Wire size and type?

[RicknBeachcrest]

Well it's hard to believe, but I am almost to the point of running wire to the stepper motors and limit switches.

For the steppers, I was thinking of 18-4 stranded, shielded. Does anyone have a suggestion for supplier?

Also what wire would you suggest for the limit switches?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Rick

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[dodger889]

What size motor are you using? or better yet do you know the amperage they need? also how far from the controller to the motor in feet. Here is a point most will miss here. The higher the amperage and longer the run of the cable the larger the wire needs to be. I would do a general statement about the 18-4 shielded wire should be fine for the ost part on a NEMA 23 motor less than 400 oz. Now stepping above that I would be leaning towards a larger gauge wire.

[PaulRowntree]

Also what wire would you suggest for the limit switches?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Rick

Limits carry negligible current, so anything is fine. Some folks have found noise pickup on limit switches, so shielded wires may be good.
Cheers!

[ger21]

According to this sheet from Gecko, 22gauge is fine for even 5amp Nema 23 motors, and 18 is fine for their 1200oz motors. Note that even the 1200oz motors have 22gauge leads on them.

[JerryBurks]

I am using 18 gage wiring for my 3.5 and and 6-amp NEMA34 steppers, no problem. When I built the machine I hooked them up temporarily with 22 gage wire, about 20 feet long and that worked just as well. At that length the smaller gage adds about 2 times 0.2 ohms per coil which means you lose about 1.4 volts from your supply voltage margin for a 3.5 amp motor. No big deal and most cables are shorter.

So I would guess 18 gage is only marginally better. I also noticed the 18 gage cable is seriously stiffer than the 22 gage. I hope it will not fatigue over time and break in the cable carrier chain.

[jneutron]

Use high strandcount wire for flexibility.

Don't go too high on insulation voltage, that'll also make the insulation thicker.

A jacketed 18-4 will be stiffer and fatigue the wires faster. I'd strip the jacket.

For end limits, #22 tightly twisted pairs will raise noise immunity, make sure the twist is not the same pitch as the motor drive wires.

Distance from the stepper power wires helps. Don't rely on shielding to prevent magfield induction between the power wires and the switches.

John

[RicknBeachcrest]

I'll be using NEMA 23 steppers from Gecko (G723-280-4).
Holding Torque: 280 oz-in
Number of Wires: 4
Dimensions: 3.1" (79mm) x 2.2" (56mm) x 2.2" (56mm)
Degrees Per Step: 1.8
Current Rating: 3.5A
Voltage Rating: 2.45V
Inductance Rating: 3.6mH
Resistance: 0.7 ohms
Rotor Inertia: 2.6 oz-in^2


As far as length of wire need for the longest run (Z axis), I would say no more than 16 to 18ft.

What I could really use is a good source.
Thanks.
Rick

[louieatienza]

McMaster sells a few wires rated for use in cable chains...

[RicknBeachcrest]

I checked McMaster. Maybe I was looking at the wrong stuff, but it seemed very pricey.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Rick

[underthetire]

Mcmaster is expensive, but really high quality cable. I buy from there when I need it right away, and don't want to buy a spool of it.

[louieatienza]

McMaster-Carr

I've seen pricier, though yes, they're on teh high end. A big plus for me is they have a warehouse in NJ, so I get anything next day if it is in stock.

You can try Jameco, thoug I have not bought wire from them.

[RicknBeachcrest]

What do you think about this wire for the steppers?

2, 3 & 4 Conductor Shielded cables

These are a good quality shielded cables. They work great for stepper motor extension cables and various sensors and limit switches used on CNC machines. We sell it by the foot so you can order just the amount you need.

The four conductor cable is 20AWG and the 2 and 3 conductor cables are 22AWG.


The 4 conductor is $.95 / ft.

Shielded Cable

Thanks.
Rick

[louieatienza]

What do you think about this wire for the steppers?

2, 3 & 4 Conductor Shielded cables

These are a good quality shielded cables. They work great for stepper motor extension cables and various sensors and limit switches used on CNC machines. We sell it by the foot so you can order just the amount you need.

The four conductor cable is 20AWG and the 2 and 3 conductor cables are 22AWG.


The 4 conductor is $.95 / ft.

Shielded Cable

Thanks.
Rick

The link appears to be broken. I will say with McMaster, aside from the great service, you can be guaranteed you're getting cable rated for continuous flex, which to me makes it worth the extra expense. Especially considering the expense already on a machine.

[Al_The_Man]

Check out Monoprice, they have some bare cable, in some cases if you want small guage it pays to buy a 25ft cable and just cut the ends off.
HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!
Al.

[RicknBeachcrest]

Well I have never had this problem before. I copied and pasted the url in just fine, but the system changed it when I saved it. Weird.

I've tried, but this system that runs the forum just keeps changing the url.
Anyway the name of the company is Soigeneris

Rick

[louieatienza]

Well I have never had this problem before. I copied and pasted the url in just fine, but the system changed it when I saved it. Weird.

I've tried, but this system that runs the forum just keeps changing the url.
Anyway the name of the company is Soigeneris

Rick

I've ordered from them in the past... good stuff. Though I never ordered cable from them before.

[RicknBeachcrest]

I decided to go with CNC Router Parts.

I was going through all my CNC bookmarks and came across CNCRP's stepper motor wire. 41 strands per conductor.


CNC Motor Cable | CNCRouterParts