Author Topic: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller  (Read 438686 times)

Offline PK

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #850 on: January 25, 2018, 01:29:57 AM »
These little controllers are also good in that they feature isolation and simple power supply arrangements. Earth loop problems on PC's driving USB motion controllers driving motor drives with limits and encoders can be very frustrating.
We have one machine that we've basically given up trying to sort out. We just live with the occasional latch up..... OK, so we use it to weld but....
PK

Offline JHovel

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #851 on: January 25, 2018, 08:18:33 AM »
While we are currently discussing beginners' questions, may I ask a couple of my own?
1. what is the difference (to a potential future user) between the 1.1, 1.14 and 2.1 versions of these controllers - given that all 3 versions appear to be in the market at the same time now?
2. what is the difference between these and the similarly priced CW40 controller?
e.g. here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-axis-3-5-Inch-LCD-Screen-CNC-controller-lathe-mini-milling-machine-servo-USB-stepper/32324927105.html
It appears from the descriptions that it has similar functions, a lot more manual editing functions and buttons and a seemingly higher resolution screen (alas a smidgen smaller).

A little recap of my understanding for comment and education, please?
  • I draw a part in some CAM software - saving it as a .drw file
  • then open the file in some CAM software, add tool parameters like cutting speed, tooth load, number of flutes, diameter/offsets etc. - saving it as a G-code post onto a USB stick
  • then open that file on one of the above controllers and click the run button - obviously with home set, tool height set and starting point appropriately located on the material
  • watch for any glitches/abnormal behaviour etc.
  • take out the finished part
What am I missing?  :)

Yes, I do know there has to be a suitable machine tool, with stepper or servo motors and their respective drivers and power supply/ies and a controllable spindle (VFD/DC/Servo) - all connected to the above controllers.

I'm starting to seriously thinking about starting with a small 3-axis router/mill to get my feet wet.... I make tools and bits for vintage motorcycles as a hobby in my retirement (I'm 67).... Have been using computers since the early 80s, but never had a connection to CNC at all.
Cheers,
Joe

Offline WeldingRod

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #852 on: January 25, 2018, 11:32:14 AM »
While we are currently discussing beginners' questions, may I ask a couple of my own?
1. what is the difference (to a potential future user) between the 1.1, 1.14 and 2.1 versions of these controllers - given that all 3 versions appear to be in the market at the same time now?
2. what is the difference between these and the similarly priced CW40 controller?
e.g. here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-axis-3-5-Inch-LCD-Screen-CNC-controller-lathe-mini-milling-machine-servo-USB-stepper/32324927105.html
It appears from the descriptions that it has similar functions, a lot more manual editing functions and buttons and a seemingly higher resolution screen (alas a smidgen smaller).

A little recap of my understanding for comment and education, please?
  • I draw a part in some CAM software - saving it as a .drw file
  • then open the file in some CAM software, add tool parameters like cutting speed, tooth load, number of flutes, diameter/offsets etc. - saving it as a G-code post onto a USB stick
  • then open that file on one of the above controllers and click the run button - obviously with home set, tool height set and starting point appropriately located on the material
  • watch for any glitches/abnormal behaviour etc.
  • take out the finished part
What am I missing?  :)

Yes, I do know there has to be a suitable machine tool, with stepper or servo motors and their respective drivers and power supply/ies and a controllable spindle (VFD/DC/Servo) - all connected to the above controllers.

I'm starting to seriously thinking about starting with a small 3-axis router/mill to get my feet wet.... I make tools and bits for vintage motorcycles as a hobby in my retirement (I'm 67).... Have been using computers since the early 80s, but never had a connection to CNC at all.
I think the cw40 doesn't execute gcode directly, but I don't really know the answer.

As for the tool chain, this is how I did engraving using my controller:
Make a dxf of what I wanted, making sure I knew where 0,0 was.  Fyi, the aitocad fonts DON'T engrave.  I used a freeware that would make vector letters.
Run "dxf to gcode" to convert.  It hasnsettinhs for the basic cnc stuff, like feeds and speeds, and how deep to cut per pass.
Put the usb stick  in the DDCSV.
Put the cnc in the right home position and zero.
Pick my file.
Put on hearing protection.
Push "run"
Wait.
Smile at finished engraving.

I've also handwritten gcode for other weird automation tasks with this controller.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


Offline philf

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #853 on: January 27, 2018, 10:39:16 AM »

As for the tool chain, this is how I did engraving using my controller:
Make a dxf of what I wanted, making sure I knew where 0,0 was.  Fyi, the aitocad fonts DON'T engrave.  I used a freeware that would make vector letters.


I assume that aitocad should be Autocad?

I use Autocad 2008 and can produce outlines from any font for engraving. I have a menu item Express/Text/Explode Text. This gives you an outline of the font. In this example I used a complex script font which needs a bit of tweaking afterwards. Simpler fonts come out OK with no tweaking necessary.



Phil.
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Offline Benedikt

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #854 on: January 30, 2018, 01:20:42 PM »
i know there is the new firmware that is made ..haven't tried it .. but was wondering if it can be programed to run grbl ? estlcam have a few good things going for it as you can prob the whole workpiece incase your higher or lower in some spots.. can it be done?
Well in fact we were once planning to write entirely new firmware, but time is just too limited. If we had done so, I would have most likely ported a good part of grbl over. I have got a working C compiler toolchain for this controller, however reverse engineering of the FPGA got stuck at some point.

While we are currently discussing beginners' questions, may I ask a couple of my own?
1. what is the difference (to a potential future user) between the 1.1, 1.14 and 2.1 versions of these controllers - given that all 3 versions appear to be in the market at the same time now?
2. what is the difference between these and the similarly priced CW40 controller?
e.g. here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-axis-3-5-Inch-LCD-Screen-CNC-controller-lathe-mini-milling-machine-servo-USB-stepper/32324927105.html
It appears from the descriptions that it has similar functions, a lot more manual editing functions and buttons and a seemingly higher resolution screen (alas a smidgen smaller).
1. Honestly, I don't know. The new versions of the software are compatible across all versions though. Personally, I only own the DDCSV1.1, so I can't tell what they have changed. It's probably only some minor things in the hardware / FPGA.
2. The CW40 is a completely different product and is not compatible with our modified firmware. It's a completely different can of worms.
It does not have an FPGA which decreases the accuracy and smoothness. Also, I doubt there is any room for community based software improvement on this model.

BR,
Benedikt

Offline JHovel

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #855 on: January 31, 2018, 05:31:48 AM »
Thanks for those answers and explanations!
More reading to go before it makes better sense....  :beer:
Cheers,
Joe

Offline Pilotltd

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #856 on: January 31, 2018, 03:17:27 PM »
Why would having an FPGA mean automatically mean it’s smoother and more accurate? CW40’s 12000 mm/min and a resolution of 0.001mm is more than any hobby level mill or router is likely to achieve in the real world. It has a more expanded control set and much more I/O and runs no less smoothly on identical machine using same parameters as the DDCSV. It shouldn’t need to be hack able when the software and firmware are up to scratch ;)

Offline Benedikt

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #857 on: January 31, 2018, 05:30:32 PM »
Why would having an FPGA mean automatically mean it’s smoother and more accurate? CW40’s 12000 mm/min and a resolution of 0.001mm is more than any hobby level mill or router is likely to achieve in the real world. It has a more expanded control set and much more I/O and runs no less smoothly on identical machine using same parameters as the DDCSV. It shouldn’t need to be hack able when the software and firmware are up to scratch ;)
It's simply the way the step generation works. An FPGA can do many parallel tasks at the same time and take load off the CPU. There is also way more accurate timing since the CPU is not shared between G-Code decoding, screen updating, user interface tasks, USB stack, operating system and then the real time step generation.
In the DDCSV1.1 the CPU sends blocks of motion data directly to the FPGA that handles the entire step generation process smoothly and in parallel.
Also, I would not really trust any specs on Aliexpress or other Chinese sites. They are often multiplied by a factor between 2 and 10.
Not all vendors do that, but many definitively do.
Apart from that, there is jitter and other bad effects from CPU based step generation, that are (almost) not present when dealing with an FPGA driven system.
Chinese software is never up to scratch. They make very good hardware, but the software very often is just really poor.
I am sure this may improve over time, but we are not there yet at all. Again, this does not apply to everything, but to a rather large amount of products.

Offline Pilotltd

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #858 on: February 01, 2018, 05:29:11 PM »
Not just Chinese companies Benedikt - VW :) I have tested the CW40 and the specification is correct as given by AliExpress seller CNC Workshop.

What is the latest factory software revision - on your web site you have v87 - my DC has version 88NOR which is a few days later release than 87. I was going to update to the Pandora version but not sure if it has any advantages.

Offline Benedikt

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #859 on: February 01, 2018, 06:15:16 PM »
What is the latest factory software revision - on your web site you have v87 - my DC has version 88NOR which is a few days later release than 87. I was going to update to the Pandora version but not sure if it has any advantages.
I would certainly not offer this modified firmware if it did not pose any advantages over the original one. ;-)
For a full list of changes, head back a few pages ( here: https://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,11598.msg147430.html#msg147430 ). But in a nutshell, it's bug fixes, translation fixes and support of USB keyboards/keypads.
And for the future, a plugin system is planned together with the original engineers, as well as support for more languages and different homing modes.
Also, there is work in progress for updating the Linux kernel to add support for Ethernet to allow remote control of the CNC / remote g-code upload.
If you are looking for the latest version, head back a few posts for a release from December, 26th. Should this version prove stable, it will be added to the Pandora installer and it will be patched with our other improvements.

Offline WeldingRod

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #860 on: February 01, 2018, 10:42:34 PM »
What is the latest factory software revision - on your web site you have v87 - my DC has version 88NOR which is a few days later release than 87. I was going to update to the Pandora version but not sure if it has any advantages.
I would certainly not offer this modified firmware if it did not pose any advantages over the original one. ;-)
For a full list of changes, head back a few pages ( here: https://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,11598.msg147430.html#msg147430 ). But in a nutshell, it's bug fixes, translation fixes and support of USB keyboards/keypads.
And for the future, a plugin system is planned together with the original engineers, as well as support for more languages and different homing modes.
Also, there is work in progress for updating the Linux kernel to add support for Ethernet to allow remote control of the CNC / remote g-code upload.
If you are looking for the latest version, head back a few posts for a release from December, 26th. Should this version prove stable, it will be added to the Pandora installer and it will be patched with our other improvements.
I'm working on writing a guide to the ddcsv Gcode dialect.  So far I've proved that it can do HELICAL interpolation using G2 and G3, but only in R mode.  Does anyone have working Gcode that uses this form: G2 X10 Y0 I0 J0?  I can't get the IJK (arc center) format to work.  I already know that a plane definition (like G17) is required.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


Offline Cosimo.83

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #861 on: February 05, 2018, 01:28:07 PM »
Veramente bravi .... Tutto questo post è interessante...Ho da poco acquistato l ultima versione....Il DDCSV2.1 e volevo sapere se qualcuno è riuscito a trovare un elenco delle variabili di sistema. Ero intenzionato a scrivere una macro parametrica per fare il ATC.... Grazie ancora per tutto lo sviluppo fatto fino a ora  :clap:

Offline Will_D

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #862 on: February 06, 2018, 05:03:16 AM »

I'm working on writing a guide to the ddcsv Gcode dialect.  So far I've proved that it can do HELICAL interpolation using G2 and G3, but only in R mode.  Does anyone have working Gcode that uses this form: G2 X10 Y0 I0 J0?  I can't get the IJK (arc center) format to work.  I already know that a plane definition (like G17) is required.


Here is a small circle that works for me
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Offline WeldingRod

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #863 on: February 06, 2018, 10:18:09 PM »
  :bow:
Will,
It works!!!  And, irritatingly enough, MY program WORKS now, after yours ran?!?!
I've got a LOT of questions about this code!
What are you using G54(coordinate system) for?  FYI, that might be the magic sauce; my controller has never gotten this command before.
Your feeds are weirdly small.  I found that anything under 300 mm/minute was the same speed.
As far as I can tell, G94 isn't in the DDCSV language at all.
I tried my program with your first line it it, pulling out commands one at a time, and the dratted thing kept running.

Anyway, problem solved (but not understood).

For other's reference, this is your program:
G17 G21 G90 G94 G54
G0 Z0.25
X-50. Y0.
Z0.1
G01 Z0. F50.
G02 X0. Y50. I50. J0. F25
X50. Y0. I0. J-50.
X0. Y-50. I-50. J0.
X-50. Y0. I0. J50.
G01 Z0.1 F50.
G00 X0. Y0. Z0.25

Offline maxx2000

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #864 on: February 07, 2018, 05:45:47 AM »
With the official firmware since November 2017.
Are supported precisely G93, G94 М28 !!! I'm happy
Unchecked G40, G41, G42, G49, G20 but most likely already work too.
Sorry for my english, this is Google translator

Offline Will_D

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #865 on: February 07, 2018, 07:41:26 AM »
  :bow:
What are you using G54(coordinate system) for?  FYI, that might be the magic sauce; my controller has never gotten this command before.
Your feeds are weirdly small.  I found that anything under 300 mm/minute was the same speed.
As far as I can tell, G94 isn't in the DDCSV language at all.

Great that it works!

G54 selects the first Work Coordinate Offset system. There is a Machine Coordinate workspace (as defined by MACH on the line just above the version number) There are 6 other workspaces that the user can use G54 to G59 (some controllers allow a lot more)

Yes feeds are very small when I am debugging/learning, even when cutting air.

G94 sets "Feed per Minute Mode" (This came out of Marcus Bowmans book but does not agree with Peter Smid's book where it is a lathe command!)

Keep plugging away

Will
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Offline WeldingRod

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #866 on: February 07, 2018, 03:29:33 PM »
With the official firmware since November 2017.
Are supported precisely G93, G94 М28 !!! I'm happy
Unchecked G40, G41, G42, G49, G20 but most likely already work too.
Maxx2000, 
M28 is used to write to SD card in RepRap firmware, but you would also need M29.  Is it return to origin?  Nothing happened when I tried it at 50,50,50.
G93 is feed in inverse time; the feed command FX.X is interpreted as 1/x.x (apparently rarely used).  Key tip: you MUST have a specified F for G1, G2, and G3 in this mode
G94 is feed in minutes
G40 is cutter compensation off
G41 is cutter compensation left (the cutter stays to the left of the programmed path when the tool radius is positive)
G42 is cutter compensation right.  The syntax may be G41 D3, where D3 is tool offset slot 3.
It looks like they planned for length offsets too, which would imply G43, G44, and G49 work???
G49 is tool length compensation cancel
Cutter compensation is in the machine parameters, H0-H15 and  D0-D15.

Offline maxx2000

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #867 on: February 08, 2018, 04:13:58 AM »
This file is 100% processed on my machine with the DDCSV1.1 - 4 axis controller. Firmware from November 2017.
Sorry for my english, this is Google translator

Offline WeldingRod

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #868 on: February 08, 2018, 07:57:41 PM »
Has anyone measured the spindle control output?  When I put a scope on it, it looks like a slowly changing DC signal that varies from 0 to 10 Volts; I don't see any hint of PWM on it at all.

Offline Will_D

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #869 on: February 09, 2018, 04:21:39 AM »
AFAIK its a 0 - 10V analogue voltage
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Offline PK

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #870 on: February 09, 2018, 07:38:47 AM »
AFAIK its a 0 - 10V analogue voltage
Confirmed.

Offline WeldingRod

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #871 on: February 09, 2018, 10:47:08 AM »
FYI, this widget will convert that analog signal to a PWM:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VVVGGBN/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You need to adjust the max duty cycle with the pot on the board.
IMPORTANT: don't try to run it off 5 VDC.  It has a 5 Volt low drop out regulator on the board, so it's output current is terrible with 5 Volt power in.

Offline blades

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #872 on: February 13, 2018, 09:10:11 AM »
Benedikt: back on page 16, you posted this:

"I have just traced out the wiring of the keypad matrix of the controller:"

Does this somehow tie into the previously mentioned USB keypad/keyboard support? I was just wondering if a standard numeric USB keypad could be mapped to the DDCSV1.1 button layout? They both have 17 keys.

Bill

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Offline ibbe76

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #873 on: February 15, 2018, 01:16:42 PM »
Hello all DDCSV user. Im all new to cnc machines and its software, but I like to build and make things so now its time for a cnc.

I have ordered a few things for several months from China to lower the costs, collected aluminum profiles from the job scrap box and so on.thought it would be a machine that can do wood and metal, I´m working in a paper printing factory so manufacturing of klichés in brass are things that I though may be done.
there are still some screws left for the machine to get really sturdy but this week it was time to boot everything up

I use Fusion 360, same as for my 3d printer for modell and Cam. Postprocess /Othermill/

Offline tom osselton

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Re: DDCSV1.1 4 Axis controller
« Reply #874 on: February 15, 2018, 02:06:29 PM »
Looks like a nice built unit.