On 2010-07-23, Gunner Asch wrote:
On 23 Jul 2010 05:03:26 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

On 2010-07-23, wrote:

[ ... ]

If, when using one of your programs, you suddenly hit an emergency
stop button, does your program stop, also? Then are you able to go
back to the operation that stopped and continue on? Something to
consider.

I consider it to be very likely using EMC.

However -- using my Compact-5/CNC lathe (Emco-Maier 5" swing,
stepper driven, 6502 CPU) not only can I not restart from the step which
I stopped on -- but I lose the entire program (unless I saved it on tape
first), because it drops power from the CPU and spindle motor as well as
the stepper motors.

You really need to have the program written to tape (uggg!!) a floppy,
or even a flash device and simply reload from the files.

The provisions on this machine are saving to tape (a weird
miniaturized cassette which is not quite compatible with the tiny
answering machine tapes) or to punched tape via a RS-232 interface
(which is what I use to save to a computer instead -- though it is
awkward in any case.

I do have a (totally undocumented) 3-1/2" floppy drive with a
controller card on it from the Emco-Maier people which can replace the
tape drive (and which probably acts *just* like the tape drive from the
front panel controls) which I have not yet bothered to make up the
mounting hardware for. But I'm not at all sure that it is any better
than the tapes, other than floppies are easier to find. :-)


There is no way to go to Toolx and start from there?

Note that this has no home positions. You move to somewhere
and then select absolute mode, and it works from there. If the program
stops and power is lost (e.g. the e-Stop) it also loses track of where
it was.

You can't define the tool offsets at the beginning of the
program -- *each* time you call up a tool, you have to enter the offsets
with it. And the tool turret does not have a home position either. You
tell it to move forward N stations (so you have to keep track of where
it is -- and have to end the program with a return to the starting
station or everything will be a disaster when you start again. :-)

Remember -- this is not EMC -- or anything else serious. It
lives entirely in the address space of a 6502 (the CPU used in the
Apple-II or the Commodore PET).

I believe that it was sold to be used as a training tool, not a
working one. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

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