Low Voltage on Machine Interface

[WhitesPerformanceMachine]

Good Morning All.
I recently tore the controller for my Burntables CNC all apart. Ripped out the THC and integrated/retrofitted the Proma into it. I had to create a new profile for it in Mach3. One of the next issues I had was when I took Sheet CAM off the non-internet machine PC and put it onto my laptop, it then proceeded to update from V3 to V6, all of this is fine and good as I now know most of the ins and outs of how all of this works as well as a day of sit down assistance with Al from Eagle Plasma (by far the most helpful person I've worked with in person and thankfully only a 3hour drive away HAHA). SOOO... with all that said my Proma isn't working and I think I have it narrowed down to what was most likely the original problem that caused me to tear out the Burntables THC, (funny though turning that knob would have never fixed it....) I'm only getting .25V from my PM65 coming from the 50:1 output... not sure how else to explain it. I've checked the input to the step down board when cutting and its not showing any real voltage (roughly the same as the .25V output). I have not explored up-stream of that small step down board yet. Has anyone else had this problem? is it something simple? This is the third PM65 I've had, the first two had hardware issues and were replace by Hypertherm at no cost and were AWESOME to deal with. I also love the fact that they are right next door in NH, It's nice to support the semi-locals.
Is this something I should return the machine and have it checked out/repaired? I'm hoping that JimColt will chime in on this one. I'll be partially pissed if this whole summer/fall of rebuilding this machine was due to a problem in my PM65, the sweet part is that the BT THC is gone forever and I'll never get the "turn the knob" solution to all of its shortcomings. Sure the Proma is simple and primitive, but so is 98% of the work I do on my table. In my opinion Plasma is for fabrication and art, especially at the hobby grade prices, its not a laser or CNC Mill.

Any Help will be greatly appreciated.

[sphurley]

where are you testing the voltage? Do you have the CPC connector? You might look at the divider board and see if anything looks burnt.

[sphurley]

PS, I thought the Proma had it's own divider?

[WhitesPerformanceMachine]

The Proma does have its own divider, You can hook it up for raw voltage, or you can hook it up 50:1. I have the standard Interface cable that plugs into the back of the Hypertherm PM65. I tested Voltage @ the end of wires @ the machine control box and it is reading .25V while cutting. The Proma doesn't even register this. To test the Proma I put a 1.5V AA battery to the 50:1 input and got 79V the battery was testing 1.6V so that seemed fine. Next I took the cover off the PM65 and tested the output of the Divider card its was .25V so I know that my wires to the machine Controller are good. I then tested the Voltage feeding the divider card. it was roughly the same as the output. One of the electronics guys here @ work has said that if the input isn't enough then it probably will not step it down. So My next step is to go upstream to whatever feeds the divider board, it is still under warranty so I am just checking voltages and hoping that is just something that is loose, or for someone to chime in and say "I had that problem it was this" or "I had this problem and Hypertherm had to fix it"

[sphurley]

Pages from PM6585SM.pdf - Adobe Acrobat Pro.pdf

(277.27 KiB) Downloaded 52 times

It looks like there is a 20:1 on the main board and then the dip switch divider board takes it down from there.
You might measure the voltage before the divider board. Sound like you are calling Hypertherm.

[WhitesPerformanceMachine]

Hmmmm, Seems like if the feed is 20:1 then the input should should be reading MUCH higher than .25V. I agree with you. I'll shoot them an email.
Thank You

[WhitesPerformanceMachine]

I haven't received a reply from Hypertherm yet, I emailed a guy I had been talking to several months ago so its very possible he's on vacation or something with the approaching holidays. I did do some more digging and was able to figure out that the interface plug/divider are part of an add on kit that you can buy after the fact. Essentially its not "hardwired" in, I had not chased the cables back to their origin yet my fingers are crossed that it is simply that the plug at the J32 connection has come loose since I've been handling and moving the unit more than I care to since I've been working on the machine.

[jimcolt]

Always best to contact technical service at Hypertherm. technical.service@hypertherm.com or 1 800 643 9878 will get you right in.

The Powermax 65 has a 1/20th output voltage from the main power board. This then feeds the voltage divider board that breaks it down further to 21.1 / 1 , 30/1, 40/1 and 50/1 depending on the dip switch setting. If there is no output on this signal from the main power board...then you will obviously get nothing as well from the voltage divider board. I would suspect that something may have failed on the burn table THC that shorted the voltage divider output on the Powermax unit. If the 20/1 output is dead it means replacing the power board.....but I would suggest working with tech service to troubleshoot. If you have a voltage divider with the Proma...then I would suggest you use that and run it off the screw terminal connections on the powerboard for raw arc voltage (document attached).
Jim Colt Hypertherm

Raw Arc Voltage.pdf

(1.7 MiB) Downloaded 57 times

[WhitesPerformanceMachine]

As much as I have grown fond of blaming the problems on Burntables, I also had my wireless router die and kill the modem as well so there was a surge of some sort at some point.... My fingers are still crossed that it is a problem with the divider coming un-clipped/un-plugged/just loose from the supply. It would be the first thing that has gone right since spring when the THC crapped out. I figure I'm due for some good luck and a break HAHA. Either way I'll get it fixed soon.