4
Introduction:
At the end of this document is an addendum that provides both the definition and a short description
of the long list of ‘keywords’ used in
CNC
and also in General Digital Communications.
It is not necessary to understand all of the terms used in this document since each task is presented
with the specific information you will need to provide and also the specific points where you need to
enter that information.
For those who would like a better understanding of the underlying processes provided by the device
they are installing as well as the device they are installing it on, each technical term that is
blue
in the
text will have a corresponding definition and brief description in the addendum. Often, only this little
bit of extra information can make a mysterious topic far more comprehendible.
The InTurn™ 4
th
axis Motor Control System is designed specifically to provide
Mill/Turn
capabilities
for
Mach3
and Mach4 CNC control
Software
for any CNC mill.
Mill/Turn is a capability of high-end Machining Centers that have a starting price tag around
US$100,000, so it is a very significant achievement to bring some of those capabilities to an existing
benchtop of full size CNC mill for under US$5,000.
Mill/Turn requires the 4
th
axis to have the capability to spin continuously at high speed with a
significant amount of power over a wide range of speeds, and ALSO have the ability to stop spinning
and return to the conventional
indexing
process. To be useful as a CNC add-on capability, all of this
has to be controllable by the CNC system itself with minimal or no intervention by an operator.
While MACH software provides for indexing on a rotary axis, it has no ability to spin that axis
continuously. The InTurn™ 4
th
axis Motor Control System adds that basic capability and a lot more,
all controllable both from custom on-screen controls and also via
macros
embedded in the
G-code
for
a fully automated CNC process.
So let’s get on with the Installation!
Note: In the text, where the name of a parameter will vary from one system to another, or from one
version to another, the variable portion is represented by ‘placeholders’ using ‘xx’ to represent
numbers and square brackets around a descriptive word like ‘[date]’ to represent the variable part of a
filename or folder name. The actual name will contain the number or date, for example ‘COM10’ or
‘InTurn™Parameter041215.brn’
