Touchdro Now Supports Igaging Absolute Scales

The glass scales would be about $300. Not knowing what size you need they may be cheaper. I've yet to use any glass scales but from Yuriy & others that have been messing with both scales they have me believing the glass are far better. The interface might run you around $35 but should be under $50. As far as I know you can't upgrade the non shielded cables. So you will probably want romx to shield them so that is a few more bucks that is already on the glass ones. You have to make covers for the iGuaging that is already in the glass ones.

I'm not against anyone using the iGuaging scales. They just don't seem cost effective to me since the price has more then doubled. I'm still happy with mine but since I can do glass for the same cost I think I'll go that route for my new machine.
 
My cost for 3 axes, including TouchDRO, was about $120. The iGaging Absolute scales would have made it around $200. The best price that I have seen on a glass scale system was around $350 from China and close to $700 on a USA sold system. Glass scales alone would be $450 from USA.
 
Cheapest glass scales I've seen was $58 that I believe was with free shipping. I don't remember the size but they were small. The size I need is up to around $120. I'll have over $400 in building it & could buy a complete one for $600 but I like Touch DRO & don't want to go to anything else.

I really wish the microcontroller could do 4 scales.
 
Glass scales have a 1 or 5 micron resolution. The iGaging type scales have a 10 micron resolution. I have installed and used both. I have not had a problem with either. I would prefer the higher resolution on the lathe, especially since with the x axis, the diameter is reduced by twice the cross feed advance but I couldn't fit glass scales. Yes, a good installation will have covers to protect the scales.

On the two glass scale installs that I did (mills), I had to modify or make covers. Most of the components for the mounting were thrown in the scrap bin so I didn't benefit there. I had a stockpile of 1/4" stainless steel flexible conduit which I had purchased on eBay for cheap for another project. The only downside was that I had to splice the scale wires to get them through the conduit. and still use the mini USB connectors.

The bottom line, the additional cost for the install for all the "extras" was minimal and the amount of effort doing a quality install was about the same.
 
Having used both, the glass scales are rock solid, have no reader lag, and have a better absolute accuracy if you need that high a resolution. There are newer smaller glass scales like the M-DRO slim styles that are much smaller than traditional glass scales, 27.8mm wide by 24 mm tall with the protective cover on the scale. The reader/size of my Igaging Absolute scale once mounted is comparable. The Igaging scales are still less expensive (about half of the slim scales) for the same size, easy to trim, and might be more immune to contamination, although never had an issue with glass scales properly installed. Still, when you start looking at all the costs and time, the glass scales would be my preference. Newer magnetic scales are currently far more expensive for what you get, and have there own issues. The magnetic strip tape and a reader can be had for a fraction of the price of a scale.
http://www.allendale-stores.co.uk/docs/mdro/m-dro-gs500-encoders_technical.pdf
 
Are the Ditron (DC10) glass scales any good? I see one vendor up on ebay that has them at a decent price.
I'm not sure which way to go. DavidH has good prices on the 'Absolutes' and that's the direction that
I've been leaning towards.
 
They are as good as any other Chinese glass scales. I have a set and they work very well.
If cost is not an issue, glass scales beat capacitive scales hands down: they are much more accurate and stable.
 
ycroosh said:
They are as good as any other Chinese glass scales. I have a set and they work very well.
If cost is not an issue, glass scales beat capacitive scales hands down: they are much more accurate and stable.
Click to expand...
Glass scales have better resolution. I have not had a problem with either regarding stability. For small machines, size can definitely be an issue.
 
Cost is currently a big factor, unfortunately. I'm trying to get the Bridgeport going.
I'm no d*mn good at using the vernier dial, I just don't have the touch.
I've passed on two projects that would have brought in some holiday money, so I need to do something.
I didn't realize that the DRO 'standards' were so varied. Just trying to find info on this old Mitutoyo so
that I might jerry rig another scale is impossible - or so it seems.
 
WARNING !!!
Yuriy's MSP set-up works with his Absolute Plus scale, it doesn't work with the original Absolute DRO scales.
The Plus scales seem to use a BCD format, whereas the originals seem to use a Binary format.
Still working on the issue, but wanted to give a heads up for those thinking of using his design with the older type Absolute scales.
 
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