Denford Software & Machines

Have looked for a brown and pestel controller manual but cannot find one to help in wiring up the spindle, so some assistance is required plz

Firstly I have these wires that used to come from the old main pcb

1 speed ref sig
2 spindle on
3 spindle on comm
4 spindle forward
5 dirn comm
6 rev
7 0v
812v

Now with the sp4dc board, I have worked out how to connect BOB to it but, dont know the connection required coming out,

NO C RUN NC
NO C DIR NC

What do these connections mean on the sp4dc board, I have a diagram that shows NO C RUN NC goes to CW and NO C DIR NC go to CCW, just no sure the meaning of the lettering

Any advice would be apreciated

This sketch might help you visualise it

OK?? Still little bewildered -

Something like this

Run
NO > No 2 wire spindle On
C > No 3 wire spindle On common
NC > No connection?????

Dir
NO > No 4 wire spindle Fwd
C > No 5 wire Spindle Dir common
NC > No connection????

Yep that sounds about right

Nope, that didnt work in my step/direction setup. Can anyone post a copy of their setup in mach3 for a step/direction running spindle motor, as I did however manage to get the spindle running through mach 3 via the relay control setup using M3, but I had no control of the speed via mach3 it just started and stopped.
I believe these connections in the sp4dc board are correct as the spindle was running CW on M3 command, but not via step/dir.

Run
NO > No 2 wire spindle On - SPINDLE TURNED ON M3 COMMAND, BUT NOT VIA STEP/DIR
C > No 3 wire spindle On common - SPINDLE TURNED ON M3 COMMAND, BUT NOT VIA STEP/DIR
NC > No connection?????

Dir
NO > No 4 wire spindle Fwd - BELIEVE THIS CONNECTION TO BE WRONG FOR STEP/DIR SETUP
C > No 5 wire Spindle Dir common - SPINDLE TURNED ON M3 COMMAND, BUT NOT VIA STEP/DIR
NC > No connection????

These are my mach3 connections

Motor Outputs -
Pin 17 - Step
Pin16 - Run
Pin 14 - Dir
Step/Dir port - 1

Output signals

Output#2 - port 1 pin 16

But not confident motor tuning is setup correctly

What is the purpose of the 0-10v

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I think you're confusing the spindle run+direction inputs with the speed command.
I'm guessing that Mach3 outputs a PWM step signal to control the speed of a spindle.
This type of output might or might not work on the spindle drives's analogue input (speed command input)
You may need some extra components to smooth out the PWM, or it may already be on your BOB ?: https://www.ontrak.net/pwm.htm

Mach3 states -

5.3.6.3 Motor Control
Check Use Spindle Motor Output if you want to use PWM or Step and Direction control of the spindle.

Step and Direction Motor
This can be a variable-speed drive controlled by step pulses, or a full servo drive.

It doesnt say anywhere that the step is a pwm signal it's just either pwm or step/dir, and I just assumed it is controlled by step/dir
One thing I have just thought, should the input/output signals for the motor and all axis be active Lo?

Step mode will mean output is switched on/off at a certain frequency
PWM may be a fixed frequency but the on to off ratio varies, giving the effect of an analogue output (eg 0V to 10V DC)
An old spindle drive will almost certainly take an analogue command input 0 to 10V

Not sure about the active lo for the steppers - it probably is but you'll find out from the drive manual.

After some time searching for info on the brown and prestel controller I've come across this link from the mach3 forum, its
quite an old link but has answered all my questions regarding the connection's

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index. ... 265.0.html

Well I had it running, M3 and M4 were initially reversed but still V pleased it was running, until ..........

The spindle drive gave up!!!! In a puff of smoke and a few sparks
Can only assume it was down to it's age. Don't know how much damage has been done, but assume it is ruined. It wasn't a small puff of smoke!!!

1) Can anyone recommend a replacement?

2) What is the likely hood that whatever blew has damaged the spindle motor?? Can the spindle motor be checked it sill works?

I presume the motor will be fine.

We fit this type of drive to the new machines but you would need to check the motor power.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-5kw-2-HP-Si ... 4ac0a70a76

That's brilliant thank you.

Is correct that, that one runs from pwm signals, how would that integrate into my current setup?

Or is there one that uses step/dir?

What's the motor type?
I thought Large519 would have the old D.C. SEM motor and that the new drive we use is for the new, 3 phase, brushless Brook Crompton motor?

I'll have a look later and note the motor type and spec but it's from an '86 pnc3.

I have take the spindle drive out, and it looks like there are 3 white rectangular ceramic (things??) that have blown apart. What would the possibility of getting the whole drive repaired and refurbished?

They're probably capacitors which get hot.
Someone could replace them but who knows what else is damaged.

Roy @ diycnc said it would be cheaper to repair than buying a new one and to post it to him, so he might be able to fix. I will look at the cost of sending the unit, as obv it is reasonably weighty, but I would really like to keep the original controller.

You wouldnt have any old spare controllers lying around at the Denford do you? or do you know of anyone else that could repair it?

If anyone does know of a replacement in the mean time, (if the one martin recommended is not for my motor) please let me know.

One of these Sprint drives will be the right one - if its the SEM DC motor
https://www.sprint-electric.com/products/400-800-1200
Have a look at newer Triac documentation to see if you need the 400,800 or 1200

We don't have any of the B&P drives lying around sorry.

The Brown Pretel drive units were fitted to Orac's & Triac's fitted with 3 phase servo motors so the Sprint drives would not work.
As for the Optidrve we use them with a Forward relay & a analogue speed demand.
You may be best asking on a Mac forum.

Thanks for clearing that up Martin - I presumed Triacs only ever had SEM motors fitted.

The 0-10v is an analogue signal, isnt it?, as I think the original setup I had, before trying the step/dir setup used to run just on a on/off m3 signal and a 0-10v for the speed. I have read from another user, who has a linux controller in his triac and that runs just on m3 command and 0-10v. So running your recommended controller from mach3 wouldnt be an issue and technically it will just connect straight to my existing connections.