Hi,

I am planning to fit an encoder (optical) to my sherline and using a slotted disk to detect what speed I am going at.

I have little electronics experiance and thefore have asked a friend to help me!

He would like to know what pin to connect the encoder to on the parallel port?

I will get this machine threading eventually.....

Thanks,

Andy

p.s A big thanks to hood for recomending and showing me this method.

I think you are meaning an optical switch but just in case I thought I better mention an encoder is no use to you with the parallel port as it is too slow to see the Index pulse from an encoder. If you have a SmoothStepper then an encoder is fine as long as it has the Index pulse, in the future the SmoothStepper will be capabale of syncing with a full encoder.
 Having said that I think you are meaning and optical switch similar to Optek OPB916B, if that is the case then all you need to do is connect it to a spare input pin on your port and then tell Mach which pin it is you have chosen for the Index. Its as easy as that
Well you will also need to take a 5v and 0v feed from your breakout and you will need a 220ohm resistor as well.
Hood

Thanks Hood it is that exact switch.

I will give it a go this weekend...cant wait!

I have ordered a 60 degree threading tool with carbide replacement tips, will this do variable pitches? I would like to do small threading pitches such as 0.7mm and 1.5mm.

Last question is can I do multi start threads? with this system?

Yes you can get partial profile tips for the threading tool, they will cut well within the range you are looking at, think the ER16 can usually do up to 3mm pitch.
 As for multistrat I have seen mention of how to do them but have never done so and cant remember LOL
Hood

Thanks Hood, will give it a go an let you all know the results.  I imagin that multistart will need indexing some how...

Thanks,

Andy

It works...I have threads...I have not tested them yet however they look like threads and good ones at that!

I just need to make a metal disk rather than use a bit of card board.

Thanks,

Andy

p.s multi start threads need indexing...I will have to wait for that.

This is what I had seen regarding multistart threads, never tried it but ......

For Mach3 turn there is no A axis but if you want to thread then this
is the way to do it

Put in #99066 = start angle for the thread in the code

so if you want to do 3 start thread then
#99066 = 0
threading code
#99066 = 120
same threading code
#99066 = 240
same threading code

66 is the DRO number of the start angle for a thread. When used with
#99(DRO number) the DRO is accessible in Gcode.

This will work with the last few version of Mach3. (I don't know the
exact rev no when this was put it)

You got Art and Brian to thank for this one

Cheers

Kiran

Thanks Hood, I will give it a go and let you know the results.

Andy

Will have to give it a go myself at some point, just time is short at the moment
Hood

Hood,
Where do put the #? ie; At the ened of say a M76 or do you go in modify the M1076.set some where?
RICH