Third party software and hardware support forums. > SmoothStepper USB
Breakout board choices with smooth stepper
marky68:
Hi
I'm fairly new to the hardware side of Hobby CNC work, although I’ve been programming in industry for over 10 years on 3/4/5 axis large woodworking routers.
The machine I've bought has a cheap chinese break out board with very few inputs outputs. Here is the spec,
Approximately 1mtr x 1mtr cutting area with 150mm Z clearence, 3 Axis
2.2kw Chinese water cooled spindle
4PC Nema34 Stepper Motor 965oz.in 5.6A bipolar Model 86BYGH 7.7N.M113mm 4wires 34HS9456 Step Angle 1.8, Rate Voltage 5.6, Rate Current 2.13A, Phase resistance 0.35,Phase Inductance 4.1mH
4 x Stepper motor drivers DM860A, PEAK 7.8A , Set to 3.0 RMS Peak 4.2A and 2000 microstep resolution
4x Power Supply 350W-60VDC
Cheap chinese HY-JK02-M 5-axis interface board. ( I'm not enthused with the board now I understand a little bit more about them and at £10 cost it seems penny pinching to run an expensive machine with one)
16mm dia 16mm pitch 4 start thread lead screws on all axis
Kernal speed at 25000 Hz
I’m looking at your Ess smoother stepper as I wish to use a newer PC with windows 10 which I prefer and already have a spare of and have heard very good things about using one.
With regards to a bob, I want a decent one with plenty of connections for inputs and outputs. I want to control spindle on/off and also the RPM, The usual E stop, ideally pump on/off , a probe, limit and homing switches as well as all the axis XYZA. Feed speed control via remote hand controller.
I like the idea of going to mach4 too....
I have my my eye on a few here but I presume the USB type will now work with the your ESS smooth stepper if it requires parallel port connection to a bob?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-axis-mach4-board-interface-usb-cnc-motion-control-card-2000khz/303252148651?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CNC-200-KHz-4-Axis-USB-Mach3-Motion-Control-Card-Breakout-Interface-Board/123698623045?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Also looked at these,
Spec here
http://www.spark-concepts.com/cnc-xpro-controller-v3/
Now updated with this one, again doesn't mention MAch3/4
http://www.spark-concepts.com/cnc-xpro-v4-controller/
I also want a hand controller that I can control feed and spindle speed with a rotary dial/knob. I think this one will cover that.
https://www.makers-hut.com/product/mach3-4-axis-wireless-electronic-handwheel-manual-controller-mpg-usb-handle/
Any help and advice you can offer with regards to a good set up of smooth stepper and control board based on what I have and wish to upgrade will be very much appreciated,
Mark
Tweakie.CNC:
Hi Mark,
My advice would be to totally ignore the cheap Chinese motion controllers - they have issues and no customer support (plenty tales of woe posted here on the forum).
There are a number of good quality American or EU manufactured motion controllers that do provide good customer support and that is the way to go.
I have a number of different machines and applications so I currently use 5 different motion controller - they each have their own merits.
The Warp9 ESS has plenty of documentation and excellent customer support. You may like to check out their recommendations for breakout boards https://www.warp9td.com/index.php/bob-vendors
or their forum
https://www.warp9td.com/index.php/kunena/recent
Tweakie.
marky68:
Thanks Tweakie,
Warp9 have kindly replied and said exactly the same thing. As a new user I'm learning all the time especially on the hardware side.
--- Quote from: Tweakie.CNC on September 17, 2019, 03:43:40 AM ---Hi Mark,
My advice would be to totally ignore the cheap Chinese motion controllers - they have issues and no customer support (plenty tales of woe posted here on the forum).
There are a number of good quality American or EU manufactured motion controllers that do provide good customer support and that is the way to go.
I have a number of different machines and applications so I currently use 5 different motion controller - they each have their own merits.
The Warp9 ESS has plenty of documentation and excellent customer support. You may like to check out their recommendations for breakout boards https://www.warp9td.com/index.php/bob-vendors
or their forum
https://www.warp9td.com/index.php/kunena/recent
Tweakie.
--- End quote ---
Adriano:
--- Quote from: marky68 on September 17, 2019, 04:56:43 PM ---Thanks Tweakie,
Warp9 have kindly replied and said exactly the same thing. As a new user I'm learning all the time especially on the hardware side.
--- Quote from: Tweakie.CNC on September 17, 2019, 03:43:40 AM ---Hi Mark,
My advice would be to totally ignore the cheap Chinese motion controllers - they have issues and no customer support (plenty tales of woe posted here on the forum).
There are a number of good quality American or EU manufactured motion controllers that do provide good customer support and that is the way to go.
I have a number of different machines and applications so I currently use 5 different motion controller - they each have their own merits.
The Warp9 ESS has plenty of documentation and excellent customer support. You may like to check out their recommendations for breakout boards https://www.warp9td.com/index.php/bob-vendors
or their forum
https://www.warp9td.com/index.php/kunena/recent
Tweakie.
--- End quote ---
--- End quote ---
Hi Mark,
having the same issue on controller and BOB, I ask you which BOB you bought for your Smooth stepper...
I seriously thinking about changing the Sh*t chinese XHC ethernet controller.... ;)
Adrian
joeaverage:
Hi,
I use an ESS and two MB02 BoBs from Homann Designs in Australia.
Just to be clear the MB02 from Peter Homann IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the MB3 from CNCRoom.
Its unfortunate that their part numbers are so similar, it's bound to create confusion.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to Bobs with an ESS.
The first school is to use a very simple bi-directional board like the C10 or MB02. Such boards have one input port,
and for our discussion the port is identical to Machs parallel port, and can be configured with pins 2-9 as inputs OR
outputs.
With my two boards I have one set for pins 2-9 as outputs allowing plenty of outputs for motor drivers, but the second
board I have pins 2-9 set for inputs. This means I've got swags of inputs for limits, homes and probes.
The downside of such simple boards as the C10 or MB02 is that there are no opto-isolated inputs, nor are there any relay
outputs nor a PWM to analogue output. Electronics is my thing and if I need an isolated input I will make it and add it to
my MB02, likewise if I need a relay output I will arrange the output to drive a relay, often through an intermediary transistor.
Such small additions are fine if you are electronically minded but may not be to your liking.
Using C10's or MB02's offers the greatest flexibility, you can decide which boards a dedicated to inputs and which to outputs and as you
are making the translation electronics you can decide whether you want single ended or differential outputs say, and whether inputs should
be 24V tolerant for example.
The other school of thought goes that the BoB should be configured to your needs as is. The MB3 from CNCRoom is a good example.
The board has three ports and is matched to the ESS. It has a balance of inputs and outputs, some differential, most inputs are opto-isolated
and 24V tolerant. It has two relay outputs and a PWM output for a spindle. In short the MB03 should just about fill any requirement.
The cost of the board is about $180USD. The only downside, in my opinion, is that you are now bound to use the configuration determined
by the manufacturer and I rue the loss of choice, having said that many users are more than happy with the manufacturers choice.
Craig
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