New to CNC Routing need some help ....

[Beardown]

Ok I purchased a Cnc router with routing area of 18" x 36" ..I am new to all of this but I have been reading alot here and I am absorbing (WHEW!)...

Problem 1.) I have a 5 volt wire that needs to be connected ...From my understandings this can go to a USB port (since Usb is 5 volts) How would I connect this to UBS if it is a bare wire ? (See Photo) (Gecko Drives)

2. Mach 3 ...do I need Mach3 Mill ? or is there any recommendations?

I am very green to all of this as you can see ! ... But with the help with all the fine and wonderful expertise here , I am hoping to be up and running soon !


Just a little about me ... I have had a Sign and Tshirt shop for 4 years.... I was raised around woodworking my whole Life .... My father has had his own shop for as long as I can remember..so I wanted to dip my feet in and give it a shot .... I have vinyl cutters , and shirt presses and I have mastered all the software that is associated with these... I know that this is a whole new ball game and I want to take it slow and get a good prespective on all the software available and the issues and learning curves of these ...

So I want to thank you for taking the time and your advise is not overlooked or taken for granted and very helpful ! !

Thanks
Scott

aka BEARDOWN

[scratch_6057]

Originally Posted by Beardown Problem 1.) I have a 5 volt wire that needs to be connected ...From my understandings this can go to a USB port (since Usb is 5 volts) How would I connect this to UBS if it is a bare wire ? Thanks Scott aka BEARDOWN

Before you connect that wire to ANYTHING you need to answer a couple of other questions,

( The picture was TOO SMALL for me to make out anything, and I'm running a 19" Monitor)

1) WHAT is the reason for that wire? Is it a supply wire for something?
Is it a signal wire to some function, i.e. Appling 5 volts to will trigger something to turn on
(might be something you don’t want turned on until later , if at all).
What is connected to the other end of that wire? How much CURRENT
does the 5 Volt load require? If the unknown end of that wire is connected
to something that requires a few AMPS of current and you connect it to a
USB port, chances are you can kiss the motherboard in the PC goodbye.

Best to know what’s what before you plug things together,
you either do not have enough information or you are not supplying enough
for us to help you out.

[awerby]

It looks like a home-made machine. If you didn't build it yourself, has the person that did ever got it to run? Can you get any help from them? I notice it has Gecko drives, which is good, but no break-out board. Using one would have simplified things for you - they often come with 5v transformers on board, for one thing. I'm not sure that hacking into the USB connection is a good idea.

You may have some difficulty running it from that laptop. Usually, laptops lack the voltage in the parallel port to run the Geckodrives adequately. (That's if they have parallel ports at all). This will limit your ability to run Mach, since it depends on a strong parallel port. Most other control systems I know of (TurboCNC, CNCPro, etc.) have the same problem. You'd probably be better off with a desktop system you can devote to running the mill.

Whatever you do, remember never to connect or disconnect anything without powering down first - that's the number-one cause of drive meltdown...

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[Jaaox]

Did you just buy this thing on ebay for $830.00, I bid on it myself. Did he give you the 4th axis at all, that was what I was mostly interested in. Was your intended purpose to make signs? Thanks
Jim

[Beardown]

Originally Posted by Jaaox Did you just buy this thing on ebay for $830.00, I bid on it myself. Did he give you the 4th axis at all, that was what I was mostly interested in. Was your intended purpose to make signs? Thanks Jim

Jim ,
YEs I did get it off ebay yesterday ..... I wish that you didnt bid maybe I would have got it for cheaper ! lol

As for what I am going to use it for ..well right now I am going to learn on this machine as my starter... the I will go on from there ...I was looking at Joes cnc kit ..but the price was right on this one ... I am just going to toss the Laptop and use a PC... Ohh no 4th Axis on this Jim...


Mike here is a message that I received about my problem to clear up the wire and I quote"

The "red" wire that would be connected to the computer 5V
power "should" be connected also to the "common" pin of all three
Gecko drives. Unfortunately my old eyes cannot see the full picture
from the photos you posted. But it's extremely likely that the white
wire marked 5v in your photo needs to ge to your computer 5v power
supply; as that is a very common GeckoDrive set up for DIY-CNC.

You CAN get this from a USB conector. I'm not remembering which pin
has the 5v right now, but that info is easily available online. The
Game port and Keyboard connector ALSO have +5V pins from the
computer power... On the keyboard connnector it is pin 1. But...

The best/easiest place IMO to get/access the 5v power is from a disk
drive connector inside the computer. Open the box, find a spare
drive connector and either buy a mating connector at a computer store
(a drivc extension cable will have one of each type); or simply cut
the RED wire free from the 4 pin connector and join it to the wire
you show in the photos.

(The 4 pin connector in the computer should have a red, yellow and
two black wires. The two black wires are grounds and should be
between the red and yellow on the connector. The yellow is 12v;
don't use that one.)

That should get you going.



End quote

So I think pretty much figures my problem out.... So thanks for all replies on the wire Issue ! Very much appperciated !!



,,,,, As to my software concern .... AutoCad , MeshCam , and Mach 3 ...should pretty much get me going right ??

Again Thanks Guys .... Thread 1 of 1,000 I am sure.....

[Jaaox]

I am sorry I bid that up since I really wanted the 4th axis, my hobby is building pool cues. It looked to me like the cnc machine had servo motors, if that is so you probably got a good buy. Thanks for responding. I really like using Mach3 for control. If I can be of any help, let me know.
Jim

[Beardown]

Thanks Jim... I will might just take you up on that ....It does have servos ..& with the geckos I think I made out pretty well..

That is what he used it for was the inlays ... He had a nice little shop too ...if you ever need any stock he had plenty....Just a thought ..

Well you must be from this area since he want shipping it ..He probaly would have made alot more money if he were willing to ship it ..but what the heck I ll take it ..

Thanks Again for all the help guys !! I am sure I will ned more

Scott

[Jaaox]

Reprinting my answer here as you might get more help that way.

"I may not be the best one to help you as I can not get back to the computer as ofter as I would like, mostly at night. If you use Mach 3 there is a tutorial to set up your machine at http://www.machsupport.com/videos.htm after your setup is complete you can test cut the roadrunner file, a sample in Mach 3, to see if your machine is running properly. After that you can use any program you want to design a file that outputs in dxf."

What Did you say your intended purpose was... signs.

[Beardown]

Thanks that makes alot off sense so if I a .dxf file open it in Mach 3 then It will the generate Gcodes from the .dxf file and send it the the drives that will in turn,tell the motors what to do .....

Thanks !


Yeah I have a sign shop so I was going to try to incorporatethis into that somehow ..I know that I still have alot to learn (ALOT! )..but the good thing is I have the time to learn it since I have my own shop.I set the time to learn ,I am figuring most likey a good 24-30 hours a week Between the shop and home times ...that I could train on this machine ,,, trial and errors ,..Also to make some wooden gears, trim .... alot of uses I imagine