CRP300 Spindle / VFD Retrofit Guide

Control Box Modification¶

The first step in setting up your Spindle will be to upgrade your current CNC Controller with VFD compatibility. You should have received a 14-pin SP/THC cable and strain relief fitting with your Retrofit Kit.

The strain relief will be used to attach the provided SP/THC cable to your control unit. There should be an unused hole in your control unit's gland plate, this will be where the strain relief is installed.

The left (as shown) threaded end of the strain relief should be installed into the gland plate of the control unit, from the exterior. The clamping collar (at left in photo) should then be threaded onto the strain relief, from the interior, to hold it in place on the gland plate.

At this point, one end of the SP/THC cable should have the 14-pin connector removed with the wires stripped to bare leads as shown in the photo series below.

Clip one end of the SP/THC cable as shown above.

Strip the sheathing on the cable back at least 1.5" (it is easier to work with if you strip 1.5 - 3").

Separate out the wires listed below, depending on which SP/THC cable you have. They may now be ferruled or tinned if you desire, although they will function as bare wires. The remaining wires are not used and can be cut back.

Gray SP/THC cable:

• Black, Red, Orange, and Green wires.

Black SP/THC cable:

• Black, White/Black, Brown, and White/Brown wires.

8.7 HP systems with hardwired SP/THC cable:

• Orange/White, White/Orange, Green/White, and White/Green wires.

The clipped and stripped end of the SP/THC cable can now pass through the strain relief installed in your gland plate.

Ensure the cable nut (shown at the right in the strain relief image) is partially threaded onto the strain relief prior to inserting the cable.

Once there is a sufficient length of cable inside your control box to reach your PMDX 107, the cable nut can be tightened down onto the strain relief. This will secure the cable to the control unit.

Insert the ferruled cable ends into the PMDX 107 isolated speed control card as shown. From left to right they will be:

If you have not tightened your strain relief, you can do that now.

All physical connections have now been completed in your control unit. At this point you should ensure your PMDX 126 break out board is configured for speed control and communication with the PMDX 107. Please refer to PMDX's documentation to determine appropriate dip switch and jumper settings:

http://www.pmdx.com/Doc/PMDX-107_Manual_12.pdf

http://www.pmdx.com/Doc/PMDX-126_Manual_19.pdf

Your control unit is now ready to communicate with your new Plug and Play Spindle / VFD System.

Spindle Controller Connections¶

14-Pin SP/THC Cable¶

Connect the 14-pin SP/THC cable to your Spindle Controller.

M23 Spindle Cable¶

Connect the male end of your M23 spindle cable to your Spindle Controller, aligning the arrow on the cable connector with the arrow on the panel mount connector.

Power Cable¶

Plug the power cable from the Spindle Controller into an appropriate receptacle, based on your application below.

3 HP and 4 HP Plug and Play Spindle / VFD System

• L6-30 receptacle (200-240VAC single-phase)

8.7 HP Plug and Play Spindle / VFD System

• L21-30 receptacle (200-240VAC three-phase)
• If running on single-phase, refer to power requirements for this system.

Spindle Connection¶

3 HP Avid Spindle¶

Connect the female end of the M23 spindle cable to the spindle, aligning the arrows as in the previous step.

4 HP Avid Spindle¶

Step 1

Inspect both sides of the connector.

On the M23 6-pin cable connector, make note of the three sunken keyholes highlighted in yellow below.

On the spindle port, you will see three raised plastic keys highlighted in yellow below.

Step 2

Rotate your cable so that the keyholes are in the same orientation as the raised keys on your spindle port

When the ports are properly aligned, the debossed arrow on the cable connector (circled above) will be pointing directly in between the two spindle keys that are closest together.

Step 3

With the ports aligned, push, but do not force, the connectors together.

The cable connector should seat easily into the spindle port before the threads engage.

Step 4

Turn the cable connector clockwise to attach it to the spindle.

8.7 HP Avid Spindle¶

Connect the female end of the M23 spindle cable to the spindle. Ensure the connector is seated before tightening.

Mach4 Setup¶

After the physical connections are complete, the next step is to configure Mach4 for your spindle. If you have not configured Mach4 for your machine, follow the steps in the CNC Software Setup Guide.

If you are currently using Mach4, you will need to update your Mach4 configuration using the Avid CNC Mach4 Configuration menu. When selecting a Cutting Tool, choose "Spindle" (or "Spindle / Plasma" for dual-use machines) and the appropriate Spindle Type.

Once you have configured Mach4 with a Spindle cutting tool, you will see the spindle control functions shown above. For more detail about each of the buttons and DROs, refer to the Mach4 Users Guide. Each spindle type has a pre-defined minimum and maximum speed, as shown in the table below.

To manually adjust the spindle speed, enter a speed within your spindle's range into the Spindle Speed DRO. If you enter a value too low, it will bump up to the minimum, too high and it will bump down to the maximum.

Once you have input a valid spindle speed, click the Spindle toggle button to turn the spindle on and run it at that speed (Mach4 will need to be enabled to turn the spindle on).

Check that you can adjust speed while the spindle is on by entering various speeds (between your spindle's min and max speeds) into Spindle Speed DRO and hit enter.

If the spindle responds to these speed commands, your VFD and Spindle package is ready for use!

If you experience any trouble while following this guide, please feel free to Contact Us.