VanRhodes Report post Posted April 13, 2022 (edited) TL;DR Started out like crap, works pretty well now. A couple of months back I ordered the Efka AB321/DC1550 from a local rep here in Sweden thinking it would be a great addition to the Seiko SLH-2B-FH-1. I had seen some neat videos of the Efka-kit on Youtube and heard nothing but good about Efka from people online, so I was pretty eager to get it installed and try it out. I set it up and ran the SIR routine as is described in the manual and the performance of the Efka kit was a disappointment. I could not believe how poorly it handled the machine. Positioning worked, kind of. On heel back, it did two revolutions of the machine before going to needle up and the needle bar had a terrible vibration at stop. Got a few videos of the initial setup here: https://youtube.com/shorts/Fr1KZr8ba2c https://youtube.com/shorts/-tVi2nwtjTk https://youtube.com/shorts/uclztXWwARc Disappointed with the performance of the Efka-kit, I immediately began scouring through the manual and parameter list looking for some kind of solution to my problem. I also contacted the representative that sold me the kit, hoping for some qualified help. Got some tips but it really didn't sort anything out... I also reached out to Camatron Sewing and they offered up some more information, eventually I also contacted Efka in Germany. They provided a lot of directions but didn't really answer any of the questions that I had. Slowly but surely, I began piecing information together and figuring things out. 1 - The order in which you modify the parameters matters to some extent. It's not without reason they are listed in a certain order in the parameter file you can download from the controller. E.g F290, this is the first parameter you set as it defines a lot of other parameters. Also F218 is the 2nd parameter listed in the file from the drive, it's function and values aren't listed in the AB321 parameter list, but it functions similar to the F290 parameter. 0 is default and 1 will switch the controller to a model 204/205-mode, e.g., it's now adapted to work with the DA 204/205 machine and similar other heavy sewing machines. (This was a game changer) 2 - Code 5913, F400 is the master reset of the drive. Meaning if you input code 5913 (instead of 3112 after startup) and then chose F400 and increase the value, when you press E it will reset the controller back to the factory default. 3 - Efka Code levels. All of these are to my knowledge not publicly listed but I found them by chance. As you may have figured out, 5913 is the Efka level code, meaning you can access and change _all_ the parameters of the controller. Use with caution. 3112 is the "normal" level at which you can modify the normal parameters. L 0 : Operator level No code number required for these parameters. L 1 : Techncian level Code no. 1907 with V810 / V820 control panel operation. L 2 : Supplier level Code no. 3112 with V810 / V820 control panel operation. L 3 : Service level Code no. 5706 with V810 / V820 control panel operation. L 4 : EFKA level Code no. 5913 with V810 / V820 control panel operation. 4 - The AB321 contains a few typos. The formula for calculating the transmission ratio(F272) is wrong by a factor of 10. This can be cross referenced with the manual for the AB620 for instance. Also, the diagram for the needle positioner disks are wrong. They no longer have a slot so to speak. Rather, 50% of the disk, or 180 degrees, is "high" and the other is "low" and I suspect this is simply used to keep track of when the main shaft has rotated 180 and 360 degrees and to let the controller know this. For F270 needle positioning modes 1,2,3 and 4 the actual position is set by the disc and then the "opposite" position (up or down, depending on mode) is set by means of F271. 5 - For the heel back to function properly, F110 positioning speed and F116 trimming speed must match. This is also never mentioned in the manual. All in all, there's _a lot_ that isn't covered in the manual or anywhere else for that matter but it's finally functioning pretty well. For those interested, I have attached my current parameter file. This is openable via the notepad in windows. I have also included a few Youtube shorts showing how its currently functioning. I hope this thread might provide someone with the answers that I couldnt find online. Next up will be to set up the pneumatics. https://youtube.com/shorts/8pgyXVS_164 https://youtube.com/shorts/8u4fXp6Sskg https://youtube.com/shorts/E1jstD2n5v4 https://youtube.com/shorts/dI_pTNYk2kY 0109DATA.par Edited April 13, 2022 by VanRhodes I posted by accident. Im updating the post. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted April 13, 2022 49 minutes ago, VanRhodes said: Got a few videos of the initial setup here: The last video has better performance then the first two but I wouldn't be satisfied with that shuttering. I would suggest you send those video's to the your local rep that recommended the setup and ask them what the problem is the Efka. If it was mine I would just repackage it and sent it back for a refund. kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanRhodes Report post Posted April 13, 2022 @Kgg - I posted the initial topic by accident and have since then updated with more text and videos of the current situation. Its sewing pretty good as is but granted I would like the motor to stop even more distinct. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted April 13, 2022 8 minutes ago, VanRhodes said: Its sewing pretty good as is but granted I would like the motor to stop even more distinct I agree. For me it and the price it would have to be spot on perfect. I still wouldn't be pleased particularly at the price. I did find a price from College Sewing for about £970.00 / $1275 USD / $1600. kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanRhodes Report post Posted April 14, 2022 6 hours ago, kgg said: I agree. For me it and the price it would have to be spot on perfect. I still wouldn't be pleased particularly at the price. I did find a price from College Sewing for about £970.00 / $1275 USD / $1600. kgg As far as I know, it's one of the most expensive motor setups out there and I really had high expectations. As it is right now, I am fairly confident the handwheel and its 11 kg of mass is bigger issue and not necessarily the motor/controller. But I will be messing about a little more with the settings to see if I can fine tune, right now I'm just happy to have gotten it to this stage. Here's the current performance when sewing through 8 layers of mil-w-4088 type 13 webbing. In this case, performance isn't bad. Very high torque and great performance in this situation. (never mind the skipped stitch, I have since adjusted the machine) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
falseyellow Report post Posted June 8, 2022 I have used several efka boxes. The most difficult to set up is AB321. In fact, you can choose DA321. This is the box I use on my machine now. The setting is relatively simple, and there is no parking jitter problem you mentioned. With DC1550 horsepower is enough, much easier than AB321. The problem I encountered with the AB321 is: after resetting it has a safety lock, you need to change 245 to 0; 290 is 47, even if you use 5913, you can't modify it, so many functions can't be used; the shortcut keys on the 820 display screen can't be used. Use... If you have a problem with parking jitter, you can try to have an option to lock the power of the nose when parking (153). If the value is increased, it should be able to lock without jitter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
