timkiser
06-06-2011, 08:03 AM
I have 2 machines I want to be able to run from my Mitutoyo AT116 Linear Scales Series 539-Economy and Slim Spar Type scale and input the information into a PC. Has anyone tried this in the past? Did you have success? The other machine has a Heidenhain LS388C Incremental Sealed Linear Encoder.
Does anyone have a solution to hook up a Mitutoyo scale to a USB port?
What kind of scale? Digital caliper or glass (linear) scale?
What kind of a solution? Off-the-shelf? Roll your own?
Start by Googling 'Mitutoyo scale protocol'. This leads you to the Shumatech website (http://www.shumatech.com/support/chinese_scales.htm) where there is a link (http://www.tinaja.com/glib/muse145.pdf) to the digimatic protocol.
People have successfully used Arduino (has built-in RS232 to USB) to read Chinese scales; a similar thing could be done for digimatic if necessary.
If you are talking about linear scales, start here:
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=21140