P/N 8851, Pg. 6 OF 10
has been dened as “0000.00” degrees. If this happens, go
to EDIT and check the program has been edited to zero.
Old programs can be erased by holding down the [9] when
the controller is turned o and turning it on. We recommend
doing this occasionally so you can start with a “clean slate.”
The “Settings” Mode
The next mode after the Program Mode is the Settings Mode.
This allows you to enter some parameters of operation for
the controller. The controller will remember these settings.
You have a choice of Slow, Fast, Direction and Backlash.
You should be familiar enough with the controller by now
to make these entries without step-by-step instructions.
Speed Setting
This is the maximum speed the table reaches in each
movement. The units are always in millimeters per minute,
and your choices are 20, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 or
600 mm/min. The table does not have as much power at
the fastest settings, so very fast settings should only be
used for positioning.
The rst parameter that shows on the screen when you hit
[ENTER] for settings is "Speed." The default setting that
shows on the screen is 400mm/min. Below that you will
see "Press NXT or PRV." By pressing [NXT] or [PRV]
you will increase or decrease the speed setting to the next
value. For example, if you press [NXT], the value will
increase to 500mm/min. If you press [PRV], the value will
decrease to 300mm/min.
Direction Setting
This parameter allows you to enter the default direction of
travel. The default setting of “3” assumes that the controller
will be driving a RH leadscrew on the X axis of a Sherline
mill, and positive values will move the table to the right. If
the controller is used to control a dierent device, a setting
of “1” may keep programming standards conventional.
Setting the Electronic Backlash Compensation
The physical backlash in the leadscrew can be minimized
with proper adjustment; however, it cannot be eliminated.
The controller supports automatic backlash correction to
compensate for whatever actual backlash remains between
the nut and leadscrew. You can enter a two-digit number. The
number entered represents steps of the stepper motor. The
motor takes 400 steps to make one revolution. Therefore,
4 steps on a Sherline metric mill equal 0.01mm of travel.
It works in this way: Every time the table makes a motion
in the “reverse” direction, it will overshoot the amount of
travel by the backlash amount, and then move “forward”
by the same amount. This will take up any backlash. You
can set the backlash correction to any amount you like.
If you set it to zero, it will not be used. If you set it to a
small amount, it can just exactly take up the backlash in the
leadscrew. If you set it to a relatively large value, you can
see the table overshoot and then return to correct position.
You can determine how much backlash to use by trial and
error and your own preference. To evaluate the current
backlash setting, go to the Positioning Mode. Enter
something like 00.500 inches. Press the [PRV] key. The
table will move in the reverse direction and overshoot the
distance specied by the backlash amount, then change
direction and move forward by the backlash amount. If the
backlash setting is small, you won’t notice it. If it is large,
it will be easy to see.
The “Jog” Mode
The Jog Mode allows you to quickly move the table with the
keypad. In Jog Mode, with no keys held down, the motor
is unpowered. This means you can turn the crank by hand
for ne positioning. You can drive the table using the [ 1
] or [ 3 ] keys for rapid, motorized motion. The [ 7 ] and
[ 9 ] keys will move the table at the “Slow” speed set in
the SETTINGS Mode. You can also take very ne, slow
steps with the [NXT] and the [PRV] keys. When you are
nished with the Jog Mode, press the [MODE] key until
the controller is in the Mode of your choice.
Remote Trigger Switch
The controller can be operated from a remote switch. This
will allow you to keep the controller in a more “friendly”
environment and have a more durable switch used for
starting a programmed sequence. To incorporate this feature,
connect the remote trigger switch that is normally open to
the SENSE INPUT and GROUND wires of the included
8-pin connector cord. Refer to Figure 5 below. (NOTE: The
rst time a program is run, it must be initiated by hitting
the [NXT] button on the keyboard. After that, it can be
initiated from the remote switch.)
FIGURE 5—Layout of the interface male connector viewed from
the back side
Cable Color Code
Colors of the wires inside the cable are not consistent from
batch to batch, so we cannot provide a reliable color code.
Use a continuity checker and the pin map shown in Figure
5 to determine the color of the wire connected to each pin.
Note the colors on the chart in Figure 5 for future reference.
Limit Switches
The Sherline Linear Controller supports the use of limit
switches to avoid running a cutter into a xture or clamp.
The limit switches should be simple “normally open
momentary contact” type switches. You can place a limit
switch at each end of the mill table if you wire them in
parallel. Arrange the switches so they will be closed by the
motion of the table when it gets too close to something you
don’t want it to reach. The limit switches are wired into
the 8-pin interface connector at the end of the controller.
(See Figure 5.)
