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[souperdoo]

Hi, new guy here. Mostly I sew motorcycle and camping gear but as I searched this issue this forum kept coming up. Seemed like a good place to hang out.

I have a Juki DNU-1541 that I had the motor swapped out on before buying it. It had a clutch motor and I asked the dealer to replace that with a servo motor. The motor is a Consew CSM1000. The documentation I received with the motor was a single sheet of paper that says the same thing as what is printed on the side of the controller.

The controller is not the one that is usually seen with Consews and which is seen on their website. Apparently, it is a newer version. It's not that new, so I don't know why they don't have it on their website, but it is what it is.

I haven't been back to the dealer to ask if there was more documentation; searching the internet and seeing that Consew doesn't show this as their current controller yet leads me to believe that the answer is "nuh-uh".

I don't know if these things have common names in the industry, but I'd describe the older controller as a "two-digit display" and the newer one as a "four-digit display". Both have four buttons but they are labeled differently.

This controller, like the two-digit, is made generically in a factory somewhere and is sticker-branded by whoever chooses to sell it. I've also seen it branded as an Eagle, IIRC ( might have been in the servo thread).

My interest is in the controller's menu and the connections on the back.

Here's the controller, front and back:



Now then, to the menu! They typical two-digit controller's instructions tell of five menus, U0-U4, which are:
U0 Motor Maximum Speed
U1 Needle Position
U2 Motor Direction
U3 Needle Positioning Speed (I'm very fuzzy on what this is)
U4 Slow Start Setting

The newer controller seems to have nine menus as shown on both the instruction sheet and on the side of the motor:


I have taken the following information from the controller and below is the menu item, the setting as I received it, and the number of menu sub-items.

U0 "45" 5>70
U1, Not there perhaps because a synchronizer is not detected.
U2 "1" 0,1
U3 "12" 8 >45
U4 "0" 0>9
U5 "3" 0>9
U6 "5" 0>9
U7 "0" 0
U8 "0" 0

I believe that U0 through U4 are the same as the two-digit controller's menus. U1 does control the upper limit of motor speed that can be set with the +/- buttons on the controller. I confirmed that U2 was the motor direction and that the motor direction could be changed. I don't understand U3 "Needle Positioning Speed" so I didn't play with that parameter. U4 is definitely the "Slow Start" function.

U7 and U8 appear to be blank.

Does anybody know what U5 and U6 do?

On the back of the unit, there are two optional connections. One is a four-pin that is used for the needle synchronizer. I intend to install one tomorrow and will see if menu U1 comes to life and if the synchronizer can be retrofitted to the CSM1000.

The second optional connection is a two-pin. I wondered whether this was a power supply for an LED lamp or somesuch and if menu U7 or U8 might become active if the proper device were attached. Does anybody have an idea on that one?

Any help sorting this out would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Revv Up]

I would put a voltmeter across the 2 pin connector and see if it’s putting out 120 ac when the controller is energized for an accessories light.

[souperdoo]

@Revv Up,

It's putting out a steady 5V and is not affected by any change to menus U5 or U6. A heel rock doesn't affect it. Measuring the voltage doesn't change menus U7 or U8.

I have a cheap LED strip that I might try to connect to it. That should work, but better to hook up something cheap and let the smoke out than with good stuff. If it works I may use that source to run my Lumitask lighting under the arm.

I was inside the controller today to shorten the power cord. This is what it looks like on the inside, should it mean anything to anyone.

[souperdoo]

Today was a bust.

When the controller is first turned on it displays 'u 13' as it does whatever it does, then the max motor speed is displayed.

Taking a chip strip of LEDs, I added terminals and plugged into the 5-volt connector on the back of the controller. The LEDs came on for a few seconds and then began flashing. The controller displayed 'u 13'. That didn't seem right somehow and certainly wasn't going to be functional unless I was looking to have a seizure, so I disconnected the LEDs. More thinking along that line is required; I may chop off some of the LEDs and see if there is any change. Harde to imagine that it was too much load, so there must be something else.

My needle synchronizer did not arrive and I was unable to play with that project. That probably won't be happening until next week.

Bah!

[John]

Im curious... Is there a reason you need to know what those other settings are for? As long as your able to adjust the speed and your needle positioner works you shouldn't ever need to adjust anything else.

My best guess on those unknown setting options is that its probably something that can be programed for some more advance automated machines that you would see in a factory. Just a guess though.

[souperdoo]

@John

You're right, but...

It's a character flaw. I just can't stand not knowing. ;^)

[John]

lol yeah I know what you mean.

[souperdoo]

I had a successful experience with the needle synchronizer. This unit is the one that is sold on e-bay for $30 and $50 at Allbrands. They're all made in the Happy Needle Synchronizer factory in China.

Here's what you get in the package (note the lack of any instructions):


There's the unit, an adapter for older Singers and such and the screws to install the adapter, a couple of threaded rods of various threadings, and the general-purpose bracket.

What you need to have is a nice place to attach the bracket and then you can use one of the threaded rods with the bracket to secure the unit.

This would be a nice place for Juki to have made such a threaded hole. No hole:


There really isn't any good spot on the Juki to attach the bracket without getting really bush-league with it and I don't like bush-league too much.

There is a nice threaded stand-off that is used to secure the belt cover and one of the threaded rods has that thread on it. Seems like it's a 4mm fine thread. I decided to get creative with it. MIght be why they give you two rods with four different threadings, so you can get creative. Dunno, see the previous comment about no instructions. I decided to use that stand-off and bend the rod to secure the unit. Figuring it was cheap Chinese steel that might break if I tried to bend it cold, I heated it up with a torch so that it bent easily and bent it 90°:


I had to cut about 1/4" off of the end that threads into the stand-off so that it would go in far enough to mate with the unit.


Here's the set-up:
IMG_1132 by souperdoo, on Flickr

You may see that I have no nuts on either side of the tabs on the unit to secure it. What I found was that, after adjusting the set screws that hold it to the handwheel, it does move around some. With careful tightening of the setscrews, I've got it to where it just moves up and down a bit. I figured that securing it tightly in place would simply put stress into the sensor. All of the sewing that I do is at pretty slow speed. The most I'll run the motor at is 1700rpm. There doesn't seem to be any problem with the jiggling at those speeds. If you run WFO it might be. I haven't had a chance to run WFO; I'll report back.

Setting the thing up is pretty easy. I thought that the controller might sense the presence of the thing and activate the u1 menu. It doesn't, but no matter at all. Needle position is one of the buttons and that makes the menu unnecessary, though there is an additional step required during set-up.

Once the unit is mounted and plugged in all you need to do is push the 'N' button on the controller and see what it says. If it says 'Down' then rotate the handwheel to position the needle in the down position that you like. Loosen the setscrews and turn the unit's bushing in the opposite direction of the handwheel's normal travel (as you're looking at it, the handwheel turn counter-clockwise; turn the bushing clockwise) until the LED on the unit lights. This is the most precise way of doing it, as it brings the sensor into position just as it will when the machine is running. This is only important if you want to be precise about just how down or up the needle is when it stops. Now lock the setscrews in place, noting that you may have to fiddle a bit to get the wobble minimized.

That business about checking what the 'N' button showing what the controller is set it is this: You have a 50/50 chance of getting it right without checking. You might find that the button says the needle is going to stop in the Up position but it really stops in theDown position and vice-versa.

Now when you stop the machine the needle will stop in either the up or down position, as you've set it, and a heel rock will move it to the other position. If you want to change the position it stops in then simply go to the controller and push the 'N' button and change the needle position.

Yet to do:

Run it WFO to see if the wee up and down is an issue
Put some shrink tube on the threads where they are up in the unit so that it doesn't eat itself up
Take some measurements and see if a beer can shim can be put in place to eliminate the unit's up and down movement
Check to see if the u3 menu controls how quickly the needle goes to its position after the treadle is lifted.

[John]

Thats awesome! Thanks for the update! $30 is a great price