dual spindle controller

[Ken Rychlik]

Which controller would be needed for doing a retro on a axyz with Dual spindles. Both spindles are on the same back plane, but each has it's own z motor with their own vfd.

I thought about isolating each one with relays on acorn4 but will acorn 6 handle both without trickery?

Thanks
Ken

[suntravel]

Right now, the two spindle outputs on acorn six are only mirrored, still on the to do list to make both spindles independent in the software.

Uwe

[Ken Rychlik]

So on Acorn4 or 6 The step signal could be flipped from one z driver to the other. Changing to a G55 or 56 would be easy. Tool height would be interesting. I will quote it with another controller that I am also comfortable with.

[suntravel]

On Acorn Six you should label the 2nd Z axis as W, no problem to control it independently or perfectly synchronized, only depends on the license and g-code.

Uwe

[Ken Rychlik]

I am not looking to mirror them. I need to run them as an ATC basically with each having a tool height stored and both used on the same cut file. Just T1 and T2

[suntravel]

This should be no problem besides the spindle speed can only be mirrored right now.

But it will need some customizing on the CNC and if you use CAM on the PP.

Uwe

[Ken Rychlik]

I think with a relay to switch direction signals between the two Z motors, I could make it work. Zeroing the bits would have to be adapted to not base them off of the top proxy switch.

[Ken Rychlik]

Within the M6, T1 or T2 could switch the step signal from one axis to the other. It would be no different than relay switching off one side for axis squaring in that regard. They can both be set to machine zero at the top, but it would want to reference T1 machine home when T2 offset was done.

If I change it and do not use the Top Z machine home, It might be easier. Basically If I set the Z zero based on the height of the z switch to the Machine bed, and don't let it consider the machine home, It seems like each tool height would save properly. Worst case scenario, I could have it measure tool heights with each t1-t2 "change" Just a different param 3 setting should allow that.

If the top heights are off a lot, or bit length is a lot different, a G53Z0 command, might slam into the top stop. That is my concern.

I am considering a way to save 2 different Z machine home's for this. Set up a macro to write the machine home height into an empty param like 701 and 702 for T1 and 2. Then the macro switching T1 and T2 could reference those and change machine home to the correct Z. Then the stored offset for T1 and T2 should apply correctly and a G53Z0 would be safe with either one.

Does this seem workable?

The picture is of a shopbot, in my shop. I think I am going to sell this one as is, but if shopbot can figure it out, it can't be that hard.

[suntravel]

Now I understand what you want to achieve...

There are several ways of doing it, depending on how user friendly it should be.

One way is to set the second Z axis to W and make the PP to post W for T02 instead of Z and G55 for W, modify the tool setting macro to use W instead of Z for T02, modify M6 to switch the spindle 10V to the second spindle using an output if T02 is active

Another way is a PLC mod to use W on all even tool numbers and misuse the offset for crosshair laser for the second spindle so no PP mod is needed.

and lots of other ways to make it work with Acorn or AcornSix

Acorn would only work with hardware pairing Y and no option left for a rotary axis...

Uwe

[Gary Campbell]

The picture is of a shopbot, in my shop. I think I am going to sell this one as is, but if shopbot can figure it out, it can't be that hard.

ShopBot did this using 2 methods. The first (and original) was to use 2 separate post processors. One that used the Z axis and the other that used the A.

The second was developed in ~2009 prepping for the eCabinets compatibility, where the "ATC" and "MTC" files used ranges of tool numbers to determine which cutting head, and by extension, which vertical axis was to be engaged.

WInCNC does this by using an "M" or "L" command (cant remember) that applies all Z issued commands to the W axis

Since you will only be using 2 heads you should be able to combine your ideas and some of the above into an M6 that makes the swap seamlessly for you.