Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Christine88 on January 11, 2015, 09:37:28 AM
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Hi, i was hoping someone could recommend a 4 axis controler board for my shapeoko 2 cnc mill. I'm looking for an all in one board that will work with Mach 3
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Just my opinion but probably the best solution is the Gecko G540. http://www.geckodrive.com/geckodrive-step-motor-drives/g540.html
Many others have purchased the cheap Chinese boards via the bay and after one problem or another have had to replace them so if you can stretch to the extra cost of the Gecko you will only need to buy once (and the after sales support is second to none).
Tweakie.
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Just my opinion but probably the best solution is the Gecko G540. http://www.geckodrive.com/geckodrive-step-motor-drives/g540.html
Many others have purchased the cheap Chinese boards via the bay and after one problem or another have had to replace them so if you can stretch to the extra cost of the Gecko you will only need to buy once (and the after sales support is second to none).
Tweakie.
What else will I need other than Mach 3 and power supply which I already have. Will I need any supporting electronics?
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You could use the G540 as is with a PC which has a parallel port, running Windows XP up to Win7 (I think) or else you would need a Mach3 external motion controller such as the Smooth Stepper http://www.warp9td.com/ for Win8 and onwards.
The ESS already has basic compatibility with Mach4 (and this is currently being worked on by Warp9) so forward upgrades from Mach3 to Mach4 will be possible in the future.
(There are many other options - I have only mentioned the devices / products I have experience with).
Tweakie.
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You could use the G540 as is with a PC which has a parallel port, running Windows XP up to Win7 (I think) or else you would need a Mach3 external motion controller such as the Smooth Stepper http://www.warp9td.com/ for Win8 and onwards.
The ESS already has basic compatibility with Mach4 (and this is currently being worked on by Warp9) so forward upgrades from Mach3 to Mach4 will be possible in the future.
(There are many other options - I have only mentioned the devices / products I have experience with).
Tweakie.
I have a UC-100. Will that work instead of the smooth stepper? I also have a PC running Win 7. I have parallel port card but not installed.
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I have never tried the UC-100 but that should work just fine with Mach3.
Tweakie.
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I have never tried the UC-100 but that should work just fine with Mach3.
Tweakie.
Yeah I actually used it with Mach 3 on another setup and it worked just fine. Unfortunately the setup was unreliable.
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Yeah I actually used it with Mach 3 on another setup and it worked just fine. Unfortunately the setup was unreliable.
May I ask why the setup was unreliable ?
Tweakie.
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Yeah I actually used it with Mach 3 on another setup and it worked just fine. Unfortunately the setup was unreliable.
May I ask why the setup was unreliable ?
Basically 4 DRV8825s and a C10 breakout board. The DRV8825s got really hot and suffered I think thermal damage.
Tweakie.
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OK, thanks for satisfying my curiosity. The DRV8825's are rated at 2Amp when fitted with the heatsink but even then fan assisted cooling is still required to stop them shutting down.
Tweakie.
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I know that to mention Chinese stuff is frowned upon, but it is not all bad. There are some nice driver boards using the new Toshiba 6600 chip with a large 2" x 2-14" X 5/8" heat sink, and they are rated at 4.5 amp, 48v. They have settable amps, and up to 16 micro-steps, and cost about $28.00 each for a single axis driver. Look on Ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Product-4-5A-TB6600-stepper-motor-driver-board-/290901201259
John
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I'd rather spend a little more and buy 4 of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DFSF9GE/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A10EAPE4CAYC9P