PathPilot controlled lathe toolchanger

the intent is to use an arduino to mux the pins (limits only arduino) and generating a frequency is easy when i /we can figure out what PP will accept on the single door input pin. we dont actually know if there is 0v or 5v default on the pin and then a frequency applied for triggered switch or if a frequency is derived from a BCD type of affair - the table of frequencies are in the HAL for 1 to 15 inputs but we have no idea how to apply it to the pin (16). If someone could explain what is supposed to happen that would be most excellent.

its hard not to get mixed up with the % of pwm for tool selection, that part has been resolved.

MrJTJinx wrote:

the intent is to use an arduino to mux the pins (limits only arduino) and generating a frequency is easy when i /we can figure out what PP will accept on the single door input pin. we dont actually know if there is 0v or 5v default on the pin and then a frequency applied for triggered switch or if a frequency is derived from a BCD type of affair - the table of frequencies are in the HAL for 1 to 15 inputs but we have no idea how to apply it to the pin (16). If someone could explain what is supposed to happen that would be most excellent.

its hard not to get mixed up with the % of pwm for tool selection, that part has been resolved.

Hello MrJTJinx

I refitted a Denford NovaTurn to PathPilot and AC Servos. I am using a Mesa 6i25 and 7i77. My I/O is set up to use 24V.
www.denfordata.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=4789
www.cnczone.com/forums/benchtop-machines/261754-cnc.html

The door switch was easy to set up. Are you having problems getting past the door switch? If yes, I can look at my code to help you out.
In addition, I am working on a complete solution partially based on micknucam's work.

Iron-Man

Mrjtjinx is helping me out with this particular project. I would like to pick your brain about the limit/door switches. Maybe I could send you an email or even chat on fb messenger.
Nice novaturn btw, I've a novamill & triac myself. Denford make some quality little machines.

Because jonnys'lathe has a tool changer the PP bild is based on the Slant 15 and not the basic lathe. The basic lathe uses 2 pins for limits and are activated by applying a gnd signal/discnecting 5v to the pin, the door switch is similar to the mill application as the door and x axis are wired in series (to the best of my Knowledge) The slant application/build uses onlty one pin for all the limits and therefore has to multiplex the limits together. Each limit is provided with a frequency. the issue we are having is in how to interperet the signal so that we can reproduce what PP is looking for on the limit/door pin (16). The biggest pain is that i dont want to tear down my mill to use my mesa board for bench testing and Jonny lives some 200 miles away with his board - Thanks to brexit he is currently in another nation until they sort out the border issue.. Having an arduino set up to mux the signals is the easy part, the code thats been put together can read the proposed limits and output a frequency 1800hz,200hz etc on a single o/p pin this has been connected to pin 16 on the mesa. it is not playing nicely at all. the frequency we are transmitting is equal mark/space ie square wave at 50%. Does this indicate a different wave form
what does all this mean in english

loadrt freq2pin personality=0x0004
setp freq2pin.0.freq-width 200
setp freq2pin.0.input 0
setp freq2pin.0.stability-count 25
setp freq2pin.0.stability-width 20

keeping the build as close to the tormach BOB as possible is going to save a lot of stress in the future, so if the mesa board /PP wants a freq input thats what i want to reproduce. last year there were 4 updates to PP thats 4 mesa reflashes and 4 manual file changes to incorporate fixes. Id like to avoid such things.

jonnydeen wrote:

Mrjtjinx is helping me out with this particular project. I would like to pick your brain about the limit/door switches. Maybe I could send you an email or even chat on fb messenger.
Nice novaturn btw, I've a novamill & triac myself. Denford make some quality little machines.

OK

Iron-Man

Much appreciated.
Any chance you could drop me an email?
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thought this forum might have had a pm facility, appears not.

FWIW for the door/limit basically your doing this

for( ;; )
{
doorsw = digitalRead(DOORPIN); // HIGH WHEN DOOR OPEN
limit = digitalRead(LIMITPIN); // HIGH WHEN LIMIT IS TRIPPED
if ( doorsw || limit) { // DOOR 1800, LIMIT 2000
if (!doorsw) { tone(DOORSWPIN,1800);
} else { noTone(DOORSWPIN); }
if (limit) { tone(DOORSWPIN,2000); }
} else { noTone(DOORSWPIN); }
}

Hello  micknucam !
I finally restarted my toolchanger design.
Can you post your pathpilot HAL, INI files for the toolchanger?

Thanks,
Iron-Man

Hello Ironman

Only just fitted my tool changer hope this is what you wanted copied off my working lathe.

Kind Regards 

Thanks !!,
Iron-Man