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Spindles

There are two spindles catered for on this system:

• Sp0 = the main spindle, and
• Sp1 = the rosette phaser/multiplier

In LinuxCNC terms, these are often referred to as $0 or $1 (respectively).

However, there are two modes of operation for the spindles, and this is a system-driven function.

Traditional Usage

Stepper Motor Connections

Using the configuration shown to the right, you can make a lot of things happen. For example,

• Using only Sp0 and Sp1, you can do the traditional stuff we do on rose engines (e.g., rocking & pumping).

• Using Sp0 and Z, you can make a Turks Head
  • Move the cutter in (moving the Z axis by hand)
  • Move the cutter out (moving the Z axis by hand)
  • Index the Spindle (Sp0; using Rose Engine Butler’s index function)
  Repeat as necessary

When the spindle is to be used as in a typical lathe operation, it may be used for two types of operations:

Run Operation	This is used to run the spindles as is done on most rose engines (e.g., for rocking or pumping). On Rose Engine Butler, the menu to the right is used (as shown in the picture to the right). These fields are used to determine how it operates. ENA is used to enable or disable the spindle's operation. If a command is sent to the spindle’s stepper motor, but it is not enabled, no operation will happen, and an error message will eventually popup (usually a “following error”). The speed for the spindle is called the feed rate. For Sp0 (main spindle), the maximum is 10 rpm, but that is probably too fast for most rose engine work. For Sp1 (rosette phaser/multiplier), the feed rate is set as a percentage of the Sp0 spindle. It has range of up to 1,000% (10x) of the speed of the Sp0 spindle. If it is set at a negative number, it runs in the opposite direction. If it is set to 0, it will not run. There are 3 buttons which are used next: Run in the forward direction, Run in the reverse direction, or Stop running.
Indexing	This is used to index the spindle(s) orientation as is done using an indexing wheel or a click plate. On Rose Engine Butler, the spindles to be indexed must be ENAbled. Then, the menu on the right side of the screen is used, and these fields are used to determine how it operates: Distance is a numeric value, and then the operator determines if this is: degrees, or divisions of a circle Which spindles are to be indexed. Select Sp0 to index the Sp0 index, Sp1 to index the Sp1 index, or Both Sp0 and Sp1 to index both spindles together. If none are selected, nothing will happen. There are 2 buttons which are used next: Index in the forward direction, or Index in the reverse direction. The stop button noted above will stop this if needed.

Connections

For this, the spindles are connected to whichever jacks are assigned to Sp0 (the main spindle) and Sp1 (the rosette phaser/multiplier) on the Axis Selection tab of the Settings program. By default, these are channels 04 and 05, the right-hand pair of plugs on the Base Box.

Synchronized Usage

Stepper Motor Connections

If the spindle(s) need to have their movement synchronized with another axis (or axes), the spindle motors are not connected as above. Instead, each is run as a rotary axis (either A, B, or C).

Using the configuration shown to the right, you can make threads (for example). X would typically be unused, though the threading function uses it to move the cutter away from / into the piece.

This synchronized movement is performed via gCode, or from the main screen's Sync Move and Threading tabs. For threads, use the Threading tab. (LinuxCNC's own threading commands, G33 and G76, cannot be used on Rose Engine Butler - they expect the work to be turned by the Sp0 spindle, not by an axis such as C.)

Connections

For this, the spindles are connected to the jacks on the panel which are configured for use as rotary axes.