#13 Wiring Stepper Drivers To Controller & Panel Mounts #13 / CNC Control Box

CORRECTION 0:47 Input coming into the controller such as the start, hold and reset buttons, the probe and limits switches all need an active low signal - which means when the pin is receiving a voltage (normally 5v) it is disabled, and if that goes to 0V is it active. The coolant and spindle enable pins use an active high so the off state is normally at 0v and that goes up to 12v to turn those on. In the case of stepper drivers a high and low signal result in moving the stepper in one direction or the other. When I built my first controller I didn't use a probe or start/hold buttons, and my limits were simple mechanical limits which didn't require me to investigate how they worked.
In this video I wire the M542T stepper drivers to their aviation panel mounts and the controller. I didn’t do a great job soldering these to the chassis mounts but eventually figures out what I was doing wrong and corrected my first attempt in a separate video. Once that is uploaded later this week I will link to that that video here:
If you are interested in the soldering station please check out this affiliate link: goo.gl/0chY5k It worked well for me, and the other features were have become useful in future videos. I used the DC power out feature as a PWM to check my VFD and that was great. But it is a little pricey and you don't to send that much to simply solder - you could use an iron like this instead: goo.gl/xkedGL - make sure you get one which corresponds to the electrical supply of your area.
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[@MrClickbang357]

I like how you set up the avation sockets onto sheet plastic then attached to the box!!! Nicely done.

[@ray-charc3131]

Why not directly on the enclosure?

[@mck-WeldingFabrications]

great video man. I have all the gear to build my own DIY CNC Router but I'm way out of my league with the electronics on the build. I am glad to find these types of videos as help for me. Thanks man. I'm more hopeful after watching this but time will tell.. haha!

[@JamesCoyle95]

I have a similar solder station and it works great. Doesn't have a USB port on it but I have plenty of those anyway. I love how I can turn the iron on and use it within 2 minutes because it heats up so fast and the heat gun is instantly hot.

[@EducatingSavvas]

Yeah it seems to do the trick nicely. Think just having a clean tip makes such a difference.

[@ZeeColton]

I think I heard from Corvetteguy50 you shouldn't daisy chain the drivers. Supposedly that information is in the drivers user manual. Can cause instability.

[@can5projects563]

awesome controller box looks great nice and clean installation

[@ray-charc3131]

Why do the shield of cables not go to metal enclosure?

[@martindelaney5419]

Excellent!

[@kentvandervelden]

Looking great! I may have missed something, why take the negative sides of the drive control lines to the common on the 36VDC supply instead of to a common on your control board? Looks like the control board its own power supply. Are the commons of all the power supplies are at the same potential? Maybe tie the shields of the higher current stepper motor lines to a ground at a different point than the shields of your lower current control lines? Best wishes, Kent

[@EducatingSavvas]

Thanks Kent - as far as I have read it goes towards prevent ground loop - electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/90580/why-connect-two-power-supply-grounds

[@raixr2197]

What controller is that? Link please

[@EducatingSavvas]

That is a phoenix CNC controller by kzbin.info

[@thebeststooge]

Damn, I needed this info for the Mach3 boards from China. Same driver just not GRBL.

[@29Gleisson]

When you say the wire shielding goes to ground, do you mean earth? I mean I thought shielding should go down on the 220V third pin? Thanks

[@EducatingSavvas]

Yes, that's what the instructions for inverters ask. Tied into the back-plate which is earthed. Some instructions suggest doing this at both end of the motor cable. It gets a bit confusing.

[@29Gleisson]

@@EducatingSavvas which back plate? Thanks

[@UberAlphaSirus]

Savvas, looks like you know about ground loops :) Don't forget all these power supply's are probably floating, just check they are grounded on Neg out,and floating on opto isolated stuff that does need seperation such as the i/o board. May I mention another youtuber who's just started a build? The electrical side will be amazing knowing his history?

[@EducatingSavvas]

Yes I was aware that was a problem but I didn't know about the floating channels. I was going to connect a negative grounds terminal of each of the PSU's together so they were all common - I can't wait to go back to make stupid easy videos. Yeah please send me their channel!! :)

[@ruralaccentwoodcraft604]

Educating Savvas I suspect he means the legend (other than yourself), that is John Ward.

[@EducatingSavvas]

Lol it's on my to watch list! He'll probably finish his machine before me!

[@durajistique]

Do you have a video about Arduino based cnc wiring?

[@EducatingSavvas]

unfortunately not.

[@dalegregg8455]

Try using clearpath motors and get rid of all the motor controllers. Go directly from your controller board to the stepper motors. They are optical connected and do not load your driver board. Far simpler and they never loose a step and are almost silent during operation

[@EducatingSavvas]

I was curious about the integrated ones but ended up going with a Duet 2 Wifi with onboard drivers. Don't have the will to start from scratch again.

[@powil4ss]

in gecko driver guides they say you shouldn't daisy chain power wires for motor drivers..

[@EducatingSavvas]

Thanks for letting me know.

[@zee2ker]

Do you happen to have plans for your housing because it's a nice setup and I'm getting my CNC at the end of the week. Rick:)

[@can5projects563]

do you have the schematics for your set up?

[@EducatingSavvas]

No exactly. But I've also move to the duet controller and don't think I'll be coming back to GRBL in the same way. See the later videos.

[@robertacrowemobilehomework6309]

I same setup I am working on amazingly I have mine layout just about like yours. I am getting power steppers lock like there ready. Mach 3 moves the axis numbers but no movement on steppers please give me idea

[@EducatingSavvas]

Have you flicked the little switches for the stepper drivers to the right voltage for you motors? I have not used mach3 before but I think most of their control board will connect to the -pul, -dir and -enable. So the pin connections would be very different to the GRBL setup. What controller are you using?

[@robertacrowemobilehomework6309]

I have them on the minus side. I found out that it is my aftermarket PCI parallel card. so I order another that is the one in a cnc group said will work with mach 3. was said it has to put out 5 volts to the breakout board. I am working on it right now trying to get to work has less voltage then the one I replaced. another think i am not sure on is the dip switches if you could let me know on those. thanks very much for replying back Robert

[@EducatingSavvas]

Are you using resisters to lower the voltage? I haven't set mine yet as they depend on the stepper motor and the microsteps you decide to use.

[@robertacrowemobilehomework6309]

Educating Savvas I have decided to buy the UC 100 and the uccn CNC software to use on my newer i5 desktop 64 bit much faster and can multitask with it. thanks for you're​ help love your channel keep it up it is helpful. check out my channel see what you think of my CNC router God bless

[@arisnoorsetyo6270]

With Bob mach or Arduino Sir?

[@EducatingSavvas]

I'm using Duet now. Much nicer and easier to use.

[@cghkjhjkhjhvfghc]

Well done video.

[@dummag4126]

Sorry, bit why use wire channels and not use them?

[@EducatingSavvas]

To keep the wires shorter where possible.

[@umargul5644]

Awesome

[@ennaiarindhal3141]

Can you share circuit diagram?? Pls

[@EducatingSavvas]

Check out my latest series on the duet CNC.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Regarding floating power supplies, I made a 50vdc power supply for almost free using multiple old laptop power supplies. I made a video on it.

[@urgamecshk]

Is your spindle enable and speed (pwm) wired up?

[@EducatingSavvas]

I can use the potentiometer on the VFD after pressing a toggle switch that I programmed, or otherwise via gcode - so yes PWN and enable terminals on controller.

[@urgamecshk]

Educating Savvas do you mind sharing which pins in the VFD you wire to? Arduino only puts out 5V but it wants 10V

[@skyrim4713]

what board are you using

[@EducatingSavvas]

Phoenix Controller.

[@EducatingSavvas]

CORRECTION 0:47 Input coming into the controller such as the start, hold and reset buttons, the probe and limits switches all need an active low signal - which means when the pin is receiving a voltage (normally 5v) it is disabled, and if that goes to 0V is it active. The coolant and spindle enable pins use an active high so the off state is normally at 0v and that goes up to 12v to turn those on. In the case of stepper drivers a high and low signal result in moving the stepper in one direction or the other. When I built my first controller I didn't use a probe or start/hold buttons, and my limits were simple mechanical limits which didn't require me to investigate how they worked.

[@rororod7513]

les alimentations ne doit pas être posée l'une sur l'autre, risque de surchauffe important, si elles sont des grilles s'est pour qu'elle soit aéré

[@EducatingSavvas]

There's adequate space between each PSU - no problem with heat to far.

[@muhammadsheraz2079]

sir please make cnc panel for servo motor.

[@EducatingSavvas]

Can you send me an example?

[@Freetheworldnow]

Honestly my brain has to be a computer in order to be able to follow you! So many clips, with so many quick spans and too many rapid fast forward mini clips, combined with an extremely monotuous voice contribute to my difficulty at grasping all what you are trying to convey.

[@EducatingSavvas]

Ha I use to feel the same way about Master Chef...

[@lineage13]

LOL POWER OVER WHELMING! 3 PSUs!

[@Tuxedo2680]

The soldering on the aviation connectors is horrible on many levels. First, the solder joints themselves. You're making the classic mistake of someone who hasn't received basic training in electronics soldering. You're heating the solder instead of heating the solder lugs on the connectors. This is how it's supposed to work: you make sure your soldering iron has a 700 deg F. tip with a wide blade (1/4 inch is good), then melt a little bit of solder on the tip and press it against the back of the lug with the pre-tinned wire already resting in the cupped portion. Wait till the lugs are hot enough to make the solder melt and THEN touch the solder wire to the cupped portion of the LUG where the wire is sitting (not the iron's tip) and fill the LUG with solder. Make sure the solder flows and all the metal surfaces are properly "wetted". Next, filling the back of the connectors with hot glue after soldering is a bad idea, especially since the quality of those solder joints is rather poor (they have "cold solder joint" written all over them). There's a high likeliness that the contacts could fail and even break which would force you to re-solder them. Having to remove the glue from there before you can re-solder would make the process a huge pain in the butt. And in the best possible scenario, glue serves no purpose whatsoever. Finally, can we be honest here and admit that the sole purpose of the heat shrink tubing is just a way to hide how horrible the whole thing looks? OTOH, if your solder joints were of decent quality, the HST would make sense as a form of strain relief for the wires.

[@gerhardtv4383]

Cu = Copper