http://www.instructables.

com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop
Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits
by Tom McGuire on August 26, 2007
Table of Contents
Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Intro: Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 1: The Circuit Board of Appeals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 2: Circuit Cloning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 3: Photo Etching a Driver Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 4: TESTING..1..2..3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 5: Let's Watch it on TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Step 6: Linux Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
Intro: Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits
This is a follow up to the Easy to Build Desk Top 3 Axis CNC Milling Machine Once you get the machine all put together its time to make it go.
So it's time to drive the motors. And here I've put together a circuit that I think is the absolute cheapest and easiest way to control stepper motors with step and direction
signals. It works with many of the free or low cost softwares that produce step and direction signals through the parallel printer port. I'll explain how it works but for those
of you who just want to get on with it... The_Next_Step
But I would suggest for those of you who are unfamiliar with circuits to do it on a bread board (see pictures). This way you can easly correct any mistakes and try different
things.
This schematic is just to control one motor so for the milling machine you need 3 of these circuits and 3 motors.
From Left to right and top to bottom. I try to draw schematics so that positive voltages are toward the top and ground or negative volge is toward the bottom. Inputs are to
the left and outputs to the right. Fist off the voltage that you are going to use to run the motor needs to be stepped down and regulated for the logic chips. I used a 6.2
volt Zener to do this because it's low enought for the logic chips to receive the signals from your printer port and high enough for the outputs to drive many of the
standard power FETs, so you may not have to use logic FETs like the schematic shows. So the resistor R1 drops the voltage, the Zener diode regulates it to 6.2 volts
and the capacitor C1 filters out any noise from the motor, and this voltage powers the two IC's.
The first IC (CD4516) is called an up/down counter. One signal from the printer port will tell the counter if it will count up or down and the other signal, called step, will
increment or decrement the counter by one count. Now were only going to use two outputs from the counter Q1 and Q2. With this binary counting method there are only
4 combinations of output from the counter: 00, 01, 10, and 11. These lines are fed to the A and B inputs of the other IC (CD4028) which decodes these combinations to 4
seprate outputs.
I did a trick here using the C input to work as an Enable input. If the Enable(optional) is connected to the parallel port and the computor tells it to shut off all of the outputs
to the FETs will go low(Off). So the four outputs of the decoder drive the FET transistors and the FETs drive the four poles of the motor.
Now everybody wants to know what the light bulb is for. Its not so much whether you use a bulb or a resistor, its that a bulb comes with a socket. You can get these
wedge base light bulbs from 1 watt to 20 watts. Start with may be a 4 watt bulb and if you find you need a little more beef you just pull it out and put in a 10 watt bulb. It's
really handy. And I found it's good to have some voltage drop there as kind of a ballast for the motor windings. The diodes catch some of the current that comes out of
the motor each time the FET transistors turn off. The diode feeds this current back to the supply.
When you get the circuit up and running find a power supply that puts out more voltage than you really need and then change out light bulbs till you get it running
smoothly. Some of my stepper motors are 5 or 6 volt and some are 12 volt but it all works out.
File Downloads
C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\StepCheap1.pdf (37 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\StepCheap1.pdf']
C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip (34 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip']
C:\Projects\StepCheapPartsList.rtf (2 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\StepCheapPartsList.rtf']
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
Step 1:The Circuit Board of Appeals
OK here's what your all looking for. I made a simple PC board layout that includes 3 motor driver circuits connected to a 25 pin D sub Parallel printer port connector.
Here's a picture of the layout. At the top of the picture you see a place for a voltage regulator. You can use that or you can put a resistor and Zener Diode in its place(like
the schematic shows). On the right edge is a place for the 25 pin D-sub connector that connects to the parallel printer port. You just jam the PC board between the two
rows of pins and solder it.
On the left side are places for the lamp sockets. You need to look over the schematic to see where some of the parts go but it's all there.
File Downloads
C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3D.zip (16 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3D.zip']
C:\Documents and Settings\Tom\Desktop\StepCheap3DBOT.pdf (30 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Documents and Settings\Tom\Desktop\StepCheap3DBOT.pdf']
C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip (34 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip']
Step 2:Circuit Cloning
If you have a time machine you can go to the future and ask yourself to make the circuit board with the finished machine and then bring it back and finish building the
machine. After a couple of tries I got the board to come out pretty good. The machine routes what are called isolation paths which means it seperates the copper that is
associated with a conductive path from all the other copper around it. This leaves some areas of the board that are not associated with a path still covered with copper.
You could leave this extra copper on there but when your soldering it is easy to get solder bridges across the isolation paths and short circuit something. So I take the
soldering iron and touch it on the excess copper and peal it up off the board. It makes the board more like what you would get if you chemical etched it or bought it from a
board house(see below).
Any way look over the schematic and place the parts accordingly. I added a few capacitors along the power lines just for general principals. There were so few traces on
the top side of the board I didn't bother milling it. I just used jumper wires. See the pictures below of the populated board. All the little FETs ligned up like marching
soldiers.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
Step 3:Photo Etching a Driver Board
OK, For all you chemistry majors who want to do something a little more professional here are some .pdf files you can print out and iron on or what ever you do to make
an etched PC board. There's a Top Silk (just for reference), Top Copper, and Bottom Copper.
If you want to go easy Just do the Bottom Copper. There's not that much on the top and you can just solder jumpers where you need to.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
File Downloads
C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3Dsilk.pdf (9 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3Dsilk.pdf']
C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DTop.pdf (28 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DTop.pdf']
C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DBot.pdf (30 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DBot.pdf']
Step 4:TESTING..1..2..3
Don't be nervus. It's just a little electricity. First off it would be good to load up the KCAM (or what ever you plan on using) in your computor. Then when you feel
comfortable that all the parts are in the right place plug the parallel port connector into the driver board(as shown below) and put a low wattage build in the socket for the
motor. In this case I'm using middle, the Y axis driver.
For power I like to use one if these universal power adapters with selectable voltage output. They're cheap and they don't put out a lot of current so if something goes
wrong it's less likely to damage your circuit. Set the voltage low and see if you have some vlotage on the power pins(16) of the CD4516 and the CD4028. If you don't
have a volt meter just take an LED and tie a 10K(BRN,BLK,ORN) resistor to the positive(the long leg) and wire to ground tied to the negative(the short leg). Now you can
use this as a probe to see where you have voltage. It will be very dim but we don't want to draw too much current away from the circuit.
Now go into the computer program and find the Setup Table. Set the steps per inch to 1000. Then open the CNC control and set the single step for .001 inch and activate
the single step mode. Now each time you click the yellow arrows (up and down for the Y axis) the computor will output one pulse to the stepper motor driver circuit.
Put your LED probe on pin 10 of the CD4516. This is the up down input. When you click the up arrow the input will be low(LED off) and when you click the down arrow
the input will be high(LED on). Pin 15 is the step input you will see a very short blink each time you click a n up or down arrow on this pin. Pin 6 is the Q1 output. It will
change state(high/low) each time you click an arrow. And Pin 11 is the Q2 output. It will change state every other time you click an arrow.
On the output side of things we should see some activity on the CD4028 chip. Putting your probe on any of the output pins 1,4,6,or 7. These outputs drive the FETs. You
should see the output go high every 4th time you click the up or down arrow.
If this all makes sense so far it's time to get the motor running. The common wire or wires of the motor which are the center tap of the windings should be connected to
the light bulb. The other four wires should go to the four FETs on the circuit. If you are really lucky you will get the combination just right in the first couple of trys. Other
wise just keep switching the wires arround until the motor steps in the same direction each time you click the arrows.
Watch the video in the next step. It may give you a better idea what to do.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
Step 5:Let's Watch it on TV
I just like watching a video better than doing a bunch of reading. Hope this is helpfull. Good luck with your projects. If the movie doesn't show past this link into your
browser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUyqscxLJ4k
Step 6:Linux Users
I'm not a Linux user yet but I have played with it enough to be dangerous. But for you Linux users Chaddcurtis has contributed some setup files and information to help
you use Linux CNC with the parallel port and this circuit board layout. Thanks a lot Chad and more power to you.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
File Downloads
Linux_stepper.zip (7 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Linux_stepper.zip']
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 1385 comments
mahmoud asem says: Mar 24, 2012. 7:44 AM REPLY
please guys what are the values of c3-c6 i just need that to finish :)
woodspinner says: Mar 29, 2012. 7:42 PM REPLY
.1uf
mahmoud asem says: Apr 4, 2012. 8:20 PM REPLY
and how about c6 is it imortant ?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
maikeru86 says: May 12, 2014. 2:57 AM REPLY
Sorry to bring up an old thread but I have the same question. did you manage to get and answer?
mahmoud asem says: Mar 5, 2014. 6:30 PM REPLY
thanks buddy and sorry for being late :)
mahmoud asem says: Apr 4, 2012. 8:10 PM REPLY
thank you buddy i will finish it and post some pics :)
aozgen90 says: May 2, 2014. 1:55 AM REPLY
if i was to make changes to the design where it connects to the stepper can i make this circuit able to drive a 4 wire bipolar stepper motor
aozgen90 says: May 2, 2014. 1:34 AM REPLY
if i was to make changes to the design where it connects to the stepper can i make this circuit able to drive a 4 wire bipolar stepper motor
asad1111 says: Apr 12, 2014. 10:33 AM REPLY
I also have similar problem as "descartable" has. Any solution?
Thanks in advance.
descartable says: Apr 4, 2014. 10:58 PM REPLY
Hi , I just finished building a single motor drive but I have a problem, when I plug in the 12V the motor start moving erratically back and forward, vibrate a lot
and that disappear when I disconnect the enable pin of the CD 4028, control via parallel port isn't working fine either.I build it using a perforated board,I
check all the connections and are as per the diagram.Any suggestions???Thanks
Hasersys says: Oct 12, 2013. 9:50 AM REPLY
So I am having a hard time. My motor will hardly step once, and back once. The motor heats up pretty hot. I have the pm55l-048 motor to test with. runnning
16v. any suggestions?
bhadresh says: Mar 5, 2014. 11:30 AM REPLY
Yes, Motor gets too hot. I've the same motor pm55l-048 and running on 12 V with driver IC UCN5804B, tested on Kcam.
I think it might be be too small for load (800ma). Have you solved your problem ? I'm planning for bigger motors.
jatinbatra says: Dec 20, 2013. 1:22 AM REPLY
Hi, After making the circuit (I'll be breadboarding it ) can I expect it to run with Arduino.Rather how I can make it run for an uno. I'm trying to do this for a 3d
printer ?
Is it for unipolar (AS IT SEEMS TO BE CENTRE-TAPPED )? How can i make it run for a bipolar stepper ?
dirver says: Dec 20, 2013. 5:51 AM REPLY
Hi, I'm not a motorspecialist so I cannot give you an answer on that. Perhaps other users ?
With Arduino UNO you could better use Polulu-drivers.
jatinbatra says: Dec 20, 2013. 7:49 AM REPLY
Thanks dirver for replying :)
Can you just let me know some details that how it is programmed , do you use a micro controller to run the three steppers or do you program it with
some software.?
I'm just curious how I will program it for the 3d printer.Thanks : and sorry for trouble
mahmoud asem says: Mar 4, 2014. 5:25 PM REPLY
hi jatin
I have tried to drive this controller through arduino uno and it works !
you should use something called grbl you will upload a sketch to your arduino and connect your wires (step and direction) for each motor and run
it with a software compatible with grbl I used grbl controller .
and when I used the enable pin It didn't work
so good luck and let me know what you achieve :)
use the following link to download the library and put it in it's directory the open examples in arduino software >GRBL>GRBLtoArduino then
upload it
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
https://github.com/Protoneer/GRBL-Arduino-Library
some guides :
https://github.com/damellis/gctrl
http://blog.protoneer.co.nz/grbl-arduino-g-code-processor-pin-layout/
dirver says: Dec 20, 2013. 8:45 AM REPLY
Hi Jatinbatra,
For my cnc-router I use Mach 3, but I'm designing a 3D printer and then I use this Arduino-unit (including temperature controller, stepperdrivers, ....).
http://dx.com/p/elecfreaks-3d-printer-ramps-reprap-exaltation-kit-208068
If you make a 3D printer with the driver here described, you will still need 2x temperature controller and the 4th stepperdriver.
I first wanted to change my router for also 3D-printing but the 3th axis would not go high enough so I decited to make a 3D printer from scratch.
jatinbatra says: Dec 20, 2013. 9:58 PM REPLY
Actually I'm only a novice and I don't know how to layout PCB, so it is pretty much cumbersome work to connect a sub25 connector .
What i'M doing is that I'm making everything on a generic (protoboard or breadboard ) kinda thing , so I wanted to know can you help me
figuring out what should I do ?
dirver says: Dec 21, 2013. 9:15 AM REPLY
Hi Jatinbatra,
Depends on what you mean with "figuring out".
Do you want to make Tom's pcb or are you making a new design ?
jatinbatra says: Dec 22, 2013. 11:09 AM REPLY
i just simply want to make the driver to run the steppers with computer control i.e the torque, speed (micro-steping) and direction via a
pc for 3 motors.It doesn't matter to me whether it be CNC or 3D printer, All I want to do is run the motors .
I'm bit unaware about programming part ,.
dirver says: Dec 22, 2013. 12:15 PM REPLY
The programming can be done with Mach3.
Look at the picture of Tom for this.
Have you already bought the components ?
jatinbatra says: Dec 26, 2013. 11:37 PM REPLY
No , I haven't bought the components but i have stepper motors which are all 4 wired , can't I use this circuit with four wires ?
dirver says: Dec 27, 2013. 12:52 AM REPLY
No, I don't think this pcb will work with less than 5-wires.
I only use this pcb with 5-wire-motors.
For 4-wire-motors I use the china-driver-boards (3x motor for my router).
Regards and Merry Christmas,
Dirk
jatinbatra says: Dec 27, 2013. 1:26 AM REPLY
Ho,ho,ho , Happy Holidays Dirk.You are really a very helpful person :)
I have four wire steppers and Tom has a six wire motor , of which two wires are connected to the bulb (which is actually
for testing the circuit the circuit ) so I think if I skip these two wires , then I think I can do that right.Please fell free to
correct me.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
lxsedov says: Feb 2, 2014. 4:50 PM REPLY
I'd like to know how to choose resistors or light bulbs? I have built this circuit and tried different bulbs/resistors, but could not understand how to make my
motors run at full power
jatinbatra says: Dec 26, 2013. 11:09 PM REPLY
Any chance I can use this circuit with 4 wires stepper ?
panic mode says: Dec 28, 2013. 7:31 PM REPLY
no, this circuit only uses single transistor per motor winding (only can sink, not source).
bipolar motors require totem-pole drivers (able to both sink and source, it requires two transistors per motor wire and logic to prevent cross shooting).
ElectricBuilder says: Dec 25, 2013. 3:54 AM REPLY
Hello!
I'm new in electronics.So please tell me the use of light bulbs in this circuit.
Thanks in advance.
panic mode says: Dec 28, 2013. 7:26 PM REPLY
it is a simple and low cost solution for current limiting:
inductor (which is what motor winding is), is pretty much a short circuit for continuous DC (not a problem when pulses are short like when motors are
stepping, but ....).
gakes says: Dec 28, 2013. 7:13 AM REPLY
The light bulb absorbs any excess energy generated by the motors and protects the board
gakes says: Dec 24, 2013. 2:01 AM REPLY
Thanks for this wonderful instructable. I'm new to circuits so I made the breadboard model. Imust still fit the 6w bulb. How do I connect the board to the
parallel port?
Tom McGuire says: Dec 24, 2013. 5:01 AM REPLY
Nice job on the bread board. If you do a search for "25 pin d-sub" you'll see what you need. You could cut up an old printer cable and use an ohm meter
to find which wires go to which pins. Or you can buy a breakout board. Make sure the connector has male pins.
gakes says: Dec 24, 2013. 6:15 AM REPLY
Thanks Tom. I'm struggling to find which points from the diagram to connect to the correct parallel port pins. Any help with that?
Tom McGuire says: Dec 24, 2013. 10:03 AM REPLY
pins 2 = step, 3 = direction, and 4 = enable. And make sure to connect ground (0v) to one or all of the ground pins on the connector (pins 18 -
25).
gakes says: Dec 28, 2013. 7:08 AM REPLY
I understand the p/port wiring.Where do I pull the wires from the breadboard?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
jatinbatra says: Dec 27, 2013. 4:17 AM REPLY
Hi Tom , is this circuit only for 5 wires and above. Can't I use it with 4 wires?What alternative do I have if I have 4 wire stepper motors ?
jatinbatra says: Dec 26, 2013. 10:46 PM REPLY
HI, can I use USB to 25 male pin converter like this
http://cdn.shopclues.com/images/detailed/12/USB_To_Parallel_25_Pin_Female_Cable,Scanner_&_Printer.jpg
to connect to the circuit on breadboard and after that use KCAM to run the motors?
jatinbatra says: Dec 26, 2013. 11:46 PM REPLY
Any possiblity I can use this circuit for a four wire Bipolar steppers ?
Am I doomed if I have 4 wire steppers ?
sonnbonics says: Aug 9, 2012. 12:11 PM REPLY
Could I make 5 of these and control a 3D printer?
dirver says: May 16, 2013. 2:31 PM REPLY
Multiply the schema for 5 motors instead of 3.
Could be done.
What software and mechanics will you use ?
Regards,
Dirk
sonnbonics says: May 16, 2013. 10:01 PM REPLY
well, i have since bought a 3d printer, but i use pronterface. you think it would work?
dirver says: May 16, 2013. 10:36 PM REPLY
Sonnbonics,
What is the brand and type of the 3D printer ?
So I can see more specs.
A 3D printer is probably just a bunch of steppermotors which work with special software (like e.g. Pronterface).
Is a bit a X-Y-Z-milling machine but with a fluid instead of a spindle with drill ?? Or am I wrong ???
Regards,
Dirk
jatinbatra says: Dec 22, 2013. 11:12 AM REPLY
Yes you are pretty much right , Dirk
dirver says: Dec 22, 2013. 12:14 PM REPLY
Jatinbatra,
After investigation not so right. A 3D-printer also needs 2x temperature controller.
This could be done with a dedicated (separate) controller. So not controlled from within the steppermotorhardware.
dirver says: Dec 20, 2013. 5:45 AM REPLY
If Pronterface works with pinout (parallelport) than this should work.
dirver says: May 18, 2013. 12:44 AM REPLY
Sonnbonics,
I've looked further and in KCam4 you can only connect 4 motors.
X, Y, Z and A.
And yo have to check if there are pins available on your parallel-port
Pins 1, 16 and 17 are available in the KCam4 software but you have to check if they are hardware available.
Also you have to check if Pronterface is capable of stearing your motors via the parallelport AND via pins (not bit's = processor needed).
This last one can be probably done by exporting to KCam4 and use KCam4 for driving your motors.
Why you need 5 motors ?
X, Y, Z = OK, the spindle you can mis-use to control the fluidwire.
Therefore you need 4 outputs.
Regards,
Dirk
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/
dirver says: May 18, 2013. 1:00 AM REPLY
Sonnbonics,
Just tested the following:
Tom has foreseen pins 4, 7 and 14 as pen-enable (optional).
If you put NU in the port-setup of KCam4 in the place where you could enter 4, 7 and 14 everything is still working (because of the flag Motor
Enable --> Always On).
Therefore you can use pins 4,7 and 14 (wrong IO-address in KCam4 !!!, &H37A instead of &H378) to control your 4th motor.
Succes,
Dirk
Tutorial Master says: Sep 12, 2012. 2:56 PM REPLY
Hi,
how powerful are the steppers?
dirver says: May 16, 2013. 2:28 PM REPLY
Here in Belgium, they can lift 1 full package of 24 bottles of Belgium Beer.... ;-)
Depends on the motors and powersupply, not the circuit.
Regards,
Dirk
jatinbatra says: Dec 20, 2013. 1:47 AM REPLY
Hi , Can you please let me know whether the circuit will work for bipolar stepper or not ? If not , can you please let me now what should I do ? I 'm
here trying to make a motor driver for a 3d printer ?
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