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General Mach Discussion / New user has question about Mach3 setup

« on: September 16, 2006, 01:57:25 PM »

I am attempting to set up a small CNC mill with my very limited knowledge.  I have it running, but am wondering if there is a way to have the stepper motors shut off when they are not moving?  I am using a cheap driver-board that does not cut back the current to the motors when they are stopped, so the Z-axis motor gets pretty hot after a few minutes, since it rarely moves.  I think the easiest (although I'm sure it's probably not the best) solution would be to have Mach3 turn that motor off when it is not moving (if this is possible).  I think that due to the mechanical setup of the machine, it really isn't necessary to keep the Z axis motor energized all the time.  Any advice will be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.