Can i run 2 motor off one Gecko

[Biggermens]

I am looking to see if i can run 2 motor off of one Gecko 202 ???
- will the current set resistor stay the same ???
- if not how do i calculate the current set resistor ???
- is that work the same for the servo Gecko drives


Or if that dont work can i run 2 gecko running one motor each on the same axes ???


Thanks for the help
Big

[ger21]

You can, but performance may suffer. It's preferable to use 1 drive per motor and slave the motors in software.

[Biggermens]

what do you meen buy slave the motors in software ???

so it is better to use 2 geckos and one motor on each Right ?

Thanks

[erase42]

yes it is better to use one motor with one gecko, what Gerry meant is that in many programs you can tie two drivers together in the software so that one driver gets the same exact signals at the same time. Its usually called slaving, Its meant for machines that have one motor on each side of the machine that need to run identically.

[Biggermens]

Ok i think i understand but i just want to make it very clear to me

for example i am setting up X axes with 2 Gecko and 2 motor
so say i use pin 1 for the first Gecko and pin 2 for the second
then i tell Mach 3 to use pin 1 and pin 2 for X axes ???

Is that correct ???

and i other question i have is that can i run the 2 motor on the same ball screw
reason being is that my gantry is about 500 pound and i am having a hard time to find motors that can power that at 90 ipm that will work on a gecko servo or stepper drive

Thanks to all
Big

[max_imum2000]

i think you set up pins according to your needs ,

but what if i have a 4axis machine
does that means i need to set it as if it was 5 axis as the x-axis is already acting as 2 axis ?
again that means i need to have a breakout board that can suppose 5axis ?

is there any hardware slaving solution to this ?

[erase42]

biggermens, im not so sure about running two motors on one shaft tho. I recall a lot of posts claiming that trying to drive one load with 2 steppers is counter productive. Something about motors wasting most of their energy just fighting each other on a very small level. I would expect some very interesting reading from some of the big contributers here on this subject, I know I look forward to hearing it again.

[ger21]

Originally Posted by Biggermens Ok i think i understand but i just want to make it very clear to me for example i am setting up X axes with 2 Gecko and 2 motor so say i use pin 1 for the first Gecko and pin 2 for the second then i tell Mach 3 to use pin 1 and pin 2 for X axes ??? Is that correct ???

You set up one motor as the X axis in Mach3, and the other as the A axis. Then go to Config>Slave Axis and slave the A to X.

Two 800-1000 oz-in steppers should be able to go much faster than 90ipm, but the problem might be accelerating it fast enough.

Maximum, you can use two breakout boards for your 5 motors.

[max_imum2000]

ger21
how can i connect 2 breakout boards and there are only 1 parallel port avilable ?

[ger21]

Add a PCI parallel port card.

[max_imum2000]

ohh come on
do i really have to go all that complication to add a an axis !!
what if i am using a laptop ? do i have to use pcmcia parallall port ?

i am sure there is a slaving circuit out there that i can connect it between 2 geckos and the axis pin

or maybe a slaving mode on the controller itself ?

thanks

[Biggermens]

Ok Cool
do anyone no ware i can find a place that sell big servo that can move about 500 pounds of mass i am using 1 ball screw 4 turn per inch and i am using Thompson 50 series linear rails and i want to use a gecko drive i like them and thay work good and are easy to setup i am aiming for 90 ipm

Thanks