Any PCI card is great for Windows based software but not good for DOS based. Are you saying that it is not possible to use the tutor keyboards with a pci card like the one I got, or just that particular card, as I thought that using a pci card is what some are using to run their machines when they d...

Read your post in the software section but thought I'd reply here.... and I'm afraid the news doesn't sound too good :( It is very unlikely you will get a PCI serial card working with the DOS software. The reason for this is that the DOS software requires a unique Interrupt (IRQ) assigning to each p...

Great tip about backing up the 900 params - I whish I'd known that 10 years ago

Hang on - I'm quoting myself here. Alzimers is kicking in

A word of warning :!: When you upgrade the memory you will loose all your CNC programs, tool offsets and PARAMETER and DIAGNOSTIC settings! Make sure you save all your parameters (you can do this out of the RS232 port), write down parameters 900 to 930, and diagnostics 450 to 470 (these don't get sa...

I think the software is asking for the drivers disk becuase it can't find the GO file (FLSTEP.GO). If the GO file is missing it assumes the software is a new install and will copy the necessary files from the drivers disk then build the go file based on questions prompted to the user (which serial p...

From what I remember, the max feedrate for threading (on the old LCB3 control boards) was around 320mm / min. So a 1mm pitch is around 320 rpms. The coarser the pitch, the slower the max rpms, but there was no real hard and fast rule. There is electronic gearing between the spindle and axes but as t...

I think there is a 450 diagnostic "Program Protect Keyswitch Override" that overrides the program protect keyswitch

I don't have any info with me but contact Bradders - he should be able to tell you which diagnostic to change

I've seen these symptoms when an offset error has appeared in the servo drives (and typically on the Z axis when the drive is having to compensate for the weight of the head) The CNC will not move onto the next block until the Z axis is 'seen' to be 'in positon' - ie within for example +/-25 microns...

Hi Rasp...

This does ring a bell - I think there was a bug with the Z offxets in canned cycles. Unfortunatley v1.30 was the latest version so I can't offer any help (other than to say 'be careful' !)

I think old age is finally catching up with me! I expected the disk to be about 7" to 8" in diameter & brown coloured (plastic I think). I'm wondering if the disk has been replaced at some time, or the machine is before my time (I worked there from around 1986). Perhaps there's another sensor somewh...

The synch hole is elongated and separate to the others (it's on the inside of them - on a smaller diameter). It has its own sensor too so the T test should show one input changing many times per spindle rev, and another input changin once per rev.

Hi Steve... Firstly about the spindle speed. That's pretty good! I'd say +/- 10% is normal. About the threading... 1) Make sure the your spindle speed isn't too high. Try spindle speeds around 200 - 400rpm 2) There is a sensor disk in the headstock at the back of the spindle. This has a series of ho...

This sounds like it could be a lose / broken wire in the umbilical between the crossslide and the machine body. Have you tried giving the ublilical betwene the two a good old wiggle to see if the alarm comes and goes. Also, I think there is a 24 pin connector somewhere between the turret and the ele...

Hi Guys.. It's a while since I logged onto the forum but just stumbled across this post. I think when you say Thyristor you mean Thermistor. On some of the early machines we used to take the turret motor thermistor into a voltage sensing relay that would trigger the O/Heat alarm, on later machines t...

Change your Go file to read...

IBM.RS2 1
$3F8 4 MACHINE
QDENFORD.KBD 1
18.2 0
VGA.CRT 0
FANUCSMD.APP

And do note that the DOS based software will NOT work with USB to RS232 adapters. You MUST have a 'real' RS232 port on the laptop.

HTH
James

Hi Colin... IMHO the Heidenhain controls are one of the easiest to learn and a good starting point to get into CNC. They can work in either Dialog mode (english-language type programming) or ISO (G and M code programming - good if you are familiar with ISO already) The early Easimills used MHO motor...

If your easimill has a video-out connector (I can't remember if they did or not?) then it will be Composite-video out, not a TV out. (Can be a bit confusing becuase the connector is a tv-aerial type)

If it does, then you need a monitor (or tv) that has composite-video in

Yeh. NVRAM was battery backed on Eurostep. I guess the later (batteryless) boards are flash.

The MAJORITY of firmware versions used by Denford on the Eurostep board makes no use of the battery and it can safely be removed. The ones to watch are a few versions of Triac / Novamills with ATC. I think some of these machines that ran v2 VRMilling may save the current ATC position in NVRAM on the...