Thread: Console the ModIO Method

Alan, Greg,
Yes that is the same joystick I got. They have a very positive feel to them and the microswitches give a nice little click sound when engaged. There is no floppy centre position but that might appear with a bit of use.
Easy to configure in the Pokeys or the ModIO as you can assign a hotkey for each direction.

I got a couple of hours in last night and today and now have the support arm made, painted and fitted. Hopefully I will be able to route all the wires down the vertical tube.
I have also cut a hole in the front panel of Morphy and made a shelf to mount a little Shuttle computer permanently on the machnine. See photos.

The LCD TV arm is fitted and the box and a piece of 3mm ally sheet attached to that for the control panel and keyboard / trackball.

I am now working on the design of the panel itself but will not get to cut it tomorrow as I have visitors and some other higher priority jobs to run. It is wise to do those before I change over the controls in case Murphy gets to Morphy.

I have all the electronics sorted now and have been bench testing the ModIO for about a week or so without any problems. Lots of LED lamps and switches and things.
After talking with Peter I am going to fit a Pokeys in the box to pick up the additional switches and the two Joysticks that I want on the console. Peter has a new model ModIO with a lot more terminals on the drawing board but it is not ready for this build.

I will go over the functionality of the console once it is finished that way it will be easier to follow. This has been a much bigger project than I thought it would be but I am pleased I worked through it. There were times when I thought I would never get it right but Peter stands by his products and has been a great support.

I cut the front panel this afternoon/tonight and thought I would show what a mess cutting aluminum can be. Morphy was screaming through the cuts at 1000/min and 0.4mm depth of cut with only a 4mm two flute mill bit. Much better than I have been able to get in the past with other machines so it proves to me that Morphy is rigid.

Also worth observing is the clear space around the last cut. The little electromagnetic aquarium pump is strong enough to clear the cut without pushing the swarf too far. The coolant nozzle directs the air straight at the cutter.

I have finally sorted the smoothstrepper out and did not have one disconnect after about three hours of running the machine. The final cure was an earth from the console to the frame of Morphy - thanks for that suggestion Greg.

Well there is a good chance that the ModIo console will be finished this week. There is still a fair bit of work cleaning up the panel, painting the engravings, mounting the switches and gizmos and then soldering all the wires. There is also a fairly thick harness to take USB, VGA, Serial, AC and DC power supplies that needs to be neatly routed through the console and leg.

The panel now has all the switches, joysticks and do dads fitted except for the LCD lamps.

I have fitted a second plate to mount the PCB's as there wasn't enough room on the front panel.

I have fitted a USB port out the side of the box (thanks to Zoot) and mounted the fan.

Just have to wire it up now and route all the cables.

I am going with a mini keyboard and trackball.

As flash as a rat with a gold tooth!

Rod,
All looking exceptionally grand as usual. Looking forward to seeing it all operational. The joysticks are a really great feature ... I think I would put them in even if they weren't connected!

Cheers,

Alan

Looks good as we have come to expect from you Rod.

Can't help wondering what information the little LCD is going to give you that the big screen above it will not.

Greg

Thanks all,

Alan the joysticks aren't connected but then again nothing is connected yet.

Greg the LCD displays the axes positions. I did think this was a watse of time but when I crashed the test computer with some errant code the LCD panel kept the last position as everything crashed around it. Got to thinking this is going to be a good backup when things go pear shaped.

All wired up now and although it is not pretty it all works.
Loading up the Shuttle Computer with new install of Windows and then will have to go thorugh the ModIO connection to Mach3 again.
Will have the wires routed and the computer installed by Friday night if all goes well.
The joysticks are fun to play with and the switch detent is soft but a positive feel.

hi all, my name is mike, i am in w.a, i have finished my cnc build about 2 months ago spceial thanks go to the incomprable mr rodm for his final help behind the scenes to get it going, thanks rod.
the machine works fine i am surprised myself it actualy works, i have done lots of work on it, i am a signwriter and i do wiered signs and get very wiered requests for printing and cutting( anybody ever cut hypolon pse advise), i have finaly stopped using the ozito router and invested in a vdf and spindle works ok( what a headache to get it going ) but the ozito is easier to use.
The diamand drag is doing well i managed to engrave 2mm characters in anodised ally, cant even see them, others tell me they are ok when u get to 50 u dont see too well even with glasses. Bit of a problem if someone out there can elucidate.
i am using ucancam its good enough for the job and i cant afford an expesive program like some people i know have.The post prosessor is mack3.
the problem is as follows when the machine is cutting it always goes up 10mm off the job surface 2 mms will do can someone pse tell me how to change this in mack3 there is no setting on my program that is ucancam.
thanks for listening malti2104

G'day Mike and welcome aboard.

Many will share your sentiments about rodm, me included.

That height thing is a setting in your CAM program and not Mach3

Start a new thread so as not to take this one off topic and we will help you out.

Interested to see details of your diamond drag.

Greg

For the purposes of this thread I have now finished. I still have to make a plug where the wiring enters the console and neaten up the wiring a bit but that is just cosmetic.

I was expecting a few hickups as this is the first time it has been connected to a machine but no issues at all even with the smoothstepper. It is a fun way to operate a machine and I spent way too much time last night playing with the Joysticks, MPG and switches.

How good does that look.

I have started saving for the parts not long to go until I get a start.
What do you gain over Pokeys with Modio MyG540 has a Charge pump so I am trying to work out the best way around all this.

Sean

Thanks Sean,
Probably best for Peter to answer that as it is more about the technical aspects of how they work. If I try to explain it I will look more stupid than I am - SWMBO would disagree there so glad she doen't read my posts.

I have a couple of weeks off and will finally be enclosing half the carport and getting my mess out of sight.