Minimum wiring connections for Gecko G540
I got my electronics the other day, and I also got my email with Mach3 license file from Mach.
I don't want to take any chances wiring it up, and I was studying the instructions from Gecko found here: http://www.geckodrive.com/upload/G54...4%20MANUAL.pdf
On the diagram, it shows relay power supplies, DC Relay Coils, and a VFD drive. Am I correct in thinking that those are for spindles and not needed for using a router motor, such as the Porter Cable 690 one I'm using for my build?
I did some hen-scratching (not pretty by any means) on the diagram (See attached diagram). Are those in the blue boxes the only ones I need to use (positions 1-4, 10-12)?
The second attachment, it is a screenshot of the Gecko and power supply. Am I correct in thinking that the bare minimum required to power the steppers are positions 10,11, and 12? I don't have my E-Stop or limit switches yet.
Finally, the third screenshot are some power cables I found at Home Depot. They are 14 and 16 gauge power cables with 3 wires, a black, green, and white one. My power supply has a ground symbol, "N" and "L". Which wires go where? Oh yeah, will the 16 gauge wire work or do I need the 14 gauge?
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When I was first testing my Gecko 540 I only connected power to the board (observing polarity of course - ie pin 12 to -48v and pin 11 to +48v), connected a wire between pin 10 and -48V on my board, and only one motor.
To power the transformer, connect the green wire to ground, the black wire to line ("L") and the white wire to neutral ("N").
16 guage wire is sufficient 14 guage is overkill and might be hard to connect.
Last edited by DonFrambach; 12-05-2010 at 12:57 PM. Reason: added 16 guage statement
You don't need to use the inputs 1-4 to test your board. Those are for limit switches and other inputs that you can assign later.
Thanks for the very helpful reply.Originally Posted by DonFrambach
As for pin 10 that is for the E-Stop, that was wired to the "-" instead of using a jumper from pin 10 to pin 12 as shown in the picture I took. I'm very glad I asked!!!
Once again, thank you very much, and after I do some things on the honey-do-list, I hope to post a test run vid.To power the transformer, connect the green wire to ground, the black wire to line ("L") and the white wire to neutral ("N").
16 guage wire is sufficient 14 guage is overkill and might be hard to connect.
A jumper from pin 12 to pin 10 is electronically equivalent to a separate wire from pin 10 to -48DC. However, I personally like only one wire to each connector and the wire to pin 10 could easily be removed for the e-stop which you really want to get ASAP.
Don
I ordered the e-stop on Ebay, it should be here in a couple of days.
Here's a photo of my G540 when I first set it up for testing. I directed a small fan on the board because it gets pretty warm.
A relay for your router is a good thing. The VFD connection isn't needed. You can get a relay that matches your power supply and then you don't need a relay power supply.
I think you should use 14 gauge wire between the PS and the Gecko. I'd use 12 if I could get it to fit, but that's tough.
You only need 22 ga (or even less) for the E-Stop and limit switches.
Thanks, just 3 wires minimum required to run the steppers.
What is the purpose of the relay? Is that to start the router motor automatically?
By the way, thanks again to all for your time in replying. I have no problem cutting, drilling, and tapping the aluminum extrusions for my router, but the electronics is something I want to be careful with. Been reading something about "not letting the smoke out", and I'd rather it doesn't come out on my project.
Edit:
By the way, I was wondering what gauge to use between the PS and Gecko since 22 ga. wire was all that was needed to connect the steppers.
Last edited by CNC Lurker; 12-06-2010 at 04:35 PM.
I got the 14 gauge running wires (black and red) and the 16 gauge power cable from Home Depot. I got the 22 gauge wire from Radio Shack.
I wired the power supply and Gecko as stated below.
Make sure the switch on the power supply is set to 115v if you are in the U.S. (it's set to 230v by default).
I installed the G540 XML files for Mach, and thought I was ready to connect everything, but I found out I only have male-to-female printer cables, no male-to-male printer cable, so another day till my first bench test.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I got the E-stop in already, but I didn't wire it up yet because I wasn't sure how it is wired. There are 4 wire connectors, 2 on the red side, 2 on the right side. Do I connect 1 wire to a green side, and the other to the red, or do I connect to both green or both red? (see attached pic).
Also, does it matter which side is connected to the "-" on the power supply and which side is connected to the Gecko?
The E-stop function for the Gecko requires a switch where electrical current can flow though the two contacts with the switch is off and this current flow stops when the switch is depressed. This is called a "normally closed" switch.
Do you have an ohmmeter? If not, you ought to get one. They're not very expensive. Using the ohmmeter, you can determine which contacts are closed when the switch is off and open when you depress it. You want to connect to those two contacts.
I agree that a relay can be very helpful. You can use Mach 3 to turn your spindle on or off which is real convenient when your're cutting a part that takes a lot of time. At this point, though, I would suggest that you get your system running with the bare minimum. I think that an E-stop is part of that minimum and a relay is not.
Forgot to add:
There is no polarity on the E-switch so, once you determine the two contacts that you want, you can connect either one to the Gecko and either one to - voltage on your power supply.
I would start with the power supply, and a jumper between power supply minus and E-Stop (pin 10).
Turn off the "Charge Pump" on the Gecko and see if the green light comes on. That tells you the G540 is happy. You won't get green unless charge pump is off, E-Stop is disabled (ground = power supply minus) and power is applied. Green is good, red is bad.
Then power down, and connect the E-Stop switch instead of the jumper. Push and turn the switch to get it to disengage.
Power up and see if you get a green light. Push the switch to enable E-Stop. You should get a red light. Re-engage the switch (push and twist). You should get a green light. Power down.
Then enable the charge pump, and connect the computer using the parallel port cable. Use the Gecko starter XML file. Start Mach.
As Mach starts up (just before it goes to the home screen), the green light should come on, indicating the charge pump is working. This tells you that Mach sees the parallel port, and the basic configuration has the charge pump connected correctly.
Click the RESET switch on Mach (lower left, it's flashing). It should come on (green outline). If you get an error, Mach thinks something is wrong, fix it. Power down.
Plug one motor into the X input (left) of the Gecko. Power up. Green light should be on. Click the RESET again (when you power down, Mach thinks E-Stop was hit).
Then hit the left or right arrow buttons. The motor should move. If it doesn't, config is wrong somehow.
i have an ohmmeter and will check it tonight.
Thanks brtech for the step-by-step reply, I can use all the help I can get.
The purpose of the relay is to control the spindle, fans, exterior lighting, vacuum, etc...
The things that you don't want to keep turning on/off by hand, which may not need to be on all the time. (Eg, while moving fast to home, many of those listed things would not need to be running, wasting power and just making noise.)
The other purpose, besides control, is safety of that control. Those devices are high-power AC items which run at higher amps/watts than a simple microchip could control. As part of the safety aspect, using a relay allows a small voltage to control larger devices which have incompatible or dangerous currents. It is simply just an electromagnet light-switch, which isolates and protects you and your microchip-controller from those dangerous powers. (As opposed to a transistor-gate/switch, or other linked-circuit switch.)
All E-switches are not the same. Your looks like a dual-kill, but it could be a dual-position connection. (Dual kill will kill two legs of power in a 3-phase, or 2-phase system. For normal 120v home power, LIVE/HOT = BLACK and the NEUTRAL/COMMON = WHITE, respectively green is ground. Actually, black is not a standard as per regulation, but it is most often used in homes as LIVE. The white/grey wire is the same all over the house, thus common or neutral. Neutral is not GROUND.) A dual-position would have one set of contacts OPEN and one set CLOSED, they reverse when depressed and locked. You want to kill the LIVE wire, and you might want to POWER an "emergency warning light", or trigger an exterior breaker or break with the other contact.
You have to test the contacts to know which is which, if you don't have the instructions or can't find the documentation for that specific e-switch.
"There are no mistakes in DIY, only oversights that need adjustments."
"I don't care, I don't follow standards"
Got her wired up, and she's working as expected, so I must have done something right.
I'll post the wiring pics in case they help someone else later down the road.
The 1st pic shows the the wire connections and the green light on the Gecko is on.
Test ran it and all 3 axis worked: [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLRdYzMwJSU"]YouTube - DIY CNC Gecko G540 Bench Test[/nomedia]
The 2nd pic shows the E-stop connected and the green light is on.
The 3rd pic shows the E-stop pushed down and the red light is on.
Test ran it with the E-stop, and everything stopped when I pushed it: [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th77sWIWneA"]YouTube - Gecko G540 Bench Test with E-Stop[/nomedia]
Edit:
You may not be able to see it in the pictures, but both wires are connected on the red side of the E-stop. The red side let's current through when the button is up, and the green side let's current through when the button is down.
I put the ohmmeter on a red and on a green and pushed the button down, and twisted it up, and they are not connected in any way.
Congrats! Isn't CNC fun?
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