that

I could find that was robust enough for the harsh environment that this equipment is in was Galil. Their equipment is more expensive, more difficult to

integrate with servo's, drives, etc. and you have to learn yet another programming language. I do believe it is C++. If Masso made all five axis the same as

X,Y,and Z and maybe put the ability to program a number of lines of ladder logic to control some I/O this thing would be bullet proof. Hey and it also works well

for what it was originally intended which is to retro-fit cnc equipment. In fact I have a 4 axis knee mill that is failing and I will be looking to refit it with the Masso

some time pretty soon.

Guy