Dude, THANK YOU! Honestly, this is the best "Stepper Motor CNC Setup for Beginners" on RUclips. I've tried watching other ones, but dang... they're sooooo boring!!!! This was easy to watch. Much love, Bro!!!!
Nice job on the video Thanks for the info. Here is a tip . When using a longer lengths of cabling ; Look for and use cable with twisted pairs this will eliminate cross talk between the servo A and B, any free spare wires should be strapped together at each cables end and or placed to ground as would be done with a inter metallic shielding ; That will prevent unwanted induction sources from corrupting intended signal. Should signal become corrupted search for a high resistance open - frayed wires/ broken portions will cause an unbalance in the lines and will act as an antenna inducing unwanted frequency.
Thank you kindly for being so very thorough in your explanation. I followed your every word like gospel and am now in process of building my own. Your inspiration was mine. Cheers! Stevo (sn00ch).
Whoohooo i found another DIY CNC builder from south Africa, im from WC , nice machine you got there, i'm in the process of building my own very first machine :)
NickDG Great stuff!!! I am also from the Western Cape and an also researcing into buildings my own CNC. We should get a local forum to connect and help each other if you would think it could be helpfull. I want to use Arduino Uno but I don't know of what drivers I should go for. I want to use NEMA 23 3amp motors.
for sure, if you guys have whatsapp we can create a group there, think it would be easiest if you guys are interested we can make a plan to share numbers
excellent tutorial. And your accent is fully understandable. Thanks for not inserting music.... I would rather keep hearing the birds singing in the back ground! Keep it up!
Sorry it took me so long to find your page :( great little video, still the best video on drivers and splitting the motor windings. I know I’m very late but thanks for your video, the community is sooooooooo much bigger that it was when the video was made , if your still into cnc/printers, I would love to see you build and explain an arduino uno + cnc shield, with those style drivers start to first test print, Really shame there isn’t any new videos, I think you were just a few year,
thanks please more detail about wiring all component of the cnc machine motor ,drivers, breakboard, limit switches,power supply, and how to wiring spindel to those component programming
Not sure how to communicate with you so there will be a delay...... Going to get some sleep for now.... Thank you for responding. Oh I was an N/C Specialist/Programmer for almost 30 years but, never got into the machine components past FANUC PAL. Aerospace multi axis. I miss it and I have a project or 2 as a hobby.
It sounded like you were explaining what I needed to know in a way that was understandable for I dont know shit yet about this. And that's one of the reasons it was hard to follow you. But the main reason it was difficult was that microphone at some times was positioned were I could not understand what you were mumbling. Or the words just stop being clearly understood along with a bit of an accent which made it even more harder to understand since I had no clue about this anyways. But if you do make another one that the whole video would be quit clear and audible I would like to see it thank you.
when you were talking about motors, and resistance, how many different size motors fit on these boards? so if its a 3 axis cnc, must all 3 motors be the same? So fat this has been the most helpful video (and by a South african Woot)
Gareth Diedericks Motors can be mixed sizes, depending on how much torque you need to drive each axis, and the driver associated with each motor could be different depending on the power requirements of the motor. However, if you use two motors to drive one axis (as many folks do for the x axis), they should be identical, as well as their drivers. For simplicity, it would be easier to connect and program everything if you used all the same drivers (not necessarily all the same motors), just figure out what is the largest that you need (power-wise) and use that for each motor, no matter the size. A more heavy-duty driver on a smaller motor will not hurt anything as it can be programmed for the motor size. A driver that is too small for the motor, however, is not a good choice. Good luck.
Hi there - yes there are many different versions of BOBS and cost. I really suggest one start of with some cheaper / smaller motors even if it's to to understand how it all goes together and how the software works. there are allot of moving parts and the costs add up quickly
Thanks, Some good info there. However I would like to learn more about the power supplies... linear vs regulated. and how to figure power requirements.
Bill Conroy Hi Bill here is some info on the difference between the type of power supplies www.valuetronics.com/Manuals/Lambda_%20linear_versus_switching.pdf I moved away from switch mode because of the amount of failures I had with the Chinese versions I purchased. to calculate the power needed for the machine really comes down to the motors and how much they will need, I worked on Max stalling power of each motor.
Thanks for the response, and that is some good info on the differences between the two types; however what I really meant was how to calculate what power supply I would need for my stepper motors. I can't seem to find any good straight forward reference for a given NEMA 23 or 34 stepper motor. There are many different calculations with crazy multipliers for a given motor. I don't want to burn up a motor just because I didn't understand what I was reading, and I have doubts when I read that I need to multiply the rated voltage of say a 4 volt motor by 25 to equal a power supply of 100 volts! I would think I might melt the stepper motor! Anyway if you could shed some light on this subject I would appreciate it.
Hi Bill, there are a few factors to this the one is the motor and the other is the driver and it depends on which of each you have will determine the numbers for example Gecko Drives I have can take 24v to 80v input which can drive the steppers. here is a link to better understand the motor calculation wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Stepper_Formulas but on a side note a stepper motor in the main is stalled "holding force" when not moving and can be stalled all day long. one of the best ways of checking the motor is by monitoring it's temperature the are mostly design to run at 80 deg I would say don't run them at more then 60 deg. Hope this helps Mark
I have one question sir, I have a Chinese CNC machine which make some weird noise at some point, i am thinking it is a wired connections are not good any suggestion, by the way my question is if CNC motors are different in z and same in x and y we need to change the dip setting for z axis separately or can we use the same dip setting on the x and y by default it is same for all axis
Tried assembing it today but the bottom axis (Y) doesn't align the bearings with the shaft.. they are missaligned by some 1mm and can't get shaft in without having it bent and binded. Any chance of getting the original files to move the bearing by a bit? Not sure if I have other version of mf70 (it's some 5 years old now).
Hallo Vasto. Thanx for the great informative video. In your video you mention that you use a Rack and Pinion system to propel the axes. I have tried to source the finer toothed type that you see on You Tube videos localy, but it seems all I can get is the rough type as used on security gate motors. Can you recommend a supplier please. Thank you Brian Biggs
Hi, what is the difference to put this electronic set for cnc plasma as shown in your video than for example arduino atmega 2560 +ramps 1.4 from my 3d printer? Why all cnc makers uses these breakoutboards ? thanks
+Simonas Kukta - I believe one can use a Arduino. this is great for people who are doing CNC more as a hobby and are happy to be codding the board - the pre designed BOB "not all are the same" are designed to work with the already created CNC software. I designed my machines to be able to run in a CNC business / Long run times with low risk of failure for DIY setup
Hi Vatso... thank you... now i deleted both my message, and your reply. i thank you so much for the reply... i find that not all people like to reply, because they are busy. can i ask you one thing please? : It is the first machine the guy from Witbank installed a system on. My diy plasma table. He advised me to connect the one probe wire to the nozzle of the torch, and the other end wth the clamp fitted, to clamp on the steel plate...and both wires was connected to the bob. when we tested the cnc machine in ''demo'' mode, evrything was fine. only when i brought it to NAMIBIA, and connected the plasma cutter, the machine started to move...until the z axes (torch) touched the steel. then evrything burnt. the bob burnt, my computer processor damaged, and the plasma cutter also damaged. there was no fuse or circuit breaker to avoid this. the ''box'' (plastic) was not earthed to the frame. i think the probe wires was the wrong advice. he showed me pictures on watsap to connect the probe wire to the nozzle. but i see on internet other handheld torches without a wire?? o... and the cheap chinese bob was 12v and not 24 volt... i ordered the exact bob, only to discover its 12v. i will use a stepdown transformer now to operate, until i buy another set. is there a guy in s.a. who you know i can ask assistance from? please?. and is there a supplier wher i can buy this chinese parts? to import is about 4 weeks! thank you so much for your kindness. o.... please come back...we need your expertise in s.a. lol
Sorry to hear that, you can not run a touch off like that the arc voltage from the plasma cutter would have caused this :( - you need to make a floating head for your plasma cutter so that there is no voltage that can come from the plasma touch or you need to buy a THC that caters for that type of touch off and to be honest it's not worth it as the more you cut the more build up you will get and the touch off won't work if there is any dirt between the plasma head and steel.
my friend... im guilty of asking you to much...sorry for that, but im unsure, and cant afford another mistake like this...and i see you know this machines well. okay, i made a floating torchbracket (i took one of those red welding triangle magnets, and glued a rubber between the two red plates like a rubber sandwich and removed the magnet, and use it on the z axis bracket to hold the torch bracket.) i wish i can fwd images to you. can i ask you please explain to me about the probe wires.: i have 2 wires... one is an earth from the torch nozzle to the bob, and the 2nd one is the earth clamp from the sheet to the bob.... and i hve this rubber insulation on the torch bracket. what do you suggest?: a) do you advice me to remove the probe wire from the nozzle? b) what about the probe wire on the earth clamp to the sheet? if i remove any probe wire...how will the torch then touch the sheet to register the thickness of the sheet and lift again to ignite? my system burnt because of this...the moment the torch touched the sheet, evrything burnt. sorry my friend, but i find no advice here in vamboland (north namibia) i mistakenly sent you my emailadres... but mabe if we can email, i can send you photos. thank you so much for advicing me johan uys
Hi Johan, no wires from your BOB or machine must go anywhere near the plasma torch or earth cable. this is causing things to get damaged Power supply -- The plasma power supply converts single or three phase AC line voltage into a smooth, constant DC voltage ranging from 200 to 400VDC. This DC voltage is responsible for maintaining the plasma arc throughout the cut. It also regulates the current output required based on the material type and thickness being processed. Arc Starting Console - The ASC circuit produces an AC voltage of approximately 5,000 VAC at 2 MHz which produces the spark inside of the plasma torch to create the plasma arc. I will try do a video this weekend trying to explain Etop switches and touch off switches.
I'm having trouble understanding the dip switch setting on a Longs DM542A controller. Can you explain or how do you know were to set them. Thanks for any help and I like your video I understand the 1,2,3,4 just not sure about the 5,6,7,8 dip switchs. I running Nema 23 1/8 deg/step 3.0 amp motors
did you use the same BOB on your CNC plasma ? did you use THC on your CNC plasma ? if yes which board did you use to communicate with plasma or which pins
Hi . very nice tutorials . I have a question, i moved a working CNC from my garage to my shop and I disconnected Parallel PORT Cable only , and now when i connected Parallel port back my computer gives me 404- Parallel Port Address Conflict. is there any way to fix it... Im new to this. Thank you
Wicked CNC was wondering where did you get the aluminium extrusion from, was that a local pruchase or overseas as well? Any chance of doing an overview for the assembly of your machine and possibly a cost breakdown?
Hi Vatso, I have a problem wiring the Chinese board. I made a graphic of how I have it wired up and I would really appreciate if you could have a look and tell me what's wrong with it. Is there a way I could send it to you?
Hey Vetso, nice to see another SA person online... i am currently trying to build my first cnc machine , one thing i noticed was that you said you run 4 motors, which is awesome, and i want to do the same, one for the Z, one for the X and 2 for the Y, only problem is that i cannot seem to find anything online that shows you how to run the dual Y motors with the stepper drivers and BOB and alles ....also where did you get your rack and pinion from because i would love to do something like that, but nowhere in Cape Town seens to offer it :( , any help would be appreciated! - thanks Sam
Hi Sam, You can try CNCdirect Greg is really helpful and has the designs for the Rack and pinion. He is based in JHB so some shipping would be required. I am no longer in the land of SA moved to the UK 14 months ago. There are a few options to run 2 motors and it's the BOB that needs to support 4 motors / Axis as well the software setup. do a dry run with the motors and check they are moving the way you want. Left and right need to run opposite to each other in order to drive the gantry in the same direction.
Great to see someone from south africa. I'm from vereeniging. I'm looking to do a cnc converion on my milling machine. Thank you for all the info. How is the chinese DM860 drivers working for you? Do you have any problems with it.
Stepper motors run at full power when idle - that's what give them their torque. having more power for your motors if they need it is not a bad thing - to little power is worse
hi i have 3 vexta 5 phase stepper motors that i want to use on my cnc but they are 5 wire with no common, do you by any chance have some info for me on how to hook them up without spending a fortune, i am also from SA.
Hi good video i have cuestion i have my cnc whit this motor 4.2(u) 1.8deg/step my screw is SFU1605 -3 my driversDQ542MA can tel my how to set the dip switch on the drives because the machine make the circles like on spiral i set the machine on mm i put this on motor tuning step per 320 velocity 2500 acceleration200 step pulse 5 dirpulse3 i am used Mach 3 thank you
Hi Mundo - I no longer use those drivers what i do remember is there is a ratio and you can set them up based on the amp draw your motor needs. I used to try different settings. a good starting point is set the driver to max motor amp and 2000 microstep. Just to make this more clear your issue is not the driver but the setup combination of tuning your motors in Mach3. The best was to do this to take an axis and change the setting until it moves and accelerates smoothly with the driver setup as per the above recommended. you need to be able to move the motor back and forth and not loose steps find a way to measure this reliably.
Excellent video and very informative, I have old school Isel unipolar 8wire motors, is there a way I could wire these up as bipolar to similar driver boards? My controller is shot to S#!t and need to retrofit all the electronics.
Hi Jacob, You can have a look at the information here this should give you some ideas knowledge.ni.com/KnowledgeArticleDetails?id=kA00Z000000PAkPSAW What you want to do is connect 2 of the winding together - the hard part is trying to figure out which winding go together
Awesome, been wanting to add a cnc to my printer collection. Do you by any chance have a complete list of all the stuff you have used in yours and where you got it from as well as a rough estimate of price. I have been looking seriously at the X-Carve CNC by inventables, but yours seems to blow that away. Would love to build up a machiene just like yours
Xtreme-Xccessories the machine can be broken up into a few components. 1.) Table and Gantry - I made this all out of 90x90 profile extruded heavy duty aluminium which cost me allot more then making it out of steel 2.) Rail System - I went with heavy duty block "SKF" linear guide rails and rack and pinion. this works great for me for the quick movement needed for plasma cutting & Stepper motors 3.) Electronics - I went with Gecko Drives and a Locally SA made BOB and old school power supply to run everything. I spend around $20K when I was finished which included my hypertherm There will always be a compromise when building a machine - Steppers vs Servo motors vs Lead Screw vs Rack and pinion. the best advise is look at what you want to machine material wise and then build the machine around that. A Plasma machine is not the same as a Wood Working machine or a steel cutting machine they have different feeds and speeds required to get the best results.
Hi Dan, I could but never did I don't have an ATC and don't really see the point if one does not have this. it's easy enough to change the speed on the sindle unit. normally this is set and run until you change the tool.
Hello, If you are a freelance engieer, i have few products to mfg for me. Pls send your email id to share ideas. my email id: aparachasons@gmail.com Regards, Paracha A.
Hi VatsoI built a 3 axis cnc machine using the QT382 BOB and Wantai drivers. Everything was working perfect but then switched off the power to the Bob and drivers while the laptop was still on. When I switched on again, Mach 3 is moving but the motors are not. Any idea what the problem might bee?
+Nico Fourie Hi Nico, the parallel port does put out 5v of power and the incorrect switch of sequence could cause you issues. what I have found in the past is that the BOB need a good rest as in no power to the PC and BOB this is not a reboot but rather a full power down of all components and then trying again. is this does not work your Bob could be damaged of the parallel port. there are a few guides online to test a parallel port. hope this helps
I used 90x90 extruded aluminum medium strength. it's a pain to get brackets for 90x90 and costly - I would rather do 80x80 if I did it again and just use more as needed
Hello sir, I like your video and you CNC machine and i am intreasted to make a CNC machine. So can you give me detail of your cnc board , stepper motor driver , stepper motor power supply and software. Also let me how much accurate this software
These are different types of drivers one called a Gecko and the other from China - they both give power and step and direction to the servo motors. Hope I understand what you are asking?
I don't think I explained the above well - the Driver get's power from the DC power supply "I show 2 types in the video" and the control signal from the BOB it then send's the power and signal to the motor. so it combines the Power and signal needed to drive a motor.
I had the same question. But I think that the BOB board just isolates the computer from the rest of the system and makes it easier to hook up the wires to the driver. That's usually what Break-out-boards are used for. It may have some level shifting also like 3.3 to 5 volt so the signals are compatible with the gecko. So really the BOB is not a driver.
That is correct the BOB also can have intelligence built into it and they are not all the same or equal. they are the interface between the Computer and the switches / Drivers & other things "Touch Off Sensors & & & "
Hi, i want to build a machine to do some routing on styrafoam. Maybe some alumenium and wood too. Can you give me advice on the parts i should look at to buy and is it ok to buy chinese as i buy other things from there. By the way im in Cape Town
That is such a difficult & good question to answer - the system needs to all work together so no good having brilliant accurate motors and drivers and a frame that has flex & & &. you might be wanting to start by first deciding the size you will be cutting? and how accurate you need the machine to be? this should give you a starting point to rule out some machine types. in general it's good to start and see how everything works together and then you will quickly find out what you want and or need. Also remember a lot of the cutting quality is in the software programming & cutting bits. Just to end off I did not build my machine to mill lots of aluminium - it works but not what it was designed for
Hi Vatso, Good vid and setup!!! I am currently looking into building a 3 axis cnc router. As im also from SA, what was the costs involved building your machine and importing costs and waiting times for parts to arrive? Looking at building a 3 axis for now and 5 axis at a later stage... Thanks!
Hi Steve, Mine took me some time to build and I sourced most of my stuff locally total cost was around R250K - could have imported one for that price however wanted something that could do more then just one function
Thanks for reply, have seen local suppliers prices and they are quite expensive compared to having them imported, depending on import tax. Will see how that goes... Maybe not the 5 axis for now...
hi vatso, i try to replace the burnt bob etc. can u please advice me about the switch..the switch that switch the torch on and of.: where does the wires come from? and where they go to? i think it was connected to nr 6 on the bob.
hi vatso... thank you so much for the good news!...please try to cover the probe wires (both), and the torch on-and-off switch. thank you, what will the link be on youtube? regards johan
Hi Vatso. I was excited to find you posting. I am down in KZN and building a table like yours. Router/Plasma. I'm using Nema34 878oz , with 2 BoB. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to share your wiring diagram and if there is some way i could drop you an email direct. Cheers
terencejc1 Hi There, I don't really have a diagram per say as the wiring is specific to your BOB. Also could be useful to others if you just reply here maybe it will answer a question someone else has? I want to do some more videos some covering earthing the machine just need to put some time aside to do it
vatso Hi. I am interested to see how you built your cutting bed for plasma and router combined. What BoB are you using and is it connected to a Chinnese VFD?
HI there. I am having trouble configuring my mach3 software setup with my hardware. Hardware consists of two TB6560 motor drivers and a Mach 3 BOB, running with mach3 software via a parallel port. Could you please help?
Are you running windows 32 or 64 & what version of windows? the way to fault find is start with the PC make sure the parallel port is working properly first & then start adding your BOB and the rest.
vatso Running the Mach3 software on Windows XP 32 bit. How can I check whether the parallel port is working fine? Any online/offline resource you can recommend? Thanks.
there are a few around - a good old multi meter also works well but don't short anything out :) - here are some you could try www.downtowndougbrown.com/2013/06/parallel-port-tester/ and stadi.hu/sw/lptdebug_en.html
+Bernardo Neufeld Hi there, maybe you can share some more info so we could help? Mach3 mostly works with a parallel port, do you have the USB plug in for Mach3 for your 6040?
Hi Vatso Hoe gaan dit Boet? Im miles away from you, but Ive had this type of equipment and not been able to connect it thru lack of confidence and time to do it- I have to ask you if you can rough sketch the wiring and send it to me (how?) and the other problem is that no computers today have a parellel port - how do we overcome this problem? Please let me know how I can contact you directly, please please Boet. Joe
+Joao Girao Hi Joe I am happy to help but will do it for everyone if you have some photos of the equipment you need help with I will help lets share with everyone. send a link of the equipment will help thanks
Dude, THANK YOU! Honestly, this is the best "Stepper Motor CNC Setup for Beginners" on RUclips. I've tried watching other ones, but dang... they're sooooo boring!!!! This was easy to watch. Much love, Bro!!!!
Thank you so much for this video i spent almost 2 weeks trying to hook up my cnc and after watching your video i fixed it right away thank you again.
Nice job on the video Thanks for the info. Here is a tip . When using a longer lengths of cabling ; Look for and use cable with twisted pairs this will eliminate cross talk between the servo A and B, any free spare wires should be strapped together at each cables end and or placed to ground as would be done with a inter metallic shielding ; That will prevent unwanted induction sources from corrupting intended signal. Should signal become corrupted search for a high resistance open - frayed wires/ broken portions will cause an unbalance in the lines and will act as an antenna inducing unwanted frequency.
Thank you kindly for being so very thorough in your explanation. I followed your every word like gospel and am now in process of building my own. Your inspiration was mine. Cheers! Stevo (sn00ch).
Nice tip on determining wire designation on the stepper motor! So simple, yet so effective.
Whoohooo i found another DIY CNC builder from south Africa, im from WC , nice machine you got there, i'm in the process of building my own very first machine :)
NickDG same here happy to know a few fellow south Africans are out there
Im also here in Cape Town, Where is the best place to buy parts in SA/CPT? could you add links to where to get them at all?
NickDG Great stuff!!!
I am also from the Western Cape and an also researcing into buildings my own CNC.
We should get a local forum to connect and help each other if you would think it could be helpfull.
I want to use Arduino Uno but I don't know of what drivers I should go for. I want to use NEMA 23 3amp motors.
for sure, if you guys have whatsapp we can create a group there, think it would be easiest if you guys are interested we can make a plan to share numbers
i am interested
excellent tutorial. And your accent is fully understandable. Thanks for not inserting music.... I would rather keep hearing the birds singing in the back ground! Keep it up!
Sorry it took me so long to find your page :( great little video, still the best video on drivers and splitting the motor windings.
I know I’m very late but thanks for your video, the community is sooooooooo much bigger that it was when the video was made , if your still into cnc/printers, I would love to see you build and explain an arduino uno + cnc shield, with those style drivers start to first test print,
Really shame there isn’t any new videos, I think you were just a few year,
Thank you so much for your video. I'm also from south africa, (richards bay) and in the process of building my own router/laser cnc machine.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
Best knowledge for identifying phase A and phase B
Take a deep breath, sir. Great video thanks.
Man first 3 minutes I see you have all the Chinese stuff I do!!!! I’ve hit pay dirt!!!
Really useful and clear video. Thanks for sharing.
Nice video, cleared up a lot for me. Thanks.
Really very very nice video
Thanks for your video.
Very informative.
thanks
please more detail about wiring all component of the cnc machine
motor ,drivers, breakboard, limit switches,power supply,
and how to wiring spindel to those component
programming
Great explanation thanks 👍
Not sure how to communicate with you so there will be a delay...... Going to get some sleep for now.... Thank you for responding. Oh I was an N/C Specialist/Programmer for almost 30 years but, never got into the machine components past FANUC PAL. Aerospace multi axis. I miss it and I have a project or 2 as a hobby.
very good video - thanks
It sounded like you were explaining what I needed to know in a way that was understandable for I dont know shit yet about this. And that's one of the reasons it was hard to follow you. But the main reason it was difficult was that microphone at some times was positioned were I could not understand what you were mumbling. Or the words just stop being clearly understood along with a bit of an accent which made it even more harder to understand since I had no clue about this anyways. But if you do make another one that the whole video would be quit clear and audible I would like to see it thank you.
ohhhh from south Africa .....awesome
Such a kewl accent thanks for the vid chop ! :)
Nice to hear that SouthAfrican accent again. What size stepper are you demonstrating with? Nema 34? How many ounces of torque?🇿🇦🇦🇺🇬🇪🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺
Thanks for this! Its an old video but still useful :)
Muito Bom o Vídeo.
Equipamentos muito bons.
Well done sir
realy good informative video thank you
Nice explanation sir...can you make video for wiring uc400eth to usb breakoutboard?
Howit Vatso,
Thanks for the vid.
I am also from SA.
when you were talking about motors, and resistance, how many different size motors fit on these boards? so if its a 3 axis cnc, must all 3 motors be the same? So fat this has been the most helpful video (and by a South african Woot)
Gareth Diedericks Motors can be mixed sizes, depending on how much torque you need to drive each axis, and the driver associated with each motor could be different depending on the power requirements of the motor. However, if you use two motors to drive one axis (as many folks do for the x axis), they should be identical, as well as their drivers. For simplicity, it would be easier to connect and program everything if you used all the same drivers (not necessarily all the same motors), just figure out what is the largest that you need (power-wise) and use that for each motor, no matter the size. A more heavy-duty driver on a smaller motor will not hurt anything as it can be programmed for the motor size. A driver that is too small for the motor, however, is not a good choice. Good luck.
Relevant info. Trying to gather information before trying out. Can you get a BOB with USB and not the Parallel port
Hi there - yes there are many different versions of BOBS and cost. I really suggest one start of with some cheaper / smaller motors even if it's to to understand how it all goes together and how the software works. there are allot of moving parts and the costs add up quickly
Hou van jou video brand om a cnc te bou Lekker aan Spy
Would like to know more about the laser cutter you have. How thick of material will it cut, size, wattage, and cost. Thanks!
8:57 rick sanchez right there
Thanks, Some good info there. However I would like to learn more about the power supplies... linear vs regulated. and how to figure power requirements.
Bill Conroy Hi Bill here is some info on the difference between the type of power supplies www.valuetronics.com/Manuals/Lambda_%20linear_versus_switching.pdf
I moved away from switch mode because of the amount of failures I had with the Chinese versions I purchased.
to calculate the power needed for the machine really comes down to the motors and how much they will need, I worked on Max stalling power of each motor.
Thanks for the response, and that is some good info on the differences between the two types; however what I really meant was how to calculate what power supply I would need for my stepper motors. I can't seem to find any good straight forward reference for a given NEMA 23 or 34 stepper motor. There are many different calculations with crazy multipliers for a given motor. I don't want to burn up a motor just because I didn't understand what I was reading, and I have doubts when I read that I need to multiply the rated voltage of say a 4 volt motor by 25 to equal a power supply of 100 volts! I would think I might melt the stepper motor! Anyway if you could shed some light on this subject I would appreciate it.
Hi Bill, there are a few factors to this the one is the motor and the other is the driver and it depends on which of each you have will determine the numbers for example Gecko Drives I have can take 24v to 80v input which can drive the steppers. here is a link to better understand the motor calculation wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Stepper_Formulas
but on a side note a stepper motor in the main is stalled "holding force" when not moving and can be stalled all day long. one of the best ways of checking the motor is by monitoring it's temperature the are mostly design to run at 80 deg I would say don't run them at more then 60 deg.
Hope this helps
Mark
nice machine
I have one question sir, I have a Chinese CNC machine which make some weird noise at some point, i am thinking it is a wired connections are not good any suggestion, by the way my question is if CNC motors are different in z and same in x and y we need to change the dip setting for z axis separately or can we use the same dip setting on the x and y by default it is same for all axis
Tried assembing it today but the bottom axis (Y) doesn't align the bearings with the shaft.. they are missaligned by some 1mm and can't get shaft in without having it bent and binded. Any chance of getting the original files to move the bearing by a bit? Not sure if I have other version of mf70 (it's some 5 years old now).
Hallo Vasto. Thanx for the great informative video. In your video you mention that you use a Rack and Pinion system to propel the axes. I have tried to source the finer toothed type that you see on You Tube videos localy, but it seems all I can get is the rough type as used on security gate motors. Can you recommend a supplier please. Thank you Brian Biggs
very interesting for me, may i ask if this will work for plasma cutting too? i would like if you can give me the list of the parts. thank you
Hi, what is the difference to put this electronic set for cnc plasma as shown in your video than for example arduino atmega 2560 +ramps 1.4 from my 3d printer? Why all cnc makers uses these breakoutboards ? thanks
+Simonas Kukta - I believe one can use a Arduino. this is great for people who are doing CNC more as a hobby and are happy to be codding the board - the pre designed BOB "not all are the same" are designed to work with the already created CNC software. I designed my machines to be able to run in a CNC business / Long run times with low risk of failure for DIY setup
Where is the mach3 board, or is it replaced by other board, I m sorry if that is a stupid question,
Hi Vatso... thank you... now i deleted both my message, and your reply. i thank you so much for the reply... i find that not all people like to reply, because they are busy. can i ask you one thing please? : It is the first machine the guy from Witbank installed a system on. My diy plasma table. He advised me to connect the one probe wire to the nozzle of the torch, and the other end wth the clamp fitted, to clamp on the steel plate...and both wires was connected to the bob. when we tested the cnc machine in ''demo'' mode, evrything was fine. only when i brought it to NAMIBIA, and connected the plasma cutter, the machine started to move...until the z axes (torch) touched the steel. then evrything burnt. the bob burnt, my computer processor damaged, and the plasma cutter also damaged. there was no fuse or circuit breaker to avoid this. the ''box'' (plastic) was not earthed to the frame. i think the probe wires was the wrong advice. he showed me pictures on watsap to connect the probe wire to the nozzle. but i see on internet other handheld torches without a wire?? o... and the cheap chinese bob was 12v and not 24 volt... i ordered the exact bob, only to discover its 12v. i will use a stepdown transformer now to operate, until i buy another set.
is there a guy in s.a. who you know i can ask assistance from? please?. and is there a supplier wher i can buy this chinese parts? to import is about 4 weeks!
thank you so much for your kindness.
o.... please come back...we need your expertise in s.a. lol
Sorry to hear that, you can not run a touch off like that the arc voltage from the plasma cutter would have caused this :( - you need to make a floating head for your plasma cutter so that there is no voltage that can come from the plasma touch or you need to buy a THC that caters for that type of touch off and to be honest it's not worth it as the more you cut the more build up you will get and the touch off won't work if there is any dirt between the plasma head and steel.
my friend... im guilty of asking you to much...sorry for that, but im unsure, and cant afford another mistake like this...and i see you know this machines well. okay, i made a floating torchbracket (i took one of those red welding triangle magnets, and glued a rubber between the two red plates like a rubber sandwich and removed the magnet, and use it on the z axis bracket to hold the torch bracket.)
i wish i can fwd images to you.
can i ask you please explain to me about the probe wires.:
i have 2 wires... one is an earth from the torch nozzle to the bob, and the 2nd one is the earth clamp from the sheet to the bob.... and i hve this rubber insulation on the torch bracket.
what do you suggest?:
a) do you advice me to remove the probe wire from the nozzle?
b) what about the probe wire on the earth clamp to the sheet?
if i remove any probe wire...how will the torch then touch the sheet to register the thickness of the sheet and lift again to ignite?
my system burnt because of this...the moment the torch touched the sheet, evrything burnt.
sorry my friend, but i find no advice here in vamboland (north namibia)
i mistakenly sent you my emailadres... but mabe if we can email, i can send you photos.
thank you so much for advicing me
johan uys
Hi Johan, no wires from your BOB or machine must go anywhere near the plasma torch or earth cable. this is causing things to get damaged
Power supply -- The plasma power supply converts single or three phase AC line voltage into a smooth, constant DC voltage ranging from 200 to 400VDC. This DC voltage is responsible for maintaining the plasma arc throughout the cut. It also regulates the current output required based on the material type and thickness being processed.
Arc Starting Console - The ASC circuit produces an AC voltage of approximately 5,000 VAC at 2 MHz which produces the spark inside of the plasma torch to create the plasma arc.
I will try do a video this weekend trying to explain Etop switches and touch off switches.
thank you so much...i really appreciate...
I'm having trouble understanding the dip switch setting on a Longs DM542A controller. Can you explain
or how do you know were to set them. Thanks for any help and I like your
video I understand the 1,2,3,4 just not sure about the 5,6,7,8 dip switchs. I running Nema 23 1/8 deg/step 3.0 amp motors
Im new in this type of power supply. Can i ask how I connect the power supply to my driver? thannks
did you use the same BOB on your CNC plasma ?
did you use THC on your CNC plasma ? if yes which board did you use to communicate with plasma or which pins
If I connect +5v from Bob to negative of pull and dir instead of the one you mentioned in this video, will it work? and what about ENBL pin?.
Hello I'm from Iraq, I liked the wonderful your design Please give me the name of the special program for machinable engraving
Hi vatso, can the cheap Chinese BOB be used to drive a relay to start a plasma torch? Thanks
Hi . very nice tutorials . I have a question, i moved a working CNC from my garage to my shop and I disconnected Parallel PORT Cable only , and now when i connected Parallel port back my computer gives me 404- Parallel Port Address Conflict. is there any way to fix it... Im new to this. Thank you
Wicked CNC was wondering where did you get the aluminium extrusion from, was that a local pruchase or overseas as well? Any chance of doing an overview for the assembly of your machine and possibly a cost breakdown?
Hello.
How to connect Geckodrive G203V with a driver that has dir + and dir- outputs?
This should help - www.geckodrive.com/support/stepper-wiring.html & www.geckodrive.com/support/g203v-rev-7.html
Hi Vatso,
I have a problem wiring the Chinese board. I made a graphic of how I have it wired up and I would really appreciate if you could have a look and tell me what's wrong with it. Is there a way I could send it to you?
"power supplaaaa" :)
Hey Vetso, nice to see another SA person online... i am currently trying to build my first cnc machine , one thing i noticed was that you said you run 4 motors, which is awesome, and i want to do the same, one for the Z, one for the X and 2 for the Y, only problem is that i cannot seem to find anything online that shows you how to run the dual Y motors with the stepper drivers and BOB and alles ....also where did you get your rack and pinion from because i would love to do something like that, but nowhere in Cape Town seens to offer it :( , any help would be appreciated! - thanks Sam
Hi Sam, You can try CNCdirect Greg is really helpful and has the designs for the Rack and pinion. He is based in JHB so some shipping would be required. I am no longer in the land of SA moved to the UK 14 months ago. There are a few options to run 2 motors and it's the BOB that needs to support 4 motors / Axis as well the software setup. do a dry run with the motors and check they are moving the way you want. Left and right need to run opposite to each other in order to drive the gantry in the same direction.
Great to see someone from south africa. I'm from vereeniging. I'm looking to do a cnc converion on my milling machine. Thank you for all the info. How is the chinese DM860 drivers working for you? Do you have any problems with it.
Hi Elwin, I replaced all of them with Gecko Drivers they just seemed better I had a few of the DM860 fail on me
thank you for your video. can you please write what is the parts you used and the link we can buy it from. thank you
How many amp power supply do you need compared to the amp rating on motors ? I read you only need about 2/3
Stepper motors run at full power when idle - that's what give them their torque. having more power for your motors if they need it is not a bad thing - to little power is worse
hi i have 3 vexta 5 phase stepper motors that i want to use on my cnc but they are 5 wire with no common, do you by any chance have some info for me on how to hook them up without spending a fortune, i am also from SA.
Could you tell me your dip switch settings as I have the same setup but am having problems. Thank you, Colin
Hi good video i have cuestion i have my cnc whit this motor 4.2(u) 1.8deg/step my screw is SFU1605 -3 my driversDQ542MA can tel my how to set the dip switch on the drives because the machine make the circles like on spiral i set the machine on mm i put this on motor tuning step per 320 velocity 2500 acceleration200 step pulse 5 dirpulse3 i am used Mach 3 thank you
Hi Mundo - I no longer use those drivers what i do remember is there is a ratio and you can set them up based on the amp draw your motor needs. I used to try different settings. a good starting point is set the driver to max motor amp and 2000 microstep. Just to make this more clear your issue is not the driver but the setup combination of tuning your motors in Mach3. The best was to do this to take an axis and change the setting until it moves and accelerates smoothly with the driver setup as per the above recommended. you need to be able to move the motor back and forth and not loose steps find a way to measure this reliably.
Hi, very informative. Where did you purcase the components for this machine? I am also in SA and finding it difficult sourcing in South Africa.
www.cncdirect.co.za/ & some imported directly from China
Excellent video and very informative, I have old school Isel unipolar 8wire
motors, is there a way I could wire these up as bipolar to similar driver boards?
My controller is shot to S#!t and need to retrofit all the electronics.
Hi Jacob, You can have a look at the information here this should give you some ideas knowledge.ni.com/KnowledgeArticleDetails?id=kA00Z000000PAkPSAW What you want to do is connect 2 of the winding together - the hard part is trying to figure out which winding go together
Shot, Thanks a mill, I shall endevour to get this grafting again!!
Awesome, been wanting to add a cnc to my printer collection.
Do you by any chance have a complete list of all the stuff you have used in yours and where you got it from as well as a rough estimate of price. I have been looking seriously at the X-Carve CNC by inventables, but yours seems to blow that away.
Would love to build up a machiene just like yours
Xtreme-Xccessories the machine can be broken up into a few components.
1.) Table and Gantry - I made this all out of 90x90 profile extruded heavy duty aluminium which cost me allot more then making it out of steel
2.) Rail System - I went with heavy duty block "SKF" linear guide rails and rack and pinion. this works great for me for the quick movement needed for plasma cutting & Stepper motors
3.) Electronics - I went with Gecko Drives and a Locally SA made BOB and old school power supply to run everything.
I spend around $20K when I was finished which included my hypertherm
There will always be a compromise when building a machine - Steppers vs Servo motors vs Lead Screw vs Rack and pinion. the best advise is look at what you want to machine material wise and then build the machine around that.
A Plasma machine is not the same as a Wood Working machine or a steel cutting machine they have different feeds and speeds required to get the best results.
I see you have a plasma on it as well. Do you need a relay switch connected to the breakout board in order to turn on and off the torch?
Hi there, Yes you do or you need a BOB that has a relay built in or a Plasma Height control that can use an output to turn the torch on and off.
Can i powar cnc shield 12v 10amp
Do you know how to wire an Arduino cnc? Do i need a shield? And how do i know that the motor will be compatible with the driver?
Hi Vatso,does that bob have spindle control? Do you use spindle control at all ? Do you think its neccesary or nice to have ? Thanks,great vid.
Dan.
Hi Dan, I could but never did I don't have an ATC and don't really see the point if one does not have this. it's easy enough to change the speed on the sindle unit. normally this is set and run until you change the tool.
What brand/model is your laser and how many watts is it? Where did you purchase it from?
Thanks!
nice
Hello, If you are a freelance engieer, i have few products to mfg for me.
Pls send your email id to share ideas.
my email id: aparachasons@gmail.com
Regards,
Paracha A.
Hi VatsoI built a 3 axis cnc machine using the QT382 BOB and Wantai drivers. Everything was working perfect but then switched off the power to the Bob and drivers while the laptop was still on. When I switched on again, Mach 3 is moving but the motors are not. Any idea what the problem might bee?
+Nico Fourie Hi Nico, the parallel port does put out 5v of power and the incorrect switch of sequence could cause you issues. what I have found in the past is that the BOB need a good rest as in no power to the PC and BOB this is not a reboot but rather a full power down of all components and then trying again. is this does not work your Bob could be damaged of the parallel port. there are a few guides online to test a parallel port. hope this helps
+vatso Thank you Sir!
nice build what 8020 did you use for your build
I used 90x90 extruded aluminum medium strength. it's a pain to get brackets for 90x90 and costly - I would rather do 80x80 if I did it again and just use more as needed
hello,
how connect horizontal rotary system to CNC?
What do you call the "thing" that is hand held to control motors wireless? Excellent vid
Its called an "MPG" (Manual Puls generator)
Thanks; I'm surprised orders from China to SA you have no problems; I send stuff to SA from Australia and its very hit or miss.
Hello sir,
I like your video and you CNC machine and i am intreasted to make a CNC machine. So can you give me detail of your cnc board , stepper motor driver , stepper motor power supply and software. Also let me how much accurate this software
sir i need your help , to make a cnc machine
Can your laser cutter cut aluminum?
Can you please let me know the BOB make and model and also the Chinese Stepper driver make and model
Why are there two drivers? One has a heat sink casing so that'd be the main power, the tiny one must be some sort of signal/logic thing?
These are different types of drivers one called a Gecko and the other from China - they both give power and step and direction to the servo motors. Hope I understand what you are asking?
Oh, so they're not used at the same time? I thought they were both required
I don't think I explained the above well - the Driver get's power from the DC power supply "I show 2 types in the video" and the control signal from the BOB it then send's the power and signal to the motor. so it combines the Power and signal needed to drive a motor.
I had the same question. But I think that the BOB board just isolates the computer from the rest of the system and makes it easier to hook up the wires to the driver. That's usually what Break-out-boards are used for. It may have some level shifting also like 3.3 to 5 volt so the signals are compatible with the gecko. So really the BOB is not a driver.
That is correct the BOB also can have intelligence built into it and they are not all the same or equal. they are the interface between the Computer and the switches / Drivers & other things "Touch Off Sensors & & & "
Hello, is arduino a bob ?
Hi, i want to build a machine to do some routing on styrafoam. Maybe some alumenium and wood too. Can you give me advice on the parts i should look at to buy and is it ok to buy chinese as i buy other things from there. By the way im in Cape Town
That is such a difficult & good question to answer - the system needs to all work together so no good having brilliant accurate motors and drivers and a frame that has flex & & &. you might be wanting to start by first deciding the size you will be cutting? and how accurate you need the machine to be? this should give you a starting point to rule out some machine types. in general it's good to start and see how everything works together and then you will quickly find out what you want and or need. Also remember a lot of the cutting quality is in the software programming & cutting bits. Just to end off I did not build my machine to mill lots of aluminium - it works but not what it was designed for
Hi Vatso, Good vid and setup!!! I am currently looking into building a 3 axis cnc router. As im also from SA, what was the costs involved building your machine and importing costs and waiting times for parts to arrive? Looking at building a 3 axis for now and 5 axis at a later stage... Thanks!
Hi Steve,
Mine took me some time to build and I sourced most of my stuff locally total cost was around R250K - could have imported one for that price however wanted something that could do more then just one function
Thanks for reply, have seen local suppliers prices and they are quite expensive compared to having them imported, depending on import tax. Will see how that goes... Maybe not the 5 axis for now...
How can I contact you. I stay in Middelburg Mpumalanga and I am stranded with my project on my cnc. Help please!
13:00 driver info
Whatsapp group sounds good
hi vatso, i try to replace the burnt bob etc. can u please advice me about the switch..the switch that switch the torch on and of.: where does the wires come from? and where they go to? i think it was connected to nr 6 on the bob.
I will do a video tomorrow - my old BOB's and drives are all in boxes will do some diagrams & explain
hi vatso... thank you so much for the good news!...please try to cover the probe wires (both), and the torch on-and-off switch. thank you, what will the link be on youtube? regards johan
ruclips.net/video/eu_GXb8vmCQ/видео.html
hi vatso... i just want to thank you so much for all the advice. i saw wht u suggest... thnk u so much
Where would an e stop button wire into?
on any input you can the program that with the software - I find cutting the power via a E-stop Switch to the machine is a good E-stop solution
My Chinese driver keeps pulling over to take pictures
Hi Vatso. I was excited to find you posting. I am down in KZN and building a table like yours. Router/Plasma. I'm using Nema34 878oz , with 2 BoB. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to share your wiring diagram and if there is some way i could drop you an email direct. Cheers
terencejc1 Hi There, I don't really have a diagram per say as the wiring is specific to your BOB. Also could be useful to others if you just reply here maybe it will answer a question someone else has? I want to do some more videos some covering earthing the machine just need to put some time aside to do it
vatso Hi. I am interested to see how you built your cutting bed for plasma and router combined. What BoB are you using and is it connected to a Chinnese VFD?
terencejc1 I will do a video of how I did this and the issues I have with my Chinese VFD
vatso That will be great. did you by ant chance use this Bob?
cncdirect.co.za/htm/mach.html
terencejc1 Yes that is currently in my machine
Where are you buying the parts?
HI there. I am having trouble configuring my mach3 software setup with my hardware. Hardware consists of two TB6560 motor drivers and a Mach 3 BOB, running with mach3 software via a parallel port. Could you please help?
Are you running windows 32 or 64 & what version of windows? the way to fault find is start with the PC make sure the parallel port is working properly first & then start adding your BOB and the rest.
vatso Running the Mach3 software on Windows XP 32 bit. How can I check whether the parallel port is working fine? Any online/offline resource you can recommend? Thanks.
there are a few around - a good old multi meter also works well but don't short anything out :) - here are some you could try www.downtowndougbrown.com/2013/06/parallel-port-tester/ and stadi.hu/sw/lptdebug_en.html
vatso Haha, I'll be careful!! Thanks a ton! :-)
OK, how much to build and ship the components to Texas. Typical xyz plasma table. Looks like you know what you're doing.
I got a CNC6040 in I can not connect to the mach3 computer some one that can help me? USB
+Bernardo Neufeld Hi there, maybe you can share some more info so we could help? Mach3 mostly works with a parallel port, do you have the USB plug in for Mach3 for your 6040?
Hi Vatso
Hoe gaan dit Boet? Im miles away from you, but Ive had this type of equipment and not been able to connect it thru lack of confidence and time to do it- I have to ask you if you can rough sketch the wiring and send it to me (how?) and the other problem is that no computers today have a parellel port - how do we overcome this problem? Please let me know how I can contact you directly, please please Boet. Joe
+Joao Girao Hi Joe I am happy to help but will do it for everyone if you have some photos of the equipment you need help with I will help lets share with everyone. send a link of the equipment will help thanks
What is the machine
What chinese laser is that?
hi hiw do u run mach 3 on laptob
Hi you would need a USB breakout board like a USB smooth stepper or you can use an ethernet breakout board.
Hi - I'm also from SA and I'm building a cnc plasma table. Is there any way to contact you by email?