off-label use for simple lathe

tenaja

I'm setting up a board for simple lathe use, for small production runs. I'm only using 2 axes (Z & E for spindle), since I'm just applying simple threads, and I have a few questions. Thanks in advance!

1--I obviously won't be using the heaters--do I need to mess with heater settings? Should I leave them be, and just ignore them? Can I use a heater output for Status Lamps?
2--Can I use the FAN output for Status Lamps?
3--If I change to G20 for Inches (because 'Murica!, of course, and threads/inch are hard to convert to tpmm) will all of the other settings such as accel and max speeds, etc., be inches/minute and inches/sec^2?
4--Can the LCD be set up to easily pick one of two or three programs, with very little else, so a "professional production worker" type person will not get confused with minimal training? If this can be setup, is there a tutorial?
5-- Can the screen be easily set up to a big red flashing screen if the motor stalls (to avoid aforementioned Lamps)? If this can be setup, is there a tutorial?
6--Will I run into any pitfalls by using the E0 as the spindle? I plan to use steps per rev, rather than steps/mm, so to to two turns, I enter 2.0. I'm guessing that will work...right?

Thanks--and I am enjoying finally working with this board. It seems very nice so far.

T3P3Tony

@tenaja said in off-label use for simple lathe:

I'm setting up a board for simple lathe use, for small production runs. I'm only using 2 axes (Z & E for spindle), since I'm just applying simple threads, and I have a few questions. Thanks in advance!

1--I obviously won't be using the heaters--do I need to mess with heater settings? Should I leave them be, and just ignore them? Can I use a heater output for Status Lamps?

you can leave them be - if you don't add them to tools then they wont show up in DWC. Alternatively you can unmap them as heaters and then use them as outputs for status indication. See here:
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Using_servos_and_controlling_unused_IO_pins
You will need to unmap the heater and then use M42 to control the pin. You can put the M42 command inside a macro, call it from your gcode directly, or call it from a trigger which could be a pin setup as a trigger.
The documentation is here:
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_M581_Configure_external_trigger
and a guide by @hayseed_byte here:
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Using_M581_-_External_Triggers_and_Building_a_Control_Panel

2--Can I use the FAN output for Status Lamps?

Yes, same general procedure as the heaters shown above

3--If I change to G20 for Inches (because 'Murica!, of course, and threads/inch are hard to convert to tpmm) will all of the other settings such as accel and max speeds, etc., be inches/minute and inches/sec^2?

From the documentation:
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_G20_Set_Units_to_Inches

Units from this command onwards are in inches. Note that this is only intended to affect G0, G1 and other commands commonly found in GCode files that represent objects to print. Specifically G20 only affects: G0 to G3, G10 and G92.
So you should use metric values in config.g when configuring the printer and then change to inches with G20 at the end of it if the Gcodes you want to send to move the machine are expressed in inches.

4--Can the LCD be set up to easily pick one of two or three programs, with very little else, so a "professional production worker" type person will not get confused with minimal training? If this can be setup, is there a tutorial?

The PanelDue is quite involved to code. You can have only the gcode files on the duet that you want to run, and then any other command as a numbered macro o its easy to select. Otherwise you wound need to delve into the guts of the firmware to strip out all the other functionality.

5-- Can the screen be easily set up to a big red flashing screen if the motor stalls (to avoid aforementioned Lamps)? If this can be setup, is there a tutorial?

Same as above - not easily

Thanks--and I am enjoying finally working with this board. It seems very nice so far.

Great to have you un the Duet community! Also CNC machine tools are not "off label" or at least i hope that will become increasingly "on label"

A Former User

1/2 Any heater or fan output that isn't defined as fans or heater can be used by M42, ref https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_M42_Switch_I_O_pin

4 you can define macros on the panel due, these show up as buttons and be used for anything, incl select and start a program. Ref M23 and M24 https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_M23_Select_SD_file

5 if you have an output from the spindle that indicates stall you may be able to send a messge to the PanelDue by using a M581 trigger and possible M117. Ref https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_M581_Configure_external_trigger What is the best way to catch attention on the PanelDue I'll defer to others, but the basic one is https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_M117_Display_Message

if you don't have an output to indicate a stall, you may be able to use a index output and somehow utilize the filament jam bits, but not sure how that works.

6 I think you want to use steps/degree, but ultimately all the units are only for your benefit. The motion controller only cares about the numerical value.

tenaja

Thanks for your suggestions--much appreciated.