Hi Richard

I am unable to comment on Routoutcnc as never used it.

To modernise the Triac you may be able to use the existing stepper boards with a different control system so will need a minimum of items to do the conversion.

If you have to replace the steppers and driver boards std units are not so expensive, servos will cost much more and may not be viable for a home workshop, depends of course on your use.

Steppers are available with feedback and have matching controllers, this set-up would be a mid point cost between the 2 other methods suggested.

Probably the existing spindle controller can be connected into the new system so very little or no expense.

The PSU will no doubt be suitable for a conversion so no cost to add, just connections to bring the various voltages into the new system.

So seems you may only need a break-out board to distribute the OS control wires to the new system components.

Emgee

Richard, I have built the control electronics for a Denford Novamill and also my lathe conversion so have a little relevant experience. You should also explore http://www.denfordata  which is a mine of information if you haven’t found it yet.

A number of questions.

1. Does the machine have stepper motors?  I ask because according to that site there were at least some that had servo drives – these would be much harder to convert.
2. Do you know what the supply voltage is?  I have a feeling that these machines used 24V for the drives as they were designed before the era of modern switched-mode drivers.
3. Can you determine if the steppers have 4 wires?  The Novamill has and it makes connecting the drives much easier.  If you steppers have an odd number it could be hard to use a modern drive – but I would guess that Denford standardised across their range.

Thoughts:

• Replacing the motors on the Triac/Novamill would be a pain as the Y and Z motors are mounted in the column so a good idea to try and use the existing ones.
• If you want to update the controller, these days you should only consider using modern drivers which have things like microstepping, adjustable coil current, etc, like this one:    These work best with the highest supply voltage specified – this gives better acceleration, higher top speed etc, and the current from the power supply will be reduced.  The DM542 supports 50V so anything in the 40 – 48V would be good.  It also can provide 4.5A while the Routout one only 2.5A / 24V. On a mill like the Triac beefier drivers would be preferable.  Suitable power supplies are now very reasonably priced.
• I have bought a driver from RoutOut many years ago which I use in a Ward dividing head controller, based on the now venerable A4988 driver chip.  I don’t know if they still use that chip or one of the other similar ones but they have voltage and current limits.
• What CNC controller software will you use?  Mach 3 is kind of a default but it’s ancient, gets no support save through a user forum, and either requires you to use ancient PC hardware and Windows OS, with a parallel port or an external motion controller.  In the latter case it will operate from a laptop or mini PC and you can use Win10, and possibly 11, but it’s vulnerable to Microsoft changing something which breaks it until someone on the forum finds a workaround.  You can’t rely on that continuing.  Also you still have to pay full price for the software!
• Having said that I do use Mach3 but that’s because of inertia, having used it since 2012.  I use a Win10 miniPC with USB interface to UC100 motion controllers (on lathe and mill).
• Other options are Mach 4 (which the UC100 supports I think), UCCNC (from CNCDrive who make the UC100), AcornCNC, and GRBL which is definitely for enthusiasts until someone produces an integrated distribution.  Or there’s LinuxCNC which still needs a parallel port and so ancient hardware until/unless someone ports it to a Raspberry Pi or similar.  (Actually I just found out they have – search on the LinuxCNC forum.)
• You could easily build a controller if you don’t mind wiring modules together.  For Mach3/4 or UCCNC you would need a PSU (£15), 3 drives (£16.50 each), breakout board probably £20 tops, and a UC100 (£112)
• Plus various hardware, case, plus and sockets, but still less than say £250.
• As for suppliers, I’ve always had good service from StepperOnline, also from CNC4YOU (see the UC100 link).  Both the latter and RoutOut supply a finished box but (not surprisingly) the markup is at least 100% on the components.
• I would ask RoutOut what drivers they use.  I note they don’t have a website and the link to the product page from their eBay shop doesn’t work, so I wonder about how committed they are to the product.

You have a pm, but I see that it is no longer relevant 😊

Just in case the new owner pops-up some time … I would just mention that full contact details are accessible through that ebay listing.

MichaelG.

There is a chap advertising on ebay that he will convert a Triac to Mach3 for £500. No connection with him, but ic it includes the bits it might be an option fof those like me who dont understand a word of this CNC talk

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253940202650?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1fQj4xfNdQHK7_zDnu17lSQ12&ff=11&gbraid=0AAAAADA7Q_L_6_fcwAdb0A0HzGeoiVP6U&customid=CjwKCAjwl_XBBhAUEiwAWK2hzrxqydCS8pM8iZI_iWILf6-NQvo4Idnt5RGqtQQfZjs99ZRBiYkA8BoCwM8QAvD_BwE&gclid=CjwKCAjwl_XBBhAUEiwAWK2hzrxqydCS8pM8iZI_iWILf6-NQvo4Idnt5RGqtQQfZjs99ZRBiYkA8BoCwM8QAvD_BwE

That looks astonishingly good value, John !

MichaelG.

If the BoB were mine I’d identify the connections and then debug the system with an multimeter and oscilloscope.  Tracing the wires is tedious rather than difficult.

Richard may not have the tools or electronic skills though, and I hate diagnostic work.  It’s the sort of puzzle solving that gets my goat.  Therefore, try this first:

1. Check all the wires are secure in those terminals because they tend to vibrate loose.  I’d slacken and re-tighten them all.
2. If retightening doesn’t fix it, turn the strip-board over and inspect what’s underneath.   Strip-board soldering tends to be blobby with whiskers, so check all the tracks with a loupe and run a screwdriver blade between them to make sure there are no accidental bridges.   Also vulnerable to swarf, so make sure it’s clean.

Otherwise I don’t think there’s a shortcut, you have to identify the wires.  And don’t rip it apart and fit a new BoB unless the wires are understood.

Dave