New Machine Build- Wiring config (and the maker) of stepper motors

[janda3178]

Hi All,

after contemplating building a machine for several years now, I have embarked on my project by speeding things up a little.

I have just bought a table and gantry complete (x and y axis) but no z axis carriage or stepper motor.

I have a bit to do on this before I can have it operational but I am determined to get there this time.

Ok, now for my questions,

The stepper motors that came with the table are 23H276-30-8B.

Judging by this I assume they are NEMA 23 and 8wire Bipolar. Please correct if i'm wrong.

Can somebody help by way of: -
1. Explaining the other numbers (or all the numbers if I am wrong with what I said above).
2. Correcting me if the wiring diagram obtained from here is one I can use for the stepper motors.
3. The gantry has motors on both sides. How are the drives sync'd? Through controller? Or By the software, marking it as a slave drive to the main drive on the other side?
4. Has anybody got suggestions on what controller and power supply to use with this setup?
5. Will the MACH 3 software suffice or is there something else out there that I dont know about that works better?

Apologies for so many Q's at once but I am eager to get this started and not have my wife point the finger at me and tell me there's another project you haven't finished.

Ha ha ha.

Kindest regards,

Baz.

P.S. if this post is not in the right place kindly point me in the right direction.

[CarveOne]

Here's a link to the Keling Inc. site specification PDF document for this motor. Mach3 is as good as it gets currently, with the free alternative being EMC2 on Ubuntu Linux from www,linuxcnc.org. In Mach3 it is easy to slave two motors to one axis, and to reverse the direction of one of the two motors so they both go the same direction. Just click on the appropriate check boxes in the configuration screens.

My personal choice for the motor driver are Gecko G203V with a Keling linear power supply of 48vdc, 65vdc, or 72vdc. Lots of opinions available on this subject.

CarveOne

[doorknob]

Originally Posted by janda3178 The stepper motors that came with the table are 23H276-30-8B. Judging by this I assume they are NEMA 23 and 8wire Bipolar. Please correct if i'm wrong.

Based on the Keling data sheet at http://kelinginc.com/myArticals/23H8B.pdf and the stepper motor catalog list at Page Title, it looks like the motor has four windings with eight wires, and so those wires can be connected either as bipolar-parallel, or bipolar-serial, or as unipolar, depending on your application, your preferences, and the capabilities of your driver.

The "B" at the end of the part number evidently identifies the motor as having a dual shaft (the shaft extends both to the front and to the rear of the motor). Apparently the same motor is available in style "A", which only has a single shaft.

It is indeed a NEMA 23 motor.

[doorknob]

Originally Posted by janda3178 3. The gantry has motors on both sides. How are the drives sync'd? Through controller? Or By the software, marking it as a slave drive to the main drive on the other side? . . . 5. Will the MACH 3 software suffice or is there something else out there that I dont know about that works better?

There are several different ways to sync both motors on the same axis - making one of them a "slave" of the other by hooking them up to separate drivers and configuring Mach 3 to treat them as being slaved together is one way that it is commonly done.

If the motors are mounted on opposite ends of the table, it may be necessary to wire one of them "backwards" (or indicate that in the software) so that one of them rotates in the opposite direction of the other.

Many people are using Mach 3 with machines of this type. Many people are also using EMC2 (under Linux) to control such machines.

[janda3178]

Ok. Got all that. Thanks Guys.

Here's the next question: -

I would dearly like to do some CNC milling using mild steel and other materials declining in hardness from mild steel.
1. Is there a spindle suited for this type of application? (once again thinking about power supply to drive it)

Regards, Barry

[janda3178]

On another note regarding the Gecko G203V, there is a classified here selling Gecko G320X Servo Drives.

Question is...Will these suffice for the NEMA 23 motors?

and would I need a 4th drive for the slave motor?

Once again, Thanks for the replies.

Regards, Baz

[doorknob]

Originally Posted by janda3178 On another note regarding the Gecko G203V, there is a classified here selling Gecko G320X Servo Drives. Question is...Will these suffice for the NEMA 23 motors? and would I need a 4th drive for the slave motor? Once again, Thanks for the replies. Regards, Baz

While the Gecko G203V is designed to drive stepper motors, the G320X is not, rather it is designed to drive servo motors.

Stepper motors are substantially different from servo motors.

You do not have servo motors, so the G320X is not suitable for your application.

Many people on this site are using the Gecko G540 to drive their stepper motors. The G540 will handle up to four axes.

[janda3178]

Wow. that was fast.

Thanks for your quick reply

Baz

[janda3178]

I have found a G540 going for $308 AU. would you consider this a good price?

[doorknob]

Google claims that $308 AU is approximately $312 US.

A good price for the G540 in the US is $249 US plus $6 US shipping (within the US).

For example, see gecko g540 stepper motor drive 4 cnc mill lathe router - eBay (item 150512713109 end time Mar-27-11 13:29:37 PDT). Supposedly shipping to Australia is $25 US.

(I have nothing to do with that eBay vendor - it looks like you can save a few dollars by ordering directly from that vendor's web site instead of going through eBay - http://www.deepgroove1.com/g540/geckog540.htm)

[janda3178]

Thanks Doorknob,

I took the step and purchased this from his site directly. I now await delivery.

Baz

[CarveOne]

Check out these links to the geckodrive site for more information that you will need.

Support

G540B.xml file (Download this file, you will need it)

G540 Initial Setup Guide - Computer and Hardware Settings

CarveOne