"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

On 2011-01-06, SSM wrote:
Looking to add a CDROM or DVDROM drive to an existing, PC based,
machining center. I'm having no success finding one that (for lack of
a better description) is panel mounting or bulkhead mounting. I've
seen floppy drives like this, various electrical recepticles like
this, and obviously know of various cable connectors that are bulkhead
mounting. All of these I have seen with and without "weatherproof"
covers. I would like to find a CDROM/DVDROM mounting kit like this,
too. Anyone ever seen one? Thanks.

What is wrong with *making* one? You have a CNC machine tool
(presumably a mill). Yes, add the "weatherproof" flap too -- to keep a
snowstorm of electrically conductive chips from getting into the works.
Set the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive back from the panel so you can close the
flap firmly -- and lock it down. Add a rubber gasket so it seals when
closed.

The CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives mount by small metric screws,
either from the bottom or from the sides. Include diagonal braces,
because there will be more vibration than in the typical PC. Actually,
the mounting can be two triangular side plates with the bottom edge bent
under to screw the drive to, and the front edges bent out to screw or
rivet to the machine's case. Make the bottom lips longer so the sides
clear the bezel of the drive.

For that matter -- which OS is the PC running? If it is a
custom one for the CNC machine (e.g. not built on MS-DOS, Windows, or
linux) the odds are that there is no driver in there to talk to the
drives. If it is a standard Intel based PC board, it likely has the IDE
connectors so you could at least connect the drive, even if you could
not talk to it.

Are you *sure* that it is a PC -- that is an Intel based CPU
intended to run Windows -- or MS-DOS if old enough.

If it is some other CPU Motorola MC68000 series for example (in
later Bridgeport BOSS miling machines) or PPC (older MACs and IBM),
SPARC (older Sun workstations) all bets are off. The SPARC ones will
want to talk to CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs via SCSI, not IDE (though you can
get a card from a company called ACARD which makes an IDE drive talk
SCSI. I'm using one to put a DVD burner in my Sun Blade 2000, which had
only a SCSI based DVD reader. Yes, it works fine.

The oldest Bridgeport BOSS machines used the DEC LSI-11 CPU, and
there was no provision for floppies, CD-ROMs or disk drives at all.
(But it *did* have a nice reel-to-reel punched tape reader. :-)

I guess that the test is whether the disk drives are IDE or SCSI
interfaced. (not likely to be SAS, USB or FireWire unless the PC under
it is very new.

There are other possible drive interfaces if that "PC" is relatively
old, and you won't find much of anything current that will interface
with them.

And as you note, just because it's "PC" hardware doesn't say anything
about the OS it's running or support for modern CDROMs. "PC" is a
hardware platform only, and can run any number of common OSes as well as
true custom OSes common in OEM CNC systems.

Guys, please trust me to deal with the esoteric what-if's and why's...

I'm very well aware of what will and will not work for hardware inside/
with
the controller. And yes, it is PC based. Yes, a regular ol' IDE CDROM
drive
will work. It has for years. I've just been forced to open up the
3-1/2 foot tall
Hoffman enclosure every time I want to access it. Thanks.

So... anyone know of a bulkhead style CDROM kit?

Thanks.

On Jan 6, 11:25*am, SSM wrote:
Guys, please trust me to deal with the esoteric what-if's and why's...

I'm very well aware of what will and will not work for hardware inside/
with
the controller. And yes, it is PC based. Yes, a regular ol' IDE CDROM
drive
will work. It has for years. I've just been forced to open up the
3-1/2 foot tall
Hoffman enclosure every time I want to access it. Thanks.

So... anyone know of a bulkhead style CDROM kit?

Thanks.

A quick google on "industrial computer enclosure" turns up a bunch o'
links, but most of them have the works totally mounted inside a
cabinet. Most items I've seen that used embedded PCs either didn't
need the disk regularly changed as part of operating methods(like a
kiosk) or used flash(no CD/DVD needed). Don't think it's out there as
a stock part, or if it is, it'll be so limited production you'll want
to make it yourself to save bucks. You might want to consider getting
a spare drive, too, new IDE optical drives are getting rather scarce
as SATA takes over.

Another alternative is to get a flash adapter and junk the optical
drive. Looks like a regular hard drive to the motherboard, most any
laptop has a slot you can stick it in and change the contents of the
cards. Much smaller form factor and no burn cycle to change stuff.
SDHC cards can be had up to 32 gigs, Compact Flash even higher yet.
No moving parts for chips to get into and destroy, either.

Stan