First time EMC user (introduction)


Hi everyone,
 
I have just installed EMC and linux using the BDI cdrom image.  After figuring out that I had to log in as root, and after setting the emc.ini file to steppermod and minimilltask (it would not come out of estop with bridgeporttask) I managed to get step signals on pin 3 (X axis) of the parallel port.  I monitored these with my digital oscope, and saw an interesting thing.  I selected manual control, and then set the x axis to move 1 inch.  My ini file had the max acceleration at 2, and I captured the pulse train on my scope.  It looked about right I guess, with the pulse frequency accelerating to 2 khz.  The strange thing was that after the pulse train had fully accelerated, there would be a 1 khz pulse about every 8 or so of the 2khz pulses.  I don't know if this is some latency issue, or perhaps that is when some other task is running?
 
 
I am running on an AMD K6-2 350mhz.  I am going to be using this to control a rather large Shizuoka B-3V bed mill, with Fanuc model 0 brush DC servo motors (60V 12A) on the x and y axis, and a Fanuc model 5 bruch DC servo motor (90V 12A) on the z axis.  I am not 100% positive, but I believe there is not a tach on these motors, just a quadrature encoder (called a pulse coder by fanuc).  I already have two Gecko G320 servo drives (take step,dir signals) which should work for the x and y, so I am going to start with those.  I would get the servo to go card, except that I am not sure if I would be able to use analog input servo amps without a tach on my motors, so why not just get one or two more parallel ports?
 
Anyway, I want to really dig into this.  I like the idea of an open source machine controller.  I discovered the (rather large) message archives, and I will try to answer most of my questions there so as not to clog the message board with redundant newbie stuff.  When I get a bit more experience, I would like to add to the EMC knowledge base, as I am going to need to do a few special things like controlling my 20 position ATC on the cnc mill.
 
Back to the scope,
 
Richard
 


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