building blocks

DamenCNC in motion control

Manual:
Tangential knife interface

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DamenCNC B.V. the Netherlands

Louis Pasteurweg 15-17
2408 AH Alphen aan den Rijn

Author:
Harm van Scheppingen

Revision history

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Preface
Thank you for choosing the ecocam product line.

Safety guidelines
This manual contains notices which you should observe to ensure your own personal
safety, as well as to protect the product and connected equipment. These notices are
highlighted in the manual by a warning triangle and are marked as follows according to the
level of danger

DANGER:

Indicates that death, severe personal injury or substantial property

damage will result if proper precautions are not taken.

WARNING:

Indicates that death, severe personal injury or substantial property

damage can result if proper precautions are not taken.

CAUTION:

Indicates that minor personal injury or property damage can result if

proper precautions are not taken.

NOTE:

Indicates that death, severe personal injury or substantial property

damage can result if proper precautions are not taken.

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Content Page

1. Introduction! 5

2. Installing the interface card! 6

3. Connecting the home sensor! 7

4. Connecting the stepper motor! 9

5. Connecting the eccentric motor! 10

5.1 Wiring the powersupply! 11

5.2 Adjusting the power supply! 12

5.3 connection to the interface card! 13

6. Configuration of the controller software! 14

7. Testing the ecocam module! 16

7.1 Turning 360 degrees! 16

7.2 Checking the direction! 16

7.2 Align the blade! 17

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1. Introduction
This guide is intended as a quick guide. On our website (www.damencnc.com) you can
find also the full manual for the ecocam system, use this when getting into details. This
manual is only for when you receive the parcel and want to make sure all is working.

Assumptions:
- Using ecocam (TCT/TCM/EOT)
- DamenCNC Ecocam interface PCB
- DamenCNC stepper cable assembly
- DamenCNC RTR controller
- USBCNC V4.01.56 or higher
- Basic knowledge of mechanics/electronics

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2. Installing the interface card

Mount the interface card to the ecocam module, with the provided screws. These are
4-40UNC hex-screws, so please use the appropriate allen key. First off press the interface
card firmly in to the ecocam module. With the card in place thread the screws trough the
first D-sub in to the second. The screws bottom out in the ecocam module D-sub
connector and its normal for the module to be pressed out just a little bit, because off the
threads lining up.

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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3. Connecting the home sensor!

The ecocam modules has an integrated home sensor. The interface card makes it easy to
connect this sensor. Just use a standard M12 sensor cable and connect it to the interface
card as shown on the picture below.

Pin Color Function Symbol

1 Brown +24VDC

2 White Relay NC

3 Blue Ground

4 Black Relay NO

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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Connect the other end of the cable to the DCNC-RTR servo housing. The sensor input
jack is marked with the letter “C”.

Pin Color Function Symbol

1 Brown +24VDC

2 White Relay NC

3 Blue Ground

4 Black Relay NO

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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4. Connecting the stepper motor

For its rotational movement the ecocam module needs to be connected to a stepper drive.
If you use a prewired DamenCNC stepper motor cable the connections are as follows.
Please make sure that the ecocam module stepper cable is pluged in to the “C” axis output
connector.

Pin Cable set Remark Symbol

1 wire 1 Motor A+

2 Wire 3 Motor B+

3 Shielding

4 Wire 2 Motor A-

5 Green/Yellow Motor B-

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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5. Connecting the eccentric motor

Some ecocam modules (EOT) have an eccentric motor, which makes the cutting knive
oscillate rapidly. The default way off controlling this eccentric motor is switching a separate
powersupply from the tool/flood module, which is normally installed in the DamenCNC
RTR controllers. The following image shows you the standard topography off the default
application.

Most common is to connect to the tool signal. Then M3 in software turns on the oscillation
and M5 turns off.

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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5.1 Wiring the powersupply

To power the supply we need to strip one end of a EURO cable. The image below shows
the proper way off connecting the cable to the power supply.

NOTE:

Always use a dedicated power supply with at least 75 Watt power.

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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5.2 Adjusting the power supply

The DR-75-24 power supply outputs a default voltage off around 24VDC, which is to much
for the ecocam modules. The modules prefer a voltage of around 20VDC, so the supply
needs to be reduced. In order to do this you need to turn the potentiometer -which is
located on the top off the power supply- counterclockwise until it bottoms out. The supplied
voltage should be approximately 20VDC. Please note that the voltage will vary from power
supply to drive when the potentiometer is turned counterclockwise al the way.

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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5.3 connection to the interface card

Connecting the power supply to the ecocam module is pretty straight forward, it just
contains a positive and a ground wire. But because the ecocam modules have a shared
ground tap you should check the connections carefully. In correct connection will damage
the power supply. The following image shows you the proper connections, please note that
the positive wire is close to the stepper motor connector.

CAUTION:

Electrical connections have to be checked carefully. Not doing so

can result in damaging the drive.

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6. Configuration of the controller software

These instructions show you how to setup you’re ecocam module, using USBCNC
software. Please note that the following instructions and settings only imply to the ecocam
module, meaning that other settings could be different on you’re machines, which is
normal. It could also be used as a guide to other programs (mach3, LinuxCNC).

1. SlaveMode
This setting turns the C-axis into the TangKnife axis, note that this only possible for the C-
axis.

2. Steps/AppUnit
The default value should be 4.4444444444, assuming that motor/drive combination has
been set to 1600 steps/rev. 1600 steps/rev is the default setting for the DamenCNC
controller. The value is determined by dividing the steps per unit by 360 degrees. Note that
the sign of this value also determines the direction and for that can be changed later on.

3. Positive limit
The positive limit is set to 0, because the TangKnife axis can spin indefinitely.

4. Negative limit
The negative limit is set to 0, because the TangKnife axis can spin indefinitely.

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5. Vel. [AU/S]
This value sets the maximum speed at which the module can rotate. For the DamenCNC
controller the default value is set to 3000. Please note that if for example you’re power
supply supplies less that the standard 48VDC from a DamenCNC controller you should
enter a smaller value.

6. Acc. [AU/S^2]
This value sets the maximum acceleration/deceleration at which the module can rotate.
For the DamenCNC controller the default value is set to 90000. Please note that if for
example you’re power supply supplies less that the standard 48VDC from a DamenCNC
controller you should enter a smaller value. If you have a 75VDC controller (RTR
Performance) these values could be set higher.

7. Home Vel/Dir
This value sets the velocity for the homing sequence. For the ecocam module a value off
50 should be entered to give you a reliable reading. Please note that if you use higher
value’s you risk the change off missing the homing signal. The sign determines the homing
direction.

8. Home Position
This value aligns the blades cutting edge in the positive X-axis direction. You can enter the
default value of 102 which should get you pretty close. Note that we will verify the settings
in the next chapter.

9. Backlash
This settings implies to regular axis, please set the default value off 0.

10. Tangential Knife

These settings control the behavior off the cutting process. The first value (tanknife Z-up
angle) determines when the knive should be lifted from the material, this will come in
handy if you use large bulky knifes. We set this value by default to 3 which implies that the
knife stays in the material when the cutting angle is less than 3 degrees. The value next to
it (tanknife Z-up dist.) determines how far the knife should be lifted from the material. This
value should be larger than the length off the knife that you are using. The value’s below it
should be left in their default setting.

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7. Testing the ecocam module

This chapter is intended to give you the basic steps to verify that the system is setup
properly. Please make sure that you follow the steps care fully.

7.1 Turning 360 degrees

First off press the home C button to home the ecocam module. After homing set the
machine in the centre off its reach and open an MDI window and enter the following
command:

Mdi>G92 c0
MDI>G1 f10000 C360

This should rotate the blade 360 degrees around its axis, if this is not the case please
verify the drive/motor settings.

7.2 Checking the direction

To verify that the module turns in the appropriate direction we will write a simple program.
Note that in this stage the knive doesn’t have to be perfectly aligned with the positive X-
axis. Write the following program and save it with the .NC extension.

tanknife on
G0 Z50
G0 X0 Y0
G1 Z-1 F4000
G1 X100 F10000
G1 Y100
G1 X0
G1 Y0
tanknife off

m30

Verify that the ecocam module turns in the appropriate direction, to make this more visible
you could also stick a piece of paper to the rotating shaft. If the rotational direction appears
to be the wrong way round, you should go back to the settings page and change the
Steps/AppUnit value to be negative. This will make ecocam module turn the other way.
The sharp edge of the blade should be pointing in the positive X direction.

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7.2 Align the blade

To align the blade we use the “home position” value. This is usually set by trial and error
and the routine is pretty straight forward. Open the MDI windows and enter the following
commands:

MDI>G0 X0 Y0 Z50
mdi>tanknife on
MDI>G1 X10 F10000

For the controller the cutting edge off the blade is now in the direction off the positive X-
axis. If this is not the case for you’re machine try a different “home position” value.
Remember that this value is n degrees so there is no need to exceed 360 degrees. With
the new value repeat the steps and verify if the edge is pointing in the right direction. We
normally repeat these steps a couple off times to the settings just right. Once they are set
you can start cutting !

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