use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
- redeye_joe
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11 Jun 2024 17:30 #302842
by redeye_joe
use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC was created by redeye_joe
Hi all, I am wanting to use my older snapon plasma 50 with a DIY cnc i made, I am thinking linuxcnc is looking like the best way to control it and I am looking for any info about what I will need to be able to control the torch. From what I understand, I will need to be able to control the trigger, and also a signal of if the arc is on, with maybe a voltage divider to be able to read it to a pin on my controller? I am on a tight budget, and I am wanting to do this a cheap as possible. I would like to have torch height control if possible, and it looks like the mesa thc300 might do that, but does that only work with one of their control boards? thanks for any help
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- PCW
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11 Jun 2024 21:15 #302852
by PCW
Replied by PCW on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
You can use the THCAD2 with a parallel port based LinuxCNC system.
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- phillc54
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12 Jun 2024 01:07 #302854
by phillc54
Replied by phillc54 on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
If your machine does not have a built in arc-ok signal then this is an effective way of providing a signal:
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html/plasma/qtplas...l#plasma:reed-arc-ok
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html/plasma/qtplas...l#plasma:reed-arc-ok
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- redeye_joe
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14 Jun 2024 01:24 #302982
by redeye_joe
Replied by redeye_joe on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
Ok, so I can use the THCAD2 to get arc voltage into controller, the reed relay and to get arc ok, and a relay to switch the trigger start. I was just about to give up on the idea of using my older shop plasma, only thing I think left to figure out is if my snapon plasma is a touch start, as non touch start seems to be important to use for a cnc?
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- tommylight
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14 Jun 2024 11:25 #303001
by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
Scratch start plasma can not be used with CNC, it must have pilot arc.
Since LinuxCNC can be made to do pretty much anything, there is a chance it can be made to work with scratch start, probably a conponent that would raise the torch after probing and triggering the torch on.
Chances are that only raising the torch would often fail to strike an arc, so several tries would help till arc ok confirms cutting started.
Since LinuxCNC can be made to do pretty much anything, there is a chance it can be made to work with scratch start, probably a conponent that would raise the torch after probing and triggering the torch on.
Chances are that only raising the torch would often fail to strike an arc, so several tries would help till arc ok confirms cutting started.
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- redeye_joe
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21 Jun 2024 02:35 #303460
by redeye_joe
Replied by redeye_joe on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
I am trying to use remora and a BTT octopus that is already mounted to cnc, could I use the THCAD2 and input the FOUT- and FOUT+ as the "plasma up" and "plasma down", or as an encoder with ChA and ChB ?
remora code I think would apply for encoder?
{
"Thread": "Base",
"Type": "Encoder",
"Comment": "Encoder",
"PV": 2,
"ChA Pin": "8",
"ChB Pin": "7"
},
or remora code for plasma up and down?
"Type": "Digital Pin",
"Comment": "Plasma Up",
"Pin": "PG_16",
"Mode": "Input",
"Data Bit": 7
},
{
"Thread": "Servo",
"Type": "Digital Pin",
"Comment": "Plasma Down",
"Pin": "PB_7",
"Mode": "Input",
"Data Bit": 8
},
remora code I think would apply for encoder?
{
"Thread": "Base",
"Type": "Encoder",
"Comment": "Encoder",
"PV": 2,
"ChA Pin": "8",
"ChB Pin": "7"
},
or remora code for plasma up and down?
"Type": "Digital Pin",
"Comment": "Plasma Up",
"Pin": "PG_16",
"Mode": "Input",
"Data Bit": 7
},
{
"Thread": "Servo",
"Type": "Digital Pin",
"Comment": "Plasma Down",
"Pin": "PB_7",
"Mode": "Input",
"Data Bit": 8
},
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21 Jun 2024 02:54 #303462
by PCW
Replied by PCW on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
If the Remora can do a plain counter mode with its encoder inputs
It should be possible to make that work (it would be helpful if the
encoder also had a velocity pin)
It should be possible to make that work (it would be helpful if the
encoder also had a velocity pin)
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- cakeslob
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22 Jun 2024 01:00 #303522
by cakeslob
Replied by cakeslob on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
what kinda of signal is it looking for linuxcnc side? dont know how well the velocity pin will work, but we can for sure count, it outputs the encoder as a float
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22 Jun 2024 02:43 - 22 Jun 2024 02:44 #303527
by PCW
Replied by PCW on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
If it can count a single signal then it can work.
If the low level encoder code does not provide a velocity pin,
you could calculate frequency using the ddt component,
but that will introduce noise proportional the servo thread jitter
relative to the servo thread period.
You could tradeoff bandwidth for noise by running the ddt thread
at a multiple of the servo thread period or low-pass filtering
the result of the ddt.
The Mesa encoder velocity estimation works well for this as it
calculates velocity as counts/time_between_those_counts
The time between counts measured by timestamping
every count, so basically measures frequency based
on a crystal clock.
If the low level encoder code does not provide a velocity pin,
you could calculate frequency using the ddt component,
but that will introduce noise proportional the servo thread jitter
relative to the servo thread period.
You could tradeoff bandwidth for noise by running the ddt thread
at a multiple of the servo thread period or low-pass filtering
the result of the ddt.
The Mesa encoder velocity estimation works well for this as it
calculates velocity as counts/time_between_those_counts
The time between counts measured by timestamping
every count, so basically measures frequency based
on a crystal clock.
Last edit: 22 Jun 2024 02:44 by PCW.
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- redeye_joe
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08 Jul 2024 21:04 #304701
by redeye_joe
Replied by redeye_joe on topic use a older snapon plasma50 for DIY CNC
will the THCAD10 also work? I think I have a guy that has one I can buy for cheap, I ended up ordering a plamsa cutter that has a 1:1 voltage ratio, so can I use the THCAD10 with an external high voltage resistor?
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