Hi all
I thinking about buying a non functional ORAC CNC lathe.
I am a competent machine tool and control systems engineer!
Is there enough technical information, circuits, source software, drawings etc to enable me to restore an ORAC to original working condition?
Thanks in advance Charles Bradshaw
ORAC Information
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ORAC Information
Charles Bradshaw
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Enter as much information about your CNC hardware and software as you can - it makes it easier for everyone to know what you're talking about then. - Location: Sunny Brighouse
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No I'm not interested in a restoration job. I'm interested in the machine working as a machine tool. As I understand it the basic design of the ORAC is sound.
I'm probably only looking to replace and/or repair at the lowest levels: motor / motor driver boards, and power supplies etc. What I'm looking for is what we used to call front line maintenance information. Circuits etc. You know the stuff... You open the back of a dead machine and out pops a maintenance manual. From which a competent engineer armed with an Avo and perhaps a scope can trace all the signals and therefor isolate the duff component. Of course when it comes to something like a PC talking over some interface then I would expect to find a pin out diagram and a description of the function and timing of the signals passing through the pins.
If I understand correctly the ORACs are controllable down an RS232 interface. So I would be looking to understand the protocol in that case.
Any computer the original might have contained is certainly now obsolete so a replacement would be in order here.
As far as software is concerned I'm more likely to be thinking in terms of writing my own. Unless something well maintained and reasonably priced is available. I'd rather hoped that the source code for original machine might have been available. But looking at the download area under ORAC looks like mostly a few bits of executable which would be impractical if not impossible to port to a modern machine.
So can you point me at the available documentation? I have a model number: TSD/0/R i'm not sure of the serial number since I have not actually purchased the machine yet.
Whats is Mach 3?
Thanks for your rapid response
I'm probably only looking to replace and/or repair at the lowest levels: motor / motor driver boards, and power supplies etc. What I'm looking for is what we used to call front line maintenance information. Circuits etc. You know the stuff... You open the back of a dead machine and out pops a maintenance manual. From which a competent engineer armed with an Avo and perhaps a scope can trace all the signals and therefor isolate the duff component. Of course when it comes to something like a PC talking over some interface then I would expect to find a pin out diagram and a description of the function and timing of the signals passing through the pins.
If I understand correctly the ORACs are controllable down an RS232 interface. So I would be looking to understand the protocol in that case.
Any computer the original might have contained is certainly now obsolete so a replacement would be in order here.
As far as software is concerned I'm more likely to be thinking in terms of writing my own. Unless something well maintained and reasonably priced is available. I'd rather hoped that the source code for original machine might have been available. But looking at the download area under ORAC looks like mostly a few bits of executable which would be impractical if not impossible to port to a modern machine.
So can you point me at the available documentation? I have a model number: TSD/0/R i'm not sure of the serial number since I have not actually purchased the machine yet.
Whats is Mach 3?
Thanks for your rapid response
Charles Bradshaw
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Denford Admin
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- Posts: 3649
- Joined: Fri 10 Feb , 2006 12:40 pm
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Enter as much information about your CNC hardware and software as you can - it makes it easier for everyone to know what you're talking about then. - Location: Sunny Brighouse
- Contact:
Mach 3 is low cost PC software which can generate CNC motion control via the PC parallel port (and now via cheap USB pulse generator boards)
ie, you get the stepper drive inputs (step and direction) direct from the PC. This means you can almost junk the old CNC system, and tap into the existing drive system.
https://www.machsupport.com/
I really think this is the way to go, trying to get a modern PC with an RS232 port is hard enough, never mind getting it to communicate.
Going the Mach route is what everyone seems to be doing, as such, there will be plenty of relevant info around
eg: viewtopic.php?t=1514&highlight=orac+mach
Unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to start looking for Orac communication protocols or source code...probably on a BBC micro 5 1/4" Disk
ie, you get the stepper drive inputs (step and direction) direct from the PC. This means you can almost junk the old CNC system, and tap into the existing drive system.
https://www.machsupport.com/
I really think this is the way to go, trying to get a modern PC with an RS232 port is hard enough, never mind getting it to communicate.
Going the Mach route is what everyone seems to be doing, as such, there will be plenty of relevant info around
eg: viewtopic.php?t=1514&highlight=orac+mach
Unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to start looking for Orac communication protocols or source code...probably on a BBC micro 5 1/4" Disk