Bsmce04u-pp Manual

[Roxanna Fitting]

Thecontroller uses a STM32F103 microcontroller to generate the step pulses up to 100Khz. Using a microcontroller to generate step pulses is usually more reliable than a PC parallel port. However at higher step frequencies, there are pauses in the step pulse train. These pauses can cause rough motor motion. Step frequencies below 50Khz are better and motor motion is smoother. Slave axis configuration has been tested, the same step pulse was generated on both the X and A axis outputs simultaneously.

Input and Output

There are also four input and four output ports. These input and output ports can be configured as needed for the various functions that MACH3 supports. This can be limit switches, ESTOP, PWM, touch probe etc. The I/O ports have EL357N optocouplers for safety. This requires a separate power supply connected to screw terminals labeled 24V and DCM ground. The optocouplers have been tested and works fine with a supply voltage up 24 volts and a minimum of 5.5 volts. The inputs are active low, ground the input pins to DCM to activate. All I/O ports work in MACH3.

The four output pins use a ULN2003 Darlington array with open collector drivers. A pullup resistor is needed in order for ULN2003 device to sink current and for there to be a logic high level. Connect the pullup resistor between the output terminal and 24V terminal. The value of the resistor will depend on the supply voltage and current output required. I used a 1K resistor for my testing.

10 Volt spindle output

There is a separate available 10 volt PWM that can be used to control spindle speed. The voltage output pins are between AVI and ACM ground screw terminals. For this to work, a 10 volt power supply must be connected to the 10V and ACM terminals. This has better linearity than using one of the four output pins as PWM. The output signal is driven by a transistor which gives a cleaner looking square wave. If your spindle requires a 5 volt PWM, you can apply 5 volts to the 10V terminal instead. Many diode laser controllers are 5 volt PWM.

MPG jog pendant

The 10 pin black connector is for the manual pulse generator. This requires a quadrature rotary encoder to work. I connected a Agilent rotary encoder and was able to jog the stepper motor with it.

Isolated grounds

The two GND, ACM and DCM ground terminals are isolated from each other. This keeps the optoisolators separated from the computer USB ground. The two GND terminals do connect to the computer USB ground. The +5V terminal is the same as computer USB +5 and caution should be taken if you use this terminal to power external devices. Proper optoisolator usage requires separate independent isolated power supplys for 24V and 10V terminals. The ACM, DCM and GND grounds should not be connected together. There is a 3.3 volt on board regulator for the STM32 microcontroller use only. There is no 3.3 volt screw terminal connector.

MACH3

MACH3 requires the rnrmotion.dll plugin driver to work. Place this file in the MACH3 plugin folder. This is the Mach3mill.xml file I used to configure and test this controller.

Make sure the FireControl driver is installed. Go to the Langmuir main page and follow instructions on how to check it. I had to use the windows 7 manual download to get my computer to recognize it. My other computers did it automatically. But the desktop would not.

Go to the pro assembly guide and go down to the instructions on how to install FireControl. Continue down to manual driver install.

If you will working with Mach3 for the first time here is a link where to download it: Mach3 download page. I also advise you to browse on a YouTube how to start with Mach3. We will run Mach3 Plasma profile.

The next thing if you are going to use PlasmaSens with a PK57CNC controller is to download the PoKeys configuration package and run the installation. The PoKeys Mach3 plugin will be automatically installed along with the app. To be sure, you can check if PoKeys.dll exists in C:\Mach3\PlugIns folder. It is always a good idea to install the latest application and plugin version!

First we have to power up PlasmaSens and establish communication with PoKeys57CNC. Connect AC power supply (110 VAC-230 VAC/50-60 Hz) and apply optical cable to PlasmaSens and optical interface. Make sure you remove plastic caps at optical transmitter/receiver and protection caps on the optical cable. When you insert the cable, you will feel a click.

Connect optical interface flat cable with red micro-match connector to PoKeys57CNC (PoExtension2). All setting regarding THC we can do it in PlugIn control -> Configure PoKeys57CNC -> Pulse engine settings tab.

Choose PlasmaSens in THC setting -axis Z section group.To use a split 10V input, you must select the Easy Sensor (ID) number that corresponds to the PlasmaSens 10 V input. However you must first select Voltage/analog mode to be able change Torch voltage input and then switch back to PlasmaSens.

Installation of PlasmaSensOut system is to a good extent the same as installation PlasmaSens. But in this case we connect the optical cable to the HMI device. The device also need external DC power supply voltage (6V-36V). PlasmaSensOut has three standard THC output signals (Arc_OK, Up and Down).

As we already described, we can select up/Down signals, PlasmaSens or not mentioned yet Voltage/analog mode option. If we selected the last option, we can select Torch voltage input to be one of the EasySensors or one of PoKeys analog inputs. Be aware max 3.3V can be apply to the PoKeys analog input pin!

For example, We will use the PoKeys57CNC onboard Relay 1 as a plasma turn ON switch. Go to Device setup -> PoKeys mapping -> Pulse engine -> Output and for Relay 1 select IO Output#1. Run G-code with M3 and M5 command and check if the Relay1 is switched On/Off.

The THC mode must be manually turned on (the THC button is green). Use the M03 command in G-code to start (Torch-On) and M05 to stop (Torch Off) the plasma arc. Use code G31 for probing. Keep in mind that if THC mode is ON executing off the G-code will be stopped if the Arc_OK signal is not activated. THC Min and THC Max limit the range of motion of the Z-axis in THC mode. In case we would like a negative value for THC Min we must change the value in Plasma.xml file in Mach3 folder (search for THCMin and THCMax).

The product comes with a user manual detailing how to operate the MACH3 USB 100Khz 4-axis CNC control board with Mach3 and how to connect the card to stepper motors, handwheel, spindle, z-probe, etc.

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