SOFTWARE & APPLICATION PACKAGES ssLASER, ssROUTER, ssCNC for
CUTTING, ROUTING, ENGRAVING TESTRA CORPORATION Revised 4/21/9
INTRODUCTORY PACKAGES FOR THE FIRST TIME USER ssLASER-KIT $1995
Includes: ss4544M
with 32megabyte buffer memory
Power cord, all I/O connectors and RS232 cable
NETPAN for operator control
ssLASER firmware
ssDEMO program for setup and evaluation
ssLASER.drv Windows95/98 print driver Free Technical Support
Shipping to anywhere in the world Datasheet: ssLASER.pdf
ssROUTER-KIT $2495
Includes: ss4544M
with 32megabyte buffer memory
Power cord, all I/O connectors and RS232 cable
HANDPAN handheld pendant for operator control
ssROUTER firmware
ssDEMO program for setup and evaluation
TestraMW CAD/CAM/CUT Software
Free Technical Support
Shipping to anywhere in the world
ssCNC-KIT $1595
Includes: ss4544
4 axes Stepper Motor Control System
Power cord, all I/O connectors and RS-232 cable
ssDEMO program for setup and evaluation
ssCNC program for full g-code interpretation
Free Technical Support
Shipping to anywhere in the world.
ssLASER
- Laser Cutting and Engraving Package. The ssLASER application
utilizes the ss4544 4 axes motion control system, along with either the
NETPAN or PANP for a control panel, and the ssLASER.drv
windows driver. This package allows you to literally print your laser
control from Windows95/98 applications in mixed vector, raster and
8bit greyscale formats. You can also do rubber stamps. For
example, using Corel Draw you could create a drawing of a widget to be
cut out of a plastic sheet with your logo and phone number. The logo
would be coded by a color to indicate to the driver the properties to use
when rastering with the laser. The cutting outline would be coded
by setting a minimum line width and a color to indicate to the driver that
line should be cut and at what speed and power. Printing the drawing
to the ssLASER would cause the object to be fabricated on you machine.
ssLASER.drv
- Windows Printer Driver for directly controlling the ss4544M
motion control system. This is used in conjunction with the ssLASER
software running in the ss4544 box. The driver allows you to create
an image and/or cutting pattern in your favorite drawing program,
such as Corel draw. Using colors in your drawing you can code different
lines or raster images to be cut with the laser at controlled depths using
different power, speed, and pulse density settings for each color in the
drawing. The driver supports the control of Gas assist and a user defined
auxiliary function associated with each of the eight drawing colors.
You can also automatically turn on and off your exhaust venting system.
The driver also supports a rotary fixture, automatically wrapping the drawing
around an object with a specified diameter.
Drawings may be done in either the English or Metric system.
Driver settings may be saved in setup files, to conveniently recall for
particular job types.
ssLASER Driver Specifications
ssROUTER
-Mechanical Cutting and Engraving Package with CAD/CAM/CUT.
The ssROUTER application utilizes the ss4544M
4 axes motion control system, along with the HANDPAN control
panel, and the TestraMW Windows CAD/CAM/CUT program. This package
allows you or your customers to do your design in any Windows environment,
CAM your design and send the job to the ss4544M to be run independently
on the Handheld pendant. In addition you can import DXF files from
other design programs, HPGL plot files, and G-code. HPGL and G-code
files may be used directly, or may be imported in to the CAD drawing for
modification and CAM work.
The system has 32 megabytes of program storage memory,
so there is plenty of room for multiple jobs. Jobs may be started
immediately, before the entire job file has been sent. From the handheld
control pendant you have complete control over the machine. You can
Jog all axes, set work zeros referenced to upper left or lower left, or
set and use two preset work zero positions. The system also has automatic
controls for setting the work surface, and automatic tool length compensation.
There are also built in automatic and manual controls for spindle, exhaust
or dust collection, coolant, and vacuum hold down. A totally automatic
tool change system may also be integrated by special request. With
a rotary fixture on your machine, you can also do lathe work, and 3d engraving
on cylindrical material.
The TestraMW CAD/CAM/CUT system allows you to design in 2D with some 3D
features. With the CAM system you can create output for cutting,
pocketing, islanding, inside and outside contouring, on 3D surfaces.
There are a set of centerline cut fonts and outline fonts built into the
system, You may also use any Truetype font for your lettering.
Signs are a snap. You can enter a list of text that you want to use.
Drag it around your drawing to the position you want, resize, stretch,
distort, warp, wrap, etc. to get the effect you want. You can even
place text on surfaces of various geometric objects, such as the outside
of a ball, or around a cone, etc. You can also import 3D g-Code files and
run them directly on the system. You can import DXF files from other
systems, and also export your designs in a DXF format for use on other
system.
This complete package gives you everything you need
to control and drive your machine, as well as design the items to be made
on the machine. The Router control system has many built in features
that allow a relatively unskilled person to operate the controlled machine
without a great deal of training..
ssCNC
- This is a full four axes CNC control program that runs under Windows
95/98 or in DOS mode. All timing and control is actually done in
the ss4544 system, so there
are no problems running under windows even with other jobs running concurrently.
Your computer talks to the ss4544 box on one of the standard serial communication
ports. The program interprets standard g-code commands and will accept
output from most CAM preparation programs. In addition toolpaths
drawn in a program such as Autocad may be converted by the ssCNC's DXF
to G-code converter. The software in conjunction with the ss4544
motor control system will provide high performance control to a wide variety
of CNC machines. It provides three axes linear interpolation, and
two axes circular interpolation. The continuous path feature with
look ahead gives you fast smooth machining.
Check out the specifications to see the many features
available to help in quickly setting up you job and running, such as parameterized
step and repeat, automatic setup file that saves all job parameters for
the next time you run, on the fly feed adjustment, and much more.
The
ssCNC may also be run in graphics mode. This is useful when you are
running one of a kind or first articles. When you chose to run your
job graphically you get a graphics screen with a text display and control
area on the right edge of the screen. The remaining left portion of the
screen represents either your machines extents or work area, a zoomed view
of the actual area used by the job, or a zoomed view of a portion of the
job. A job may be previewed which will display the G01 toolpath.
While actually running a job, the display will be first cleared, and the
tool path drawn as the cutting is taking place. The jobs cutter position
is shown in the display area, as well as the current elapsed time of the
job. At the bottom of the screen there is a text status line which
displays the next g-code block to be executed.
A working version of this program is included within
ssDEMO which may be downloaded. It may be run without a machine being connected
so you can see a simulation of how it works. Within the ssDEMO program
is complete documentation for setting up and using the ss4544 system.
The ssDEMO program also includes programs to setup up a machine and tune
it for optimum performance. These parameter settings are then saved
in the ss4544 flash memory for turnkey operation of the ssCNC or ssLASER
programs.
A couple of examples of 3d routing using ssCNC done by Carved
Mantels. Click on the picture for a full view, or click on their
logo to see more.
This page last updated 7/18/2001
GO TO HOME PAGE If you have comments or suggestions, email us
at support@testra.com Testra Corporation 1201 N. Stadem Drive Tempe, AZ
85281 Ph:480-560-6141 Fax:480-907-2876