[Newbie] Good Find Or Do I Now Own A Lot Of Whatchamadoodles

[JimDawson]

An interesting collection of hardware. The Galil motion controller is an oldie, but it is an 8 axis! Easy to program using ''English like'' two letter commands.

The terms amplifier and drive can be used interchangeably....kind of. The amplifiers take an analog +/- 10V signal to operate the motor in torque or velocity mode. The digital drive may require some kind of a serial command signal, but may also accept an analog signal.

The Galil board and the amplifiers are fully compatible with each other. It looks like the Elcom motors are compatible with the amplifiers, need more specifications to be sure.

It may be possible to run the Moog motors from the amplifiers, depends on the specs and capabilities of the amplifiers. In other words, will they operate a brushed DC motor?

In that collection of stuff, you do not seem to have any drives for the stepper motors. The Galil board will run stepper drives also by moving a jumper. It can operate a combination of steppers and servos on a per axis basis depending on how you configure it.

The usefulness of the gearhead as a 4th axis would really depend on the amount of backlash in the gearing. Hanging an encoder on it would not be a difficult job.

It should be fun to play with all of this stuff.

 

[silverforgestudio]

@ JP and Blackhawk- keep watching- heck if for nothing else to get a chuckle and not repeat my mistakes!

It may be possible to run the Moog motors from the amplifiers, depends on the specs and capabilities of the amplifiers. In other words, will they operate a brushed DC motor?

Thanks Jim! I am amassing a three-ring binder of stuff and spec sheets on the equipment- seems some of the items are early (2003) vintage... I will update when I get that info.

In that collection of stuff, you do not seem to have any drives for the stepper motors.

No- literally the fellow was scrapping things- he was in panic mode for cash- several things I could not save that were already doomed or ripped apart before I arrived.

The usefulness of the gearhead as a 4th axis would really depend on the amount of backlash in the gearing. Hanging an encoder on it would not be a difficult job

OK- it has a "24V brake" on it- does that matter? It as well already has a "position sensor" so I will assume this is like an encoder?

The Galil motion controller is an oldie, but it is an 8 axis! Easy to program using ''English like'' two letter commands.

So an 8 axis from my rudimentary understanding means the standard X/Y/Z+4th rotational axis.... with up to an added rotational axis on each? The reason I ask is would an 8 axis controller be able to work TWO- 4 axis machines? Reason I inquire is my goals are 2-fold here... I want a CNC for doing fine resolution and small detail work, and a larger model for hoggin out wood and aluminum. So two machines.

 

[JimDawson]

OK- it has a "24V brake" on it- does that matter? It as well already has a "position sensor" so I will assume this is like an encoder?

A position sensor may just be a single position sensor, prox sensor maybe? Or it may be an encoder, dunno. The brake might be useful but the backlash in the gears is still a concern.

So an 8 axis from my rudimentary understanding means the standard X/Y/Z+4th rotational axis.... with up to an added rotational axis on each? The reason I ask is would an 8 axis controller be able to work TWO- 4 axis machines? Reason I inquire is my goals are 2-fold here... I want a CNC for doing fine resolution and small detail work, and a larger model for hoggin out wood and aluminum. So two machines.

That is an interesting idea. Theoretically you run two 4 axis machines with it, in fact, both at the same time. It would be some interesting software but doable. It would be a fun programming project.

 

[silverforgestudio]

That is an interesting idea. Theoretically you run two 4 axis machines with it, in fact, both at the same time. It would be some interesting software but doable. It would be a fun programming project

Well if I get to the point of actually programming this stuff it will be a bit in the future... for now I am truly working on the baby steps. (But I did chuckle at the thought of "just for fun" sitting at a keyboard and ripping all my hair out staring at the screen!)

With my new-found super power of "Ignorant-Logic" is why I asked about the 8 axis being split into 2. Figured if axis 1-4 were designated for one machine could the 5-8 axis setup be the secondary machine.

It looks like the Elcom motors are compatible with the amplifiers, need more specifications to be sure

The Elcoms have encoders- but no connections (just open pins) so I will be digging there to see what comes up.

What am I specifically looking for on the Stepper Motors?


So the MOOG are DC Permanent Magnet- so they are not steppers (I learned something!)

Please correct me if I am wrong here- so in my mind- the DCPM motor is good for variability of speed but not positioning- due to the lack of precision "stepping". So these little guys may wind up in a DIY sensitive drill press build... Max RPM 3500 per MOOG spec sheet... that is yet another project!

Ever get the feeling your tool-finds are like a wife? Always coming up with a honey-do project you just KNOW you want to build... and then at the last minute- BAM! Left-turn and you wind up using it for something completely different! HA!

 

[JimDawson]

What am I specifically looking for on the Stepper Motors?

I'm not sure what you are asking here, can you clarify?

So the MOOG are DC Permanent Magnet- so they are not steppers (I learned something!)

Please correct me if I am wrong here- so in my mind- the DCPM motor is good for variability of speed but not positioning- due to the lack of precision "stepping". So these little guys may wind up in a DIY sensitive drill press build... Max RPM 3500 per MOOG spec sheet... that is yet another project!

Ah....not at all, those are brushed DC servo motors. Very accurate positioning. I have DC servos on my mill. A bit old school, but perfectly functional and still being installed on some new machines. Was the standard until BrushLessDC aka AC servos were invented. It's really more a function of the drive and motion controller as opposed to the motor itself. Almost any PMDC motor could be used as a servo with the proper setup. PMDC motors that are designed as servo motors normally have a spiral segments in the armature rather than straight as in a normal PMDC motor. That design smooths them out a bit with less cogging.

 

[silverforgestudio]

Its a "Globe" motor with a very fine toothed gear-head and meshing with a face-plate at 90deg with another fine toothed cog.

View attachment 124577

UPDATE FROM GLOBE MOTORS: So this little unit was produced and sent to Lockheed-Martin for an order- The rotary device is of their (Lockheed) manufacture and the position sensor is by Honeywell. The Lockheed application is where the 24V brake on the motor is from (per Globe this is a custom application and is not standard.)

Otherwise I have the newer catalogue number for this motor series and will be posting that info as well.

And Jim- I will get back to the stepper motor question once I do a bit more reading in the next couple of days- I'm trying to answer my own ?s about compatability so I should be a bit more targeted with my next question(s).