nuDrive controller

[Halfnutz]

A couple months ago I got a 3 axis controller off of eBay for 10 or 15 dollars made by a company called nuDrive, with the intention of using just the power supply and case. I've decided to try to use it as is after examining it. It has a 8 amp, 28Volt torroidal transformer, and uses 3 IMS IM483 drives. These are microsteppers from Inteligent Motion Systems. I dont know if I will be able to use the box as is, if not I'll strip it out and re-wire the drives or put a zylotec or a hobby cnc board in it. It wouldnt make sense to use geckoes with that power supply, and I only need it for some 3 amp 23 size motors for a medium size gantry router, or a mini mill I have.

Anyone ever use a nuDrive?
How about the IMS drives?

Thanks,

(I just checked out the wiring and everything is straight through, basically set up to run directly with Turbo or Mach, I just need to make a cable from the LPT1 to the 50 pin on the back of the thing.)

[Halfnutz]

I found a pinout diagram for controller on National Instruments (they bought out nuDrive) website and bought some connectors from Allied for it. I had to make a cable from its 50 pin header to a parallel port. Theres no logic in the box, just 3 IMS 483 controllers and buffered, isolated throughput for 3 encoders, limits, step, direction and enable for 3 axis, 8 I/O points and an opto 22 board, and the neccesary power to run itself and 8 amps at around 35 Volts for the motors. It works great. Very smooth and quiet. Nice unit, for the 15 bucks or so it cost me I really stole this thing. Thats eBay, sometimes you get lucky, but only if your willing to spend a little money and potentially end up with a useless box of garbage. I originally bought this for the case, and just happened to get lucky!

[juzwuz]

Hi! I just came across your thread about the nudrive controller. I got one off of ebay for around $50 (4-axis stepper driver). I was just wondering if you could direct me to the pinout diagram? I'm trying to figure out how to constuct a cable from the parallel port to the 50 pin header. Any hints on where to get the connectors? Is the 50 pin header a scsi connector? I think I'll be using this to drive my new Taig mill. Thanks!

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by juzwuz Hi! I just came across your thread about the nudrive controller. I got one off of ebay for around $50 (4-axis stepper driver). I was just wondering if you could direct me to the pinout diagram? I'm trying to figure out how to constuct a cable from the parallel port to the 50 pin header. Any hints on where to get the connectors? Is the 50 pin header a scsi connector? I think I'll be using this to drive my new Taig mill. Thanks!

Give Google a whirl.... Heres the first result I got hth

[juzwuz]

Yup...I did an internet search and found that manual and the updated version of the manual but I couldn't find any mention of the 50 pin connector which carries the step and direction signals. The connector kinda looks like a scsi type of connector. I guess I can just take my ohm meter and figure out which pin goes to which signal connection. Thanks!

[Halfnutz]

I cant find ithe link at the moment, so I'll type it out, this is the 50 pin on the back.


Pin 1 - Axis 1 Inhibit
2 - Axis 1 Step
4 - Axis 1 Dir
3,5,7,9 - Common
6 - Encoder 1 Phase A+
8 - Encoder 1 Phase B+
10 - Encoder 1 Index+
11 - Axis 1 Home
12 - Axis 1 Fwd. Limit
14 - Axis 1 Rev. Limit
15 - Axis 2 Inhibit
13,17,19,23 - Common
16 - Axis 2 Step
18 - Axis 2 Dir
20 - Encoder 2 Phase A+
22 - Encoder 2 Phase B+
24 - Encoder 2 Index +
25 - Axis 2 Home
26 - Axis 2 Fwd. Limit
28 - Axis 2 Rev. Limit
29 - Axis 3 Inhibit
30 - Axis 3 Step
32 - Axis 3 Dir
23,27,31,33,35,39,41,43 - Common
34 - Encoder 3 Phase A+
36 - Encoder 3 Phase B+
38 - Encoder 3 Index +
39 - Axis 3 Home
40 - Axis 3 Fwd. Limit
42 - Axis 3 Rev. Limit
44 - I/O Bit 6
45 - I/O Bit 5
46 - I/O Bit 4
47 - I/O Bit 3
48 - I/O Bit 2
49 - I/O Bit 1
50 - Positive Voltage Source ( ? )

If I come along the link I'll post it, but this should get you started.

[juzwuz]

Thanks! I decided to double check the various pins on the 50 pin connector and it looks like I have a different pin layout than you. I finally found a manual on the National Instruments website that seems to describe the connector I have.

http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/321940a.pdf

on page 30.

I'm currently making up a cable that goes from a db25 (parallel port male connector) to the scsi 50 pin connector. Do I have to supply 5V to Pin 50? I was just planning on hooking up to the step and direction pins.

[Halfnutz]

Any luck getting your controller hooked up Juzwuz? Thats strange that your I/O is different and follows the pin layout of their PC I/O cards.

I just got limit switches hooked up to mine. I made a cable that goes from the 25 pin port to the 50 pin header, using all of the pinouts except the encoder outputs and 4 I/O, and it works great.

Eventually I will put another parallel port in my computer and run the additional I/O and encoder outputs to it.

One thing I did change was the power supply, I swapped out the little transformer for a much larger one, and also I replaced the Z axis driver (The IMS IM483) with a Centent CNO 143 for more current to my Z axis. It just didnt have enough current for the heavy router and 276 oz./in. steppers I have, I went crazy figuring out the problem but now it really works well.

Keep us posted on your progress!

[juzwuz]

I think I have 40VDC from the built in power supply. I'm still not sure if I need to hook up an external +5V source to pin 50 along with the step and direction inputs. Did you apply +5V to your pin 50?

I have some CENTENT drives from ebay but I was saving them for the cnc router that I'll hopefully build with the help of the Taig mill.

Thanks!

[Halfnutz]

No I did not have to add any additional power anywhere (except swapping out the main x-former). The main I/O board in mine provides opto isolation, just make sure you attach one of your ground pins from LPT (pin 18 works) to a logical ground of your 50 pin header. Thats all I had to do, everything else gets buffered and run through the I/O board. I did disconnect the enable line going to the drivers, just because it is a logic low and requires pulling low to enable the drives, it was just a pain and I didnt need it so I unhooked it from the IM 483 drives.

You should be fine with the IM 483 drives, I'm still using 2 of them, they work great, my Z axis just weigh's a ton and I really needed some extra power to lift it, you shouldnt need to worry about them. If they do start dragging or running too hot first swap out the little transformer, although yours might be larger than mine was if it is a 4 axis model. The one in mine was really tiny, like 8 amps at 28 volts or something, and the three drives could pull up to 4 amps each.

I use it every day, it works great. LOL!

[juzwuz]

A little bit of progress was made. First the good news: I made the wires, hooked everything up, fired up EMC2 on my PC, powered up the nudrive and didn't get any expensive smoke. Bad news is, I didn't get any stepper motor movement when I tried jogging an axis. The steppers were cold to the touch so I don't think they were receiving any current. I think I'll disable the enable wires to the IMS drivers. Hopefully I can debug this soon and start making chips!

[Halfnutz]

Thats what I ended up doing. If you run Step, Dir., and pin 18 (Gnd.) from your parallel port directly to the IMS drivers and disconnect the enable input to the IMS you should get some action. Basically just pins 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 18 to a LOGICAL ground (one of the common pins of the 50 pin connector or find the +5V power and its ground and tie into it somewhere, even right to the IMS LOGICAL ground but NOT THE POWER GROUND!).

Basically to get started, just use the nuDrive for its power supplies and cabinet. You can get more complicated later, using the encoder inputs and limit inputs (it provides the +5V pull up for limit switches and source voltage for encoders) as well as the optical isolation provided by the main control board one step at a time. To start I would just connect directly to the Step & Dir. inputs of the drives to verify they are working and to set your current resistor to match your motors and get them tuned and your mechanics calibrated. The IMS drives provide optical isolation themselves so you can connect directly to them without worrying about your parallel port.

At some point (soon) you need to make sure the current resistors are correct or you could damage the motors. You can move them around a little, but dont push too hard untill you check those out. Mine were set up for 2 amps when I got it. The IMS manual at their website has a table, youv'e probably allready seen it, for the resistor values of the idle current and peak currents.

Good luck!