DRO Assistant / Virtual Tool Box

LFEngineering · May 23, 2011

This ones got a little bit of a build up to it, but if you keep reading it'll make some sense, Trust me.

I'm a recently graduated Engineering Tech who runs a small one man shop on the weekends. My mill is a 1950s Bridgeport Round Ram with digital scales. Throughout my forum surfing I've read that some DRO setups have the capability to do some programming, bolt patterns and such. This gave me an idea, why not move the shop computer (my old college laptop) to the Bridgeport & write up an excel sheet to spit out coordinates for me.

Well I did, I created a program which I call the Virtual Tool Box, my computer sits to the right of my machine like a DRO screen and provides me with programs to create circular & rectangular bolt patters & key-ways. On the home screen I've also a links to a digital copy of the Machinery's Handbook, digital machine manuals & maintenance records, shop notes, tool inventory ect.

My question is as machinist what other features would be helpful? I'm talking anything from other types of bolt pattern calculators to a count down timer till happy hour.

Have some fun with this, as you can see from the pictures I did.

For those of you who don't know, that's Bender the smartass robot sidekick from the tv show Futurama

Here's a picture with the computer on it's swivel mount. And yes I have a keyboard cover coming to protect it from chips and stuff.

First rough layout of what one of the calculators might look like. Of course you could do all this math by hand by that's what we use computers right to make our lives "easier"

i_r_machinist · May 23, 2011

That's pretty cool! You might want to put a chip guard over that scale. How did you hook up the scales to the computer?
have fun
i_r_machinist

atomarc · May 23, 2011

i_r_machinist said:
That's pretty cool! You might want to put a chip guard over that scale. How did you hook up the scales to the computer?
have fun
i_r_machinist

I might be wrong but I don't think the laptop is hooked to anything. It merely give you parameters that you follow with the little digital readouts...although I could be all wet!

Stuart

LFEngineering · May 23, 2011

I haven't got the scales hooked up to the computer yet. I heard there was a kit & program called YADRO but the guy who makes it went AWOL about a year ago and they kits are all sold out. I have a guy helping me at work with reverse engineering it but that could take awhile. Yea for now I just bend down and look at the readouts.

Also thanks for the chip guard idea, It'll be done asap.

i_r_machinist · May 23, 2011

You figure that out and give me a shout. I'd be interested in buying one.
have fun
i_r_

Rex TX · May 23, 2011

PC as DRO

I've been looking for that for years. With all the old PCs and laptops we all have sitting idle, and the cheap LED screens out now, why are we paying $400 and up for a DRO ?

I'd love to be able to buy a USB interface to linear scales.

And back on-topic, what's the URL for your site?

Chip Chester · May 23, 2011

I'm pretty sure I've seen both the physical interface and protocol on the interwebs.

Now, adding a way for the user to overlay and calibrate that display with common USB microscopes, in a manner similar to an optical comparator... that would be interesting. For dimension take-offs, or use kinda like an optically-referenced, manually-actuated duplicator.

That's enough scope creep for now...

Chip

i_r_machinist · May 23, 2011

Rex Tx, My thoughts exactly.
i_r_

ZAGNUT · May 23, 2011

pretty sure i've seen a simple way to interface glass scales with a parallel port (most good old laptops have this) but the software is kinda dumb and does nothing but read out the positions. the other thing that made me just go with the full DRO package is that the scales by themselves aren't a whole lot cheaper than the full kits. it's almost as if they're giving the reader away free with the scale purchase.

machfab · May 23, 2011

Parallel port

Parallel ports will not count fast enough for a linear or rotary scale. You would have to have an IC or series of IC's to do the counting and just read the status of them and update the display.

Clive603 · May 23, 2011

Glass scales are usually basically TTL quadrature output with, I think, extra reference pulses. LabVIEW can be made to handle this just fine with an output as sophisticated as you want. Not exactly cost effective once you have bought the program but I suspect a sufficiently attractive package could be marketed via E-Bone or Internet giving some saving over the dedicated readout. However a keyboard isn't ideal for on machine control and its questionable if enough bells 'n whistles could be included to produce a sensible product.

iPad style tablet is probably a better home but cost effective it ain't.

Clive

Rex TX · May 23, 2011

with apologies for the topic drift....

Those digital-caliper type scales are cheap enough now. I bought a 3-axis set, new for $90 recently.
I realize they aren't as accurate as Newall scales, but they are accurate enough for 90% of what I do.
As for just displaying coordinates, I'm OK with that.
But the rest of the functions are just math, and that's what PCs are good at, right?

The iPad suggestion is a good one. But even better, the Droid tablets are half the price (<$300) and have USB ports and card slots. They run Android OS, which is an open system. And you know they will be dirt cheap in 2 years.
If I can buy a OBD2 cable and software for my iPhone for well under $200, a PC- or tablet-based DRO should be do-able.

3t3d · May 23, 2011

Now if you wanted something cool............
Allow the user to "touch off" maybe via the key pad when measuring a feature, then have the software calculate the feature geometry...
Also Scale Rotation... (drool.... )

So, you touch off two points, and the DRO Assistant now knows the location of the X axis, (rotated) for example.. This way, you could bolt on the vise, touch it off, and the DRO will align the display grid to the vise, as mounted...

Or, touch off three points, and you can find the center and radius of an arc...

Touch off four points and you just found the size and location of a sphere.. (tooling ball)

And during the touch off.. the DRO assistant "knows" which axis approached, and can deduct the size of the spindle probe/edge finder....

If you build a system that can do that.. I suspect you will have a WINNER.
People will seek out your advise and send you many dollars.

They will put you on a stamp.....
Well, maybe.

Rex TX · May 23, 2011

Is there a programmer in the house!! ???

LFEngineering · May 23, 2011

My website? Left Field Engineering

LFEngineering · May 25, 2011

I know the scale to computer interface would be great & I'm working on it, but does any other ideas of programs or addons?

Clews Machining · May 25, 2011

I really like the "touching off" idea that 3t3d suggested. What about making a page where you can input 3 coordinates of an arc and it will give you the radius and center point? That could be very useful. Also, what about an option to input your own center point for the bolt circle, instead of just being stuck with 0,0. That should just be a simple offset. I'm sure others will chime in with other thoughts, but those are the first few that come to mind.

Ethan

LFEngineering · May 26, 2011

Could someone elaborate on the touching off? I'm having a hard time visualizing it. I do like the 3 points of an arc idea.

I just added a Speed & Feed Calculator which spits out data in: Seconds / Handle Crank too.

3t3d · May 26, 2011

If you use an Edge Finder, you spin it up, and approach the work, slowly.
a soon as the edge finder touches the work, it will snap sideways. It is very repeatable.
Here is a video:
YouTube - ‪Using an Edge Finder - Tormach CNC‬‏

Many people will not have an electronic edge finder, or tool probe for that matter. But, they Will have an edge finder.

If you use an edge finder, you could approach the part, find the edge and tap a key on the keyboard to tell the DRO Assistant you just found the edge.

That's what I meant by "touching off"

The uses for it are almost endless.

The first one that comes to mind is Scale Rotation. If you used and edge finder to find two points on the fixed jaw of a vise, then the DRO Assistant will know just exactly how "Rotated" the vise is.
It is possible from that point on to rotate the work display so that the X,Y coordinates Displayed are square with the vise.
This could be a Huge time saver! No need to tram in the vise, Just Bolt on the vise, touch off on the jaw, and the display trams itself to the vise jaws... touch off twice, and Go!

And of course being able to recognize a "Touch off" in the DRO Assistant could make it really simple to set up parts... Especially if the DRO Assistant could recognize which direction you just approached the work from.. Which axis you approached it with, and automatically use the correct (+/-)offset for the "touch off".

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DRO Assistant / Virtual Tool Box

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