UC100 Motion Controller

[Surfcnc]

Hi All

A friend has been using these USB based UC100 motion control devices in a range of CNC machinery.

UC100.JPG

They are so easy to use that he even has a Windows 8 tablet happily running a CNC.
The demo rig in the Youtube movie is a nice piece of kit using 4 x NEMA 23 Motors and a G540 4 axis controller.
For a look go visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzhhpvY7r0I.

The only thing you will need to do to get these to run properly is to use a high quality shielded USB cable.
Other motion controllers have higher specs but for a simple fix that allows you to use any laptop to run your machine, it is well worth considering.

Regards
Ross

[racedirector]

Very interesting... I wonder how that little beast would go with our Leadshine controllers? At 80 Euro it just might be worth trying out. Definitely food for thought!

[danilom]

For a bit more they offer much more (5 ports) its the same manufacturer cncdrive from Hungary

http://www.shop.cncdrive.com/index.php?productID=367

They have been around for years with their DC drives and they work very well.

[racedirector]

Any ideas where I can find out a little more on these? I would even stoop to buying a Windows tablet if I went down this route but need more info. Google searches turn up bugger all on these things.

I do like some of the stuff the Europeans have, alot of the CNC world seems to be focused on the US but Eurpoe has some nice stuff too!

[danilom]

maybe here, ask around with some of the users

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/ind...?topic=25448.0

[racedirector]

Excellent, thanks for that. Will do some reading and budgeting

[Robert M]

Tks for this Ross....didn't know it's existence

[ger21]

Originally Posted by racedirector

Any ideas where I can find out a little more on these? ................ Google searches turn up bugger all on these things.

You need to practice with Google a little more.

http://cncdrive.com/UC100.html

[racedirector]

I swear cncdrive didn't have all that info when I went there! Either that or the kids home for holidays has dulled my senses......

[racedirector]

Aussies.... this place in Australia has the UC100 for A$159.00 http://www.mytoolstore.com.au/produc...ontroller.html

[Khalid]

I am successfully running the UC100 on my rack and pinion router with G540. I was previously running Mach3 on old computer with 25KHz and speed limit was 700IPM due to kernel speed. However, converting to the UC100 and using same computer i hit 1600IPM and it can still give me an option to go upto 2300IPM....
The controller is very reliable and comparatively low cost and very easy to setup. However, the guys using G540 must need DB25 male-male connector. Balazs at CNCDRIVE is very kind and service is wonderful great.

[racedirector]

Khalid, excellent reference. I am sold on it now

[Robert M]

"i hit 1600IPM and it can still give me an option to go upto 2300IPM...."
WOOOAOW
What machine your ....running at those "supersonic" speed

[Khalid]

Originally Posted by Robert M

"i hit 1600IPM and it can still give me an option to go upto 2300IPM...."
WOOOAOW
What machine your ....running at those "supersonic" speed

It is just normal speed.. I tested at 1200IPM and after that at 1600IPM but it was too scary to see.. I was loosing no step at these speeds due to good alignment and optimized NEMA23 Motors for G540.
http://youtu.be/nUbXzXbG8jw
My machine is based on ahren cncrouterparts... I am just showing my this machine here as you want to see the speed and i am a silent viewer of this forum..
Bytheway 1600IPM is not a supersonic speed

[danilom]

But 2300 ipm is
btw as I have seen couple of high end machines it seems as an standard to have 60 m/min rapids, at these speeds you really have to keep out of the way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMWw6jn1Wps

this is another company from europe producing Mach3 motion controllers, their analog servo controller along with Mach might end up on one old Morbidelli router as an retrofit

[Robert M]

"Bytheway 1600IPM is not a supersonic speed".....for any MechMate....o-yess

[danilom]

We (Angelko and I) ran his Mechmate at 1600ipm with 3:1 belt reduction but it was unreliable due to maybe a need for more voltage or current (9802 motors with DM856 used with 50V and set at max 5.6Amp Peak setting for those drives)
It was his wish to see the eyecandy speed, but the 800-1000 ipm rapid is more than enough for him now

all this high rapid feedrate is to me not a need to rapid fast, but if the machine can perform at those feeds than at any lower speed it will work with a lot of reserve in torque (applies for steppers only)

[Khalid]

My first machine maximum rapid was 70IPM and i was cutting at 60IPM.. This machine is pretty fast, however, i am using rapid at 700IPM and my cutting is at 350IPM for MDF... I bought UC100 for smooth motion and checking the limit of this machine, which i afraid to do so...High inertia moving that much gantry mass at those IPM...
You can see video of 1st carving here.. This 930mm x 840mm caligraphic carving took 1Hr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpN7yd5lWj0

[KenC]

Speed speed speed... everyone want more speed... even if it is useless.
even if I could do better, I set my rapid speed at 500ipm. what's the hurry anyway?

[Khalid]

Time is money.

[KenC]

Speed is wear & tear. I bet you are not aware of this

[Robert M]

No personal attack....but time is not money

[servant74]

Tradeoffs. Time, Money, Wear & Tear. And the tradeoff isn't a totally linear function either.

Like the tradeoffs most of us face in life: Fast, Good, Cheap -- Pick 2

Depending on the materials, speed can cause reduced quality of cut, so cutting slower isn't bad, it can reduce materials cost or need for redo or additional processing (sanding? ugh). But cutting to slow can cost burning of materials and possibly tools and waste machine time that might be used for another project. ... Yep, still tradeoffs. We all have to make the decision on how to use the resources we have. The right answer for one might not be the same as the right answer for another.

[Khalid]

Originally Posted by KenC

Speed is wear & tear. I bet you are not aware of this

You built Mechmate you know How to repair and how much the repair cost beside the money you get by your work produced with CNC at those supersonic speeds but maintaining the quality.
I was previously cutting MDF at 60 IPM due to machine limitation. The same i am cutting now at 700 IPM without compromising quality. My productivity is many times now comparing to the old machine. I am mechanical engineer and doing job in a petrochemical industry. For me time is money as i get only 4-hours after office time to play with my machine... I sleep for 4-Hours and 20Hours work...i want to get maximum out of those 20Hours and i also want those 4 Hours but sleep is natural phenomena

[Khalid]

Originally Posted by Robert M

No personal attack....but time is not money

How?