ATC Spindle in UCCNC with Laser

[Frankmali17]

Hello UCCNC..
I have been getting aquainted with this controller system, and I have been looking at the control boards available.

Ultimately I would Like to replace SYNTEC 6MB with a different controller.

Asside from having to write custom macros and such.. I would like to know "IF" and possibly some basics insight to "HOW"
I could set up a Gantry router... with Yaskawa servo motors, and HSD ATC Spindle...

My Y- axis(Long axis) would feature dual servos (A axis slaved to Y?)
The Gantry mounted short X-axis would feature an oversized X/Z Carriage... so that I could mount ONE Z axis to move up the HSD Spindle.. and a second Z-Axis (Z2 pershaps ) to use as a drill head, or secondary spindle...
More importantly, I would like to mount a CO2 Laser to use for engraving...

I wonder if I could use the laser as Tool Number 33 for example..... and then move on to use the HSD and Z asix 1 to use multiple tools for machining and finally cutting out the parts.

I know this is ambitious... But I wonder if the UCCNC developers envision it as being possible.

What challenges/limitations do you foresee?

OTHER USERS - Please Pitch In...

I'm excited about things I have been learning about UCCNC.. but want to make sure I don't make the JUMP "uninformed"

[cncdrive]

Yes, it is possible to do this.
You could use the M6 tool change macro to set an offset based on the tool selected.
In other words you may modify the M6 macro so that for example if the T33 is selected and the M6 tool change macro is called to select the T33 then apply an offset to the coordinate system,
so your laser head will be in the tool center point. And if other tools are selected then apply another offset so that your spindle will be in the TCP point.

[ger21]

The Gantry mounted short X-axis would feature an oversized X/Z Carriage... so that I could mount ONE Z axis to move up the HSD Spindle.. and a second Z-Axis (Z2 pershaps ) to use as a drill head, or secondary spindle...

I'll have two Z axes on my machine, and plan on using exec.swapaxis() to change between Z axis in my M6 macro.

Doesn't a CO2 laser require mirrors to direct the beam? How do you protect the mirrors from being bumped, and keep dust off of them?

[Frankmali17]

Hey Guys...
I was thinking of having the laser tube mounted to an oversized/long Z axis mount... with the focal lens directly under it...
Way it's already aimed "down" at the material and no mirrors would be needed.

[Frankmali17]

Hey Guys...
So if I could build a second Z axis.. I would lower it to a predetermined height above the Material.. so that the beam focal length would be correct.
To simplify things I would Use a 15watt engraver Laser Diode.. or a 40watt Laser tube mounted vertically, and shooting right into a focusing lens.

in either case, Can UCCNC vary the intensity of the laser beam?... this entire X/Z axis assembly will not be able to zoom around as fast as those laser mirrors in dedicated laser machines...
Also... Would I be able to use a router/spindle.. and then switch to engraving with the laser.. on the same job?... without shutting down the controller and uploading a different profile?

What do you guys think?

[cncdrive]

You can offset the Z-axis the same way if required, if the 2 Z axis heights are not the same.
There are separate spindle PWM and Laser PWM output settings (separate pins can be defined), so yes, you could use a spindle and a laser separated (not the same time), because the M3 is the enable signal for the laser, but you probably don't want to use the laser and the spindle the exact same time (I mean together), so it should be no problem as long as your spindle is PWM/analog speed controlled.
It will be a problem if the spindle has simple on/off control only, because then the M3 will switch the spindle on when you will enable the laser with the M3. You may still add a manual switch or another enable signal to the spindle e.g. via your own macro, but then you have to adjust the g-code/post processor to execute that macro when turning the spindle on.
If the spindle is speed controlled then you can set the Feedrate to 0 and then the M3 will not turn the spindle on when you enabling the laser with the M3.

Yes, the UCCNC can vary the laser intensity. The M10 laser control macro has a Q parameter with a range of 0..255 which is the PWM duty cycle of the laser PWM which varies the intensity of the laser.

[Per Bekker-Madsen]

The settings of 255 as maximum, is that equal to 5Volt? My Laser Board dos not aloud more than 5Volt.
I will use the spindle control (PWM) as Power settings. But I need to know how I can set the settings so I will not run more than 100% = 5Volt.

[cncdrive]

The 255 value is 100% duty cycle. If it is 5Volts or other Voltage depends on your connection.
If you getting the voltage directly from a motion controller output then that is a TTL output, so then yes, the 100% = 5Volts.
If you getting the voltage from a breakout board's output with e.g. an Open-collector transistor transistor output, then the 100% equals the voltage your breakout board is pulling the output to, or what voltage you externally connecting to the open collector output via pullup resistor.
Anyways, the 255 value for the PWM means 100% duty cycle and 0 value means 0% duty cycle. The voltage is proportional to the set value and scales to between the 0 and the max. voltage level of the output.

You mean you will use the spindle PWM as the power setting is that you board has 2 inputs, one for the laser modulation and one for the max. power setting?
And so the voltage on the max. power input will set the 100% power of the laser and the TTL input will be used to modulate the laser between 0% and the set max.power?
If this is what you doing then that is fine, you can do that.
But if you ment that you want to use the spindle PWM to modulate the laser then my answer is do not do that, but modulate the laser with the laser output instead and so use the M10 Q../M11 codes for that instead of the spindle control M3 and M5 and S codes. Because spindle control is not motion syncronous, so it is not fast enough to modulate lasers, the M10/M11 and the laser output for it is for laser control.

BTW, here is a "small" laser machine video I saw on the Hungarian hobbycnc forum that one of our customers posted:

[Per Bekker-Madsen]

Thanks for the answer (and quick ) The output comes from the DB15 connector (X2 board) on my and goes directly to the TTL input on the laser controller.
Have a nice weekend.