Anyone on here ever used a Kflop? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: KTP
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 01:33:45 am
content: I decided to try something different for my fiber laser micro machining rig motion controls. Instead of using Mach3 and a parallel port, I am going to try a DSP based controller called the Kflop. I searched for the term on EEVblog and found 0 hits, so I guess there will be one hit now :-)It is a pretty neat little board for $250. It interfaces to a computer via USB but can run standalone. It does full Gcode for up to 8 axis with feedback and some trajectory planning.I have ordered one already but would be interested in hearing of anyone else's experience. I know there are a few on here that tinker with cnc and 3d printers and such.I am planning to use some true sinusoidal brushless EN-204 and EN-208 industrial drives I scored off ebay for $25 to $50 to run the 300 watt Tamagawa brushless motors on the NSK/Adept robot slides. The motors have 8000 count encoders and it was quite ridiculous running them on Mach3 (had to set the drives to step multiply by x10 just so I could get 2000IPM rapids). These motors are a bit finicky on trapezoidal drives but seem to run like silk on the true sinusoidal.

author: mc
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 10:34:20 pm
content: I've got a KFlop and Kanalog sitting waiting to be installed on a milling machine, but that project is currently going a bit slower than planned, as I've had a few other issues to deal with before I can get to installing the electronics.I'm hoping to make some progress once I'm back from holiday at the end of next month.

author: KTP
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 12:36:18 am
content: Cool. I was tempted to get the Kanalog board but was not sure if I would be running my drives in step/dir mode or controlling them via an analog signal from the Kflop. I figured I would try step/dir first since my drives have that feature.I use Mach3 and a parallel port right now on my Shizuoka mill...works, but definitely feels hobbyist...

author: mc
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 08:41:09 am
content: What shizzie have you got?I've got an ST-N.

author: KTP
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 11:25:03 am
content: It is a Shizuoka B-3V with 5hp DC spindle motor, BT30 taper and a 20 tool changer (not hooked up now though) and box ways on the y and z axis. It had a old Fanuc 6m control that I sold on ebay when I bought the mill for more money than I paid for the whole thing

author: Paul Moir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 04:37:33 pm
content: I helped out converting an old CNC milling machine and a CNC router to Kflop controls. Support seemed very good to me; I didn't need it but the guy actually tuning the machine did. Seems like the guy's in it out of interest more than anything. The software was very good.The only thing I remember being a bit off-putting is that the g-code was highly buffered. This caused things like manual feed rate changes and manual jogging to be really laggy, which is just the sort of thing you don't want on those items. Maybe that's fixed now.The KAnalog is definitely worth it, since it gets you going very quick. On both the machines it was pretty much plug-and-play.