How to make Acurite scale get along with Anilam DRO box?

I have an Anilam Wizard 150 Plus DRO box that works fine with the Anilam scale I have on the X-axis on my mill. Now I'm trying to mate an Acurite scale with the Anilam box for the Y-axis. Everything uses the 6-pin round (Amphenol?) connections.

The Anilam box works fine; I've tried both X and Y receptacles with the working Anilam scale. Hooking the *Acurite* scale to the Anilam box yields numbers that increase/decrease based on the position of the scale's reader head. But the numbers are strange -- it registers a change of 72 units over a span of about 14.5".

My buddy Holescreek feels that all the parts are working properly but that this represents an incongruity between an Anilam box and an Acurite scale. He's thinking that, with a pinout diagram of both, one could take the plug off, rewire things, and that it could be made to work properly.

Anybody have any experience with such a situation? Suggestions? Derision? Wait -- skip the derision.

Just a bit more info for anyone that knows about this stuff. The working scale is an Anilam A10 series.

I have another Anilam scale that reads the same way the Accurite scale does, showing 75 or so units over it's 15" length. This Anilam scale also has a small box full of electronics in line with the connector cable. I suspect that the resolution of the scale is incompatible with the DRO, but if someone knows of a fix to make it work I'd like to hear it.

I do have an Anilam A10 scale that we'd planned to use, but it doesn't work (cleaning didn't help). CNCme needs something to put on his Y axis that is no more than 24" long and has 11" of travel.

You might try getting on Anilam's website and find a manual. There should be some sort of keystroke sequence that will get you into the setup parameters, and from there you might be able to correct the problem with the scale resolution.
CM

I'm not familiar with that model, exactly, but Acu-Rite DROs have a password of 8891 which allows access to the scale setup menus. It may be possible to get into the setup menu and adjust the unit to match the scale's output.

CJ

I seem to remember something about "scaling factor" in connection with this sort of problem. Can you dig into the set-up tables?

Scaling factor = Correction factor?

I believe you're correct, Forrest, as I'm looking through an Anilam manual and see instructions to "Set Correction Factor" . . .

But while I had thought this could perhaps correct the problem, I see the following:
"Maximum allowable settings: +/- 40%. That wouldn't be enough of a correction to make it work, I believe.

If one could find the pinouts for the Anilam DRO display or corresponding Anilam scale, plus the Accurite scale, I thnk Mike (Holescreek) could probably redo the wiring on the scale plug to make it work.

Thanks all for your input

PS. These all use the round 6-pin plugs . . .

If you are using an older scale with a newer Dro controller, you will have to reset that scales resolution factor.

All of these scales use quadrature signalling. Basicly a dual overlapping pulse (at 90 degrees). On the scales outside case, somewheres they usually mark the resolution of that scale. This is a number with um after it. Some of the older scales only go down to 0.0005 resolution. The newer scales are able to go down to 0.0001 or better.
The resolution of the scale refers to how closely to glass is etched.
In your setup parameters you should have the option to change the number associated with each scale.

Wiring for the scales should be:
5volt +
a signal +
a ground
b signal+
b ground
reference mark +
5volt ground

don't tie the signal grounds to the 5volt ground. I have seen this destroy the scale reader.

rzap
Dallas, Texas
KF5HKF

Yes it could be an issue of resolution, wiring mating connectors differentlly or incongruity with "telemetery" we'll call it. The last problem would requuire an o-scope and an anilam tech on the phone.

There are at least 2 types of signals used on different manufacturers reader heads.
Quadrature 'square wave' signals, and sinusoidal signals.

It's been years, but I seem to recall that Analam used one of the types, and Accurite and Teledyne gurley both used the
other type. No idea on Mitutoyo or any others, although the signals on the 'magnascale' type systems are also different I believe.

If your trying to use, say, a scale that has a Sinusodial output, on a 'box' that needs Quadrature signals.......even if the
connectors are wired correctly, it......ain't gona work.....
The fact that you get it to count at all, may point to other settings or issues and not the wrong type of input signals.
But.....I would check to be sure your box and scale 'use' the same type of signals.