I have a 1F Elite Foreman with PWNcnc VFD / ATC and Jtech 24W laser. I have searched the forums, and have not been able to find any concise info on this topic, so I thought I’d start a fresh thread. Since I have the VFD and use the shop cyclone for dust collection, I’m not using the router or vac ports on the back of the 1F controller. Has anyone successfully used those to automatically start / stop the air pump when using the laser?
Thanks,
Mike
You could try it…
I would plug it into the vac port so you can control it with the coolant flood button on the f2 screen or m8/m9 commands in mdi
I thought of that as well… tried it… but for some reason I get nothing when I press the coolant flood button or use an M8.
Also tried plugging the air pump into the IoT, which is controlling the CW-3000 chiller, but that didn’t work either.
Mike
But it works when you plug it into the wall directly? Weird. The iot might be that there isn’t enough juice… i don’t know what the power draw of your pump is, but the iot is like 12a i believe. Could be wrong on that but the pump could push it over the edge
Yes, works when plugged into wall. It’s only an aquarium type pump, so it draws I believe less than an amp. My theory: I have the CW-3000 wired into the IoT, with the alarm cable. So, when I run the laser I have to change the input from high to low, or else I get a coolant flow alarm… so the IoT is not getting the ‘turn this on’ signal. I don’t see any way around that, unless maybe a second IoT for the air pump??
Which port are you plugging it into?
There’s 3 logics for 4 outlets.
Normally on, normally off, and always on. Which one are you trying to plug it into? Do you want the cw3000 on at the same? And how are you triggering the iot (thru the vfd and iot plug)?
I plugged it into one of the two ‘normally off’ outlets, adjacent to the one the chiller is plugged into. The IoT is triggered with the VFD / IoT plug, so I figured the system would interpret the laser firing the same as the spindle running, and would activate the IoT, then I could just turn the switch off on the chiller when lasering, because I don’t need that running. One flaw I see in that logic, however, is that the laser fires intermittently and rapidly, which would probably keep the IoT from working anyway, or at the very least it would constantly be turning on and off.
Try a different outlet (always on or normally on) because your logic is flawed in that it doesnt activate the iot unless the the spindle its running over ~6k rpm.
The laser firing/status has 0 bearing on the spindle and therefore the vfd.
There is also a green light on the surface that is illuminated when the switching logic is activated.
I’m willing to give anything a try… but I’m not sure I follow you. The always on is just that, always on… which would have the air pump always running unless I install a switch somewhere or unplug it. Same with the normally on… except if anything it would shut the pump off when lasering. I want the air pump to come on automatically when the laser starts a program, and turn off when the program ends.
Yes for always on.
Normally on will be on except for when it’s switched off. When you turn the spindle vfd off or stop it’ll be running.
I don’t think there’s any getting around it and it’s not going to be able to be made “dummy proof”
I figured theres no harm in it running when your spindle wasn’t
Understood…and I do appreciate the help. I’m thinking maybe the best thing for me to do is just install a single pole switch to control the wall outlet for the air pump, and I just have to remember to turn it on when lasering. That would still be better than crawling beside the machine to plug / unplug the pump.