router on/off control with mach 3 and G540?

[SatanKlawz]

What do I need to have on off control for my router with mach 3 and using a G540? I am basically wanting the software to turn my router on just before the z axis starts to ramp in to any material and turn off after the cuts are finished. A parts list and instructions would be great!

[Fastest1]

M3 command?, or are you talking a relay and how it connects? relays on a G540 connect to pins 5 and 6 on the G540. I believe it is switching the negative side as the load is wired to positive. You will need an SSR or the equivalent. The time the router starts in comparison to when it begins cutting is called "dwell" and I believe that is in milliseconds? It is also specified with G code.

[Fastest1]

You will also have to set up the output pin in mach to correspond with which pin on the G540 you connected to.

[SatanKlawz]

Yes I need a recommendation for a relay and how exactly to wire it. Can I wire it to the power supply that is for my G540?

[Fastest1]

Most SSR's (Solid State Relay) will run on variable voltages but you must check first. Pins 5 & 6 on the Gecko are only meant to trigger with up to 50V @ 1a. v logic will trigger it but you need the load to be connected to a 120vac source thru the relay. I would post this in the general electronics section here on cnczone and pray Al the Man answers it for you properly. I have had no luck with Gecko support on the forums here or at Yahoo ( in fact at Yahoo groups I never see my questions posted but it shows I am a member). Great products but the support is iffy at best. Unless Mariss answers the question.

[brtech]

Yes, you can power it from your existing supply. You need to get a relay that has a coil voltage equal to your supply voltage, and contact rating higher than your router current.

You only need an SPST relay. That would have 4 connections, two to the coil, two to the contacts.

On the coil, you connect one to the power supply, and one to the output pin on the gecko.

On the contacts, you connect the "hot" (usually black) wire from the outlet to one contact, and the hot wire to the router to the other contact. If your relay has both an Normally Open and Normally Closed contact (3 connections), you use the NO contact and nothing is connected to the NC contact.

The white (neutral) wires from the outlet to the router are connected together, and everything is grounded (green wire to outlet, green wire to router, power supply chassis, ...).

[PaulRowntree]

I used a simple solid state relay from Omega Engineering that can use a 4-32 Vdc control voltage, to switch up to 25 Amps of 120Vac. I use the 12V output from my Antec supply, wired to Output 1 as per the Gecko instructions. My machine has soft-start router, so I give it several seconds to get to an stabilize its speed before moving the router.

It works well, but there is a slight leakage voltage/current for SSR's, even in the 'off state'; relays have a more certain On/Off switching. For my router, the trickle power is enough to illuminate the LED 'headlights' on the underside of the router, so I guess this makes it a feature, not a bug!

[brtech]

I rather like old fashioned relays for motors, but SSRs work if you are careful. Typically, a G540 is run at 48V, and most SSRs have lower voltage inputs. A couple resistors in a voltage divider could fix that, but...

If you are running your Gecko at 48V, one choice for a relay is:
Digi-Key - 255-2895-ND (Manufacturer - JM1AN-TMP-DC48V-F)

20A contacts, 48V DC coil, SPST, $5.66 each. This one has pins for the coil, and quick connect contacts, which makes it reasonably easy to wire up if you have a soldering iron. I would not cut it close on the contact ratings. Motors have start up surges.

[Dean448]

One issue with SSRs and new routers that have a module to control speed, that maintains constant speed under load is that the SSR's have a leakage voltage when turned off. The issue is when you signal the G540 to turn the SSR on, the router does not turn on. manually switch the router off then on and it will come on. The leakage voltage that confuses the module can be eliminated by putting a small load or an ceiling fan capaicitor in series with the SSR 120V output. Make sure you use a cap rated above 120V. I agree with the postings that SSR is the way to go even with this issue.

Dean

[SatanKlawz]

I bought 2 40a SSR's for a ebay store I have bought a few things from in the past with good results. I wish I had of checked back in this thread before buying but what I bought seems to mirror what you guys are saying. The SSR's come with a seperate plug in module that supplys the power to the relay. I just have to wire in my home 120v and my router and my shopvac. here is a link to what I bought. What do you think?

CNC 40A Solid State Relay Control Systm 4 stepper motor - eBay (item 330438061164 end time Oct-25-10 15:47:23 PDT)


Now how do I edit my post processor to turn on and off these things once I have them connected? My router does have a soft start (bosch 1617) so getting it ramped up for a couple seconds would be a good idea before it gets to moving.

[Dean448]

If I understand your question... in config ports and pin under spindle setup, set Clockwise M3 to 1 and M7 to 2. Then connect the control from the G540 ouput 1 to the ssr connected to the spindle and output 2 to the ssr connected to the vac or whatever. M03 turns the spindle on and M05 turns it off. I put a 3 second spin up delay and a 5 second spind down delay to prevent if from going into the cut, or do a jog, while the spindle isn't up to speed or still turning. I have to turn the switch on my router off to change bits so my problem is not remembering to always turn it back on. I have 3 seconds to notice it.

Dean