CNC electronic components.

[bkboggy]

Trying to pick a setup for Joe's '06, and not sure what to go with... so far:


Probotix:

Not sure if I should choose PBX-2 or PBX-RF breakout board.
http://www.probotix.com/3_axis_stepp...or_driver_kit/


Keling:

http://www.kelinginc.net/ThreeXCNCPackage.html


HobbyCNC:

http://www.hobbycnc.com/products/hob...oard-packages/


All priced fairly close. What do you guys think? I would go with Geico 540 and then buy the rest, but it would come out much more expensive and those 3 above are good enough for this machine.

[Crevice Reamer]

First of all, doesn't this router require FOUR stepper motors and FOUR drivers? That makes the G540 a lot more cost competitive. You can't compare prices on a 3 axis system if you need 4 axis.

Secondly, You have a lot of area to travel. You will need all the rapid speed you can get, and just will not be happy with poor performance.

Thirdly, the MOST expensive thing you can do, is to buy something cheap now, and then have to fork out more dough to replace it later.

Get the powerful and reliable G540. Run it with a 48V PSU.

CR.

[bitbanger]

If you want your crevice reamed, follow crevice reamers advise. Otherwise, we have had many Joe's builders have good luck with any of our kits.

I personally prefer the ProboStep kits because they can handle 40+ volts - which translates to really fast rapids.



>Len

[LaserImage]

Originally Posted by bitbanger If you want your crevice reamed, follow crevice reamers advise. Otherwise, we have had many Joe's builders have good luck with any of our kits. I personally prefer the ProboStep kits because they can handle 40+ volts - which translates to really fast rapids. >Len

That's a pretty ****ty thing to say! If you have something against the G540 then say what it is, don't slam CR for his opinion.

[bkboggy]

CR - Completely untrue. You're thinking of Hybrid. This is '06--it requires only 3 motors and only 3 drivers. I have seen a lot of people being happy with the above setups I've mentioned. Have to remember that this build is 90% MDF, I do not need anything super fast.... however, I do want something reliable.

That Geico 540.... what is included inside of it? 4 drivers and 1 control board? So I would only need to get a power supply and 4 motors? I'm unsure.

[LaserImage]

Originally Posted by bkboggy That Geico 540.... what is included inside of it? 4 drivers and 1 control board? So I would only need to get a power supply and 4 motors? I'm unsure.

1 - Gecko G540
+
3 or 4 - steppers
+
1 - Power supply

= all you need

It will take you about 20-30 minutes to solder your motor wires to the db9 connectors, download the xml file and make the changes to your parallel port. It really doesn't get much easier than this. If the G540 is appropriate for your motors then you won't beat this combo. If you calculate out the individual costs, the G540 is much less expensive than other solutions and the time savings of having it all integerated really pushes it over the top.

Gary

[Crevice Reamer]

My mistake on the number of motors. The G540 is MUCH more than drivers and breakout board. Along with all of the unkillable features of the G203V, it also includes mid band resonance dampening, 10 microstep and microstep to full step speed morphing. NOTHING else comes close to this value. It even comes with the motor connectors, so all you need is some wire:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Servo-Motor-Wire...3286.m20.l1116

a straight thru DB25 cable, some 1/4 Watt current-limiting resistors available here:

http://www.digikey.com/

and your motors and 48V power supply.

CR.

[bkboggy]

Woo.... does sound good. Everyone seems to praise these geico drives. Maybe I should go with it if I decide to upgrade.

So, what kind of motors do you guys recommend? And what kind of power supply, of course?


For enclosure I'm thinking of just using a mid-tower from a salvaged PC. Mount 2-3 120mm fans and it should stay cool. Think I should use a separate power supply for these fans or will I be able to feed them off the main one?

I'm also thinking of adding some fans behind each motor to keep them cool. What do you guys think? Has anyone done something like this before? Is it worth it?

[LaserImage]

bkboggy

The motors you need really depend on your specific application. I'm not really knowledgable about which work best for which, but someone here could help you there. As for the enclosure - I have a single 90mm fan in mine and it works just fine, no overheating problems at all. If I remember correctly, the G540 doesn't even need cooling until your ambient temp reaches about 100F. The motors won't need cooling either, I have seen posts from Keling that they are good at anything below 90c - that's freakin hot! The power supply really depends on the motors and how hard you need to push them. I have 3 keling 286oz steppers driven with a 24v psu and I get 130ipm on my 18" x 36" machine. I could use a 48v psu and get more speed/torque, but I don't need it.

Base your motors on your speed/torque, buy a drive that will allow the voltage/current that you need and then a power supply with the voltage/current that will do the job. The hardest part for me would be figuring out the "best" motor for the job, the rest is simple math.

Gary

P.S. Geico = insurance, Gecko = drives

[bkboggy]

Gary - I don't even know any companies to ge the power supplies from... same goes for the motors. The machine cutting area is going to be about 24x48. Motors will have to move MDF, HDPE and 2.25HP Hitachi Router.

[LaserImage]

Originally Posted by bkboggy Gary - I don't even know any companies to ge the power supplies from... same goes for the motors. The machine cutting area is going to be about 24x48. Motors will have to move MDF, HDPE and 2.25HP Hitachi Router.

You can't beat Keling for the motors and power supplies, they might be able to tell you what motors would be best for your setup. I honestly don't have enough experience to tell you what motor size/specs are best for you, but I do have enough experience to tell you that Gecko drives and Keling motors are a great combination!

Gary

Keling - http://www.kelinginc.net/ (also sells a lot on ebay)

[bkboggy]

Thanks. I've contacted them to see what they will recommend. Unless someone will recommend something else, I will go with them.

What about these motors:

http://www.homeshopcnc.com/RSstepperMotors2.html


I hear a lot of people talking about NEMA, what do you think:

http://stepper3.com/shop/index.php