Planning New Machine Build - Many Questions

[Ntl]

Ask DMM about their requirements.

As for your Acorn questions, I highly suggest you joint Centroid's Acorn forum and ask their. That's by far the best place to get good info on the Acorn.

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Ask 10 different people, and they'll build their systems 10 different ways.

Agreed, join the Centroid forum you will get answers to all your questions and be able to see a bunch of recent builds using DMM hardware.

Dan

[mkelcy]

How critical, if at all, is using shielded cable inside the controller box? My set up will be running off the DB25 inputs/outputs on the Acorn - so low voltage and not optically isolated. All of my VAC stuff and VDC power supplies are at the top of the enclosure, the Acorn and DYN2 drivers are at the bottom. Do I need to use shielded twisted pairs for step and direction, or VFD spindle speed output, or DC power to the drivers, or will plain old 12-14-16-18-20-22 AWG wires work?

[ericks]

Panel fan and filter?

[ger21]

Do I need to use shielded twisted pairs for step and direction, or VFD spindle speed output, or DC power to the drivers, or will plain old 12-14-16-18-20-22 AWG wires work?

I don't know if anyone can really answer that. It may work fine, or it may not.

[mkelcy]

I don't know if anyone can really answer that. It may work fine, or it may not.

I'm not asking for a guaranty, just what customary practice is. I guess I'll figure it out.

[wmgeorge]

I'm not asking for a guaranty, just what customary practice is. I guess I'll figure it out.

When you decide to design and build a CNC machine you should be able to do so. Asking everyone else what you need to do is not designing its avoiding your own research of previous builds. Frankly I would use shielded cable on everything, but that just me.

[ger21]

Do I need to use shielded twisted pairs for step and direction,

Depends on the drives. Some will specify shielded, twisted pair, other won't.

or VFD spindle speed output

Not sure what you are referring to here...

or DC power to the drivers,

No.

[mkelcy]

When you decide to design and build a CNC machine you should be able to do so. Asking everyone else what you need to do is not designing its avoiding your own research of previous builds. Frankly I would use shielded cable on everything, but that just me.

I get it. I'm really familiar with first generation Camaros. Sometimes the questions on Camaro intensive boards get really repetitive as if someone hasn't even tried to get an answer. When that happens I either ignore the post or suggest a search.

I've tried to get answers. I've looked at many Youtube videos that show builds, I've Googled it til the cows come home. I've tried everything I can think of, but mostly everyone talks about components, not twisted pair wiring versus straight wire. I've closely examined MartyCNC's and other videos, but it's hard to tell exactly what they're using to wire the control panel. I'm not asking anyone to build my control panel; I was asking for direction and customary practice. Maybe that's too much to ask.

Some answers are intended to help; some answers aren't. Yours, pretty much put down, not help.

And, finally, if I didn't attempt something until I knew I could do it, I'd still be crawling.

[routalot]

I understand the process of gathering information and then making an informed decision during a machine build.If in doubt I like to break the process into steps and apply logic to arrive at a conclusion.If you are using a combination of parts that doesn't seem common,but which you have available,you can compare the benefits and cautiously proceed when satisfied that it will work.Part of the process is to seek the best information.What really irritates me is when somebody asks a question about their specific needs and somebody with knowledge explains why a particular solution is likely to be optimal-only to be met with "Do you know where I can get plans for that?". By which they mean detailed drawings including a list of all parts and their suppliers and with every component drawn in detail.Such people aren't building,they are assembling.

Somebody with a vision of what they are trying to achieve and who asks intelligent questions along the way is doing it correctly in my book.The whole process is about building a satisfactory machine that performs as required,without letting the magic smoke escape. If we get a part wrong it can always be changed later,but it will be an inconvenience.

[Ntl]

You should start a thread on the Centroid forum, you will get all your questions answered there in regards to the controller.

Dan