Acorn + Clearpath CNC Control Box Bench Test and Overview

[@EverettsWorkshop]

I seriously enjoy seeing all the thought you put into your builds. You joke about "overdoing" things at times, but you're just doing things to the best possible standard. Which is one of the biggest reasons I respect your work. Just sayin'.

[@2Fast4Mellow]

This reminds me of my first job at an elevator company right after I graduated from school. My primary task was to wire-up control boxes. Each elevator had its own unique features, so every control box had a distinct layout, although many of the features were quite common across them. I worked at that job for a little over a year. However, the company eventually relocated to a place that was not easily accessible for me, so I had to find a new job. They did offer to pay for my driving lessons, but even with a car, the new location was a 35-45 minute drive away, whereas it had been under 10 minutes by bike. Before I joined the company, I had also completed an internship there during my college days. Watching this video brought back some fond memories. Thanks!

[@richardsweet5068]

A lot going on with this build, can't wait to see the hardware.

[@RichardFortin77]

Great information. My installation is very similar to your system. Your tutorial saved me DAYS of work and frustration. Thank you.

[@donteeple6124]

Very impressive James. Tons of work and planning we don't get to see, but the proof is in the pudding.......nothing second rate here......top, top notch.......my own computer expertise is limited to: plug A into slot B and turn on, turn off.......the way you explain things and the logic and reasoning behind them makes all this understandable, albeit at a toddlers level. The way you do things and the way you present them are some of the reasons we watch. The work itself takes tons of time, and the filming and editing have to equal or exceed even that....BRAVO !!!!!!! Looking forward to follow ups on this and even more of you projects. Thanks for sharing w us. Don

[@stefanjetchick3853]

This video made me remember a networking equipment conference I translated many years ago called "Are you a cable management fanatic?", but also real-time systems designer Bruce Powel Douglass' insistance on "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!" I envy Clough42. Playing with cool stuff, and taking the time to do things right.

[@osumailguy]

In so many videos, I have no idea what you’re talking about …but I’m still mesmerized by your videos!

[@artgehr7178]

I switched to Acron about 2 years ago. Glad to see you following.

[@offuttjr]

Thanks … for quite some time this is exactly what i was in need of. I am entering my second half of life and will open a small cnc shop and in the process of building of converting a mini lathe and mill then onto a knee mill … hopefully all by the end of 2023 i will have completed this … i decided long ago on the centroid controllers and. They just came out with a new one i already recieved the acorn that i will use on the lathe … i took Mechatronics and i am studying electronics on my own. In February i will be. Taking an EBA ( electronics Board Assembly ) class ( accelerated while working full time in a production cnc. Shop … I would like to express my gratitude for your approach as i am sure many others do to. It is helping me a great deal. Mainly in confidence. In the 90s i worked in an aero space company ( Nurad ) loved it . I served the better part of an. Apprenticeship as a machinist before that just died off in this country for the most part and as you know things changed so i did too .. well i am back at what i love thanks to people like yourself that share your talents selflessly to help others .. THANKS.

[@RMarquez805]

I have a real appreciation for people with attention to detail but ur work is always next level and so well thought out. Im always learning something new and ur work inspires new ways of thinking, really appreciate the time u put into ur videos.

[@bitcarpenter8646]

I really admire your work on this project. From my early career industrial controls engineer perspective, your panels look better than a lot of what I've seen people run in the field.

[@yellowcrescent]

As a former Controls Tech myself, it seems like most control panels would inevitably end up with all of the wire duct covers laying in the bottom of the cabinet and wires streaming everywhere, along with notes and pinouts scribbled on the inside of the panel door. lol

[@kevinwassellsr.5646]

@@yellowcrescent so you expect us to fix stuff and keep it pretty? Talk to my boss about lost opportunity 😶

[@egondro9157]

⁠@@kevinwassellsr.5646I’ve worked on aviation assets, computer networks and electrical wiring for complex systems. It goes along way to wire stuff and route correctly. Especially when rerunning cables. Yes your time is vital but the reality is your not a design engineer. Does the box have airflow. Did you impede airflow by not reinstalling the cables in the channel. Will it still work, yes. Will it break down quicker most likely. Heat is the biggest enemy against electronic components. They tend to design at optimal thermal specs which ride the line to get the most out of it without putting as much thermal management. Moving cables out of the airways goes long way to help with that without adding any more components to the design. So yeah pretty is sometimes there for vibration, thermal designs or ESD/EMI concerns. Not to be pretty or convenient for you to repair. Just something for you to think about as you play “where does this wire run?” in a rats nest.

[@scratchbuiltdesigns]

A CNC control box 101. I am again impressed how thoroughly you explain these complex subjects. Looking forward to see the final machine.

[@Iamtherodlight1453.]

Thank you Serra for taking the time to make this video.

[@JShel14]

I can't believe you just dropped all this knowledge for free. Thanks so much for all your vids!

[@TAWPTool]

James, I look forward to every one of your videos. This one didn’t disappoint. I’m anxious to see the machine that you’re going to control with this system! Thank you for sharing.

[@gwharton68]

Impressive control panel design and build. Can't wait for the rest of the build.

[@Gohnna]

James, thank you SO MUCH for posting this. Seriously, the amount of extra work it takes to document an already large undertaking isn't something that most would do. I just bought a PM-30 today and had reached the conclusion of using clearpath so the timing of your video is wonderful! Thanks again man!

[@jtwhite2084]

Awesome build! Always good when none of the "magic smoke" escapes!

[@garyw.elmqurst6272]

As always, you have been right on the mark with your builds, and this one is tops. You take the time to build it right the first time. Thank You for taking the time to take us along on your journey.

[@andrewdoherty8847]

This is very much 'a deep dive into the acorn' on several levels. Firstly the days of systems and product research, secondly the days of building, and thirdly the hours of preparation and practice to put on a seamless video show oozing with content. It is no wonder I have bookmarked this. At various points during the video I did my own due diligence. You seem to have constructed, broadly speaking, a serious piece of ability. Nice work indeed. On the other hand you have clearly moved from the 'I built a cnc router for $500' crowd. This is serious pricing in Oz dollars but traversing dead ends is not cheap either. At this point the question is 'Which follow-on do I see?'

[@adv-rider7368]

I just retrofitted a 2001 AXYZ industrial router with the Centroid Acorn controller and it is such a nice system!! Went with DMM servos and added the KP-3 touch probe which makes setup of complex jigs on the router so easy. Was giggling and grinning ear to ear first time it was up and running 😁 Can’t wait to see your finished product!! 😎

[@joeygonzo]

how accurate the router now?

[@pjcb1111]

Oh she’s going to be a smooth bit of kit with brains that well laid out 👍🏻

[@michaelmcclure1167]

You do know that the Clearpath IPC-5 is 75 volts. You are saying, "72 volts." Love you videos, all of your projects are neat and clean. Very good job on all the descriptions. Thank you.

[@Clough42]

Oh, you're right. My mistake.

[@joeldriver381]

Amazing job explaining the thought process. This will let anyone thinking of doing a similar project grasp many of the key considerations. Not implying it is complete, but everything in this video is important either safety or/and success. Great content!

[@keithslayback4626]

Thank you have been looking for a list of components needed and finally found it with a good explanation of how to.

[@AWAradiola]

Nice layout Clough, with good points on design considerations presented. You can further reduce interference by twisting the DC power lines coming from the PSUs and rerouting them between the large high current power supplies away from single ended signals (ie TTL, CMOS etc.). If that is unavoidable, the twisting helps reduce EMI. Crossing power and signals at right angles is best practice. The HT that comes back from relay coils and solenoids without snubbers can induce current into signal lines and affect WiFi signals. Diodes work fine as long as the breakdown voltage exceeds the reverse current (10 x Vcc) is a good start. All mains earth/grounds should go to one star point and ground one end of braided cables to avoid earth loops.

[@Factory400]

Great build with all the juicy details! I purchased the ClearCore motion controller for one of my projects which works well, but at the expense of difficulty. The Acorn overall seems easier as a daily use case. Both have an initial learning curve.

[@derekrussell9925]

Very thankful for your videos! Thank you for all the attention and time you put into your work! Very inspiring!

[@johnwiley8417]

Beautiful job! Beyond professional. I wish I'd had those heat shrink labels for my studios. In my day, we used clear heat shrink over a typed paper label, which often crinkled. Hey you kids! Get off my lawn.

[@rustyanvil51]

Very interesting and well presented information here. Excellent use of limited space in that box and nice layout. Great video, thanks!

[@jordanjensen3875]

James your videos are always surprising, and truly inspiring. I just cant get over the way your video content keeps on supporting my hobby/semi-professional endeavors! The cycle seems to go something like this: I will finally decide on buying a certain product (first was the Elegoo resin 3D printer, and second was the Centroid Acorn CNC controller!!!) to satisfy some need one the projects I am working on has. Give it a couple days, MAYBE a week or two, and I'll be darned if a notification for your newest "what done" tutorial doesn't show up on my phone, featuring, you guessed it! The device I just ordered! Small world? Sure, but let me just extend a sincere thank you either way. There would be so many wasted bottles of resin from failed prints on my machine if you wouldn't have made that Video, guiding me through my first prints! Now, on my CNC conversion, I get the pleasure of seeing you "overdo" the Acorn setup, and LONG before I even bench test mine!!! You're nothing short of a badass and I appreciate your extra detailed work, good sir!

[@Clough42]

Thanks. Are you planning on buying a laser soon?

[@jordanjensen3875]

@@Clough42 😳.....I AM currently watching videos on how to drive DVD burner lasers for use as an engraving laser!....wait....who ARE you! Lmao! (Seriously though, currently watching "styropyro's" video "Crazy Keychain Laser Pointer Upgrades. 5mW to 3000mW+") See, if there is a way I can try out a new concept with the materials I already own, I'll generally default to that route for a proof of concept before I go making any unnecessary, time and money absorbing purchases. So I suppose ultimately the answer will be yes, yes sir I am! Too funny James!

[@beachboardfan9544]

O man finally a good control box vid! This always seems like the bit that other builds on youtube just go, yep heres the box, now lets plug it in and run the machine with no explanation whatsoever. And its the meat and potatoes of cnc!!

[@Clough42]

Thank you. I wonder sometimes if I'm being too detailed, but there seems to be a need out there for this kind of info.

[@DougsMessyGarage]

A very well organized controller box. You have obviously put a great deal of thought in to the design.

[@derekrussell9925]

Thanks!

[@ericsandberg3167]

I'd give my eye teeth to have your skills and knowledge so I could build my own CNC milling machine.

[@TheDaumen]

For future builds you might consider in your control box swinging panels....sort of like doors. You can then mount more components in a small box and keep the components separate more easily.. And you have access to everything without having to remove anything to gain access. Just a FYI. I have done it on machines with limited space for the control box. Works great and makes life much easier. Please don't hate me for telling you this after you finished your control box! Great video. Very thorough in your explanations.

[@Clough42]

I assume you need a lot of depth for that to work?

[@TheDaumen]

@@Clough42 No, not really. You have enough in the box you are using on this build to make it work I think.

[@TheDaumen]

@@Clough42 The "doors" are oriented the same as your back pane is now. Put the not so deep components on the back door and the taller ones on the front door.

[@tysleight]

Amazing build! Cheep source for electric boxes is estate / business sales. Just this morning I found like 5 in Melba on a pallet for 5 bucks. Boxes never wear out in my prior career I demoed out so many that were installed in the 50's factories that now I cringe thinking about the waste. Quick rattle can paint job and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference from a brand new one.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

REALLY appreciate the technical details; you are a super craftsman.

[@AllenCavedo]

Absolutely brilliant trouble shooting and analysis. I’ve not seen a modern PC based logic analyzer used before. I’m used to the big old 1980’s $6000 HP units 😁

[@tstanley01]

I've been running this same setup on my avid 4x8, except I didn't get the expansion board. It has been rock solid and runs really well.

[@Big71Red]

V nice wiring in your panel, you have convinced me to wait for clearpath servos to arrive here in NZ

[@DavidtheSwarfer]

As a long time GRBL fan I am impressed by the Acorn system. As a professional programmer I am impressed by the interface and those drag and drop modules, really slick.

[@mike15atpeoplepc]

Great job man!! after watching this i copied you and added another power supply for my Z motor brake.. Learned a lot and such a neat job with the wiring and well thought out layout. I have almost the same setup and even closer after adding that extra power supply. Thanks for sharing!Excited to see everything on your machine.

[@at1cvb417]

Nice work, understand why you wanted to separate power from signals, hopefully you will not have inductive interference from the power onto your signal wires.

[@matsbengtsson3756]

Very neat build. Wish I had picked a bigger box. Ran out of space and had to compromise. Works perfect but not as neat as I had hoped for.

[@T0tenkampf]

This BOM is fantastic, takes some guesswork out that I had

[@jhawker2895]

Nicely designed ... Beautifully tested ... Amazingly demonstrated .... Thanks for Sharing ... Stay Safe...

[@dustboy1978]

I completed a router build with Acorn/Clearpath, had a lot of trouble with EMI noise from the VFD affecting the step/dir signals to the servos. The Z axis control cable shared the longest common path with the spindle cable, and would throw a “step timing error” fault every time the spindle was started. Tried a lot of different things to mitigate the noise but the one thing that made the biggest difference was replacing the unshielded/untwisted Teknic cables with some cheap CAT5.

[@Clough42]

Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. The Clearpath was reporting the error? I will be using drag chain, so the common path is hard to avoid. I will be running a large common mode choke on the spindle. Don't know if it will help.

[@dustboy1978]

@@Clough42 Yes, the Clearpath was reporting the error. I have about 20’ total of drag chain, and my router is only 30” x 60” x 4” work envelope. I always assumed shielding was more effective, but the twisted pair in CAT5 is remarkably good at noise rejection. I also ran shielded cable from VFD to spindle, ferrite chokes on the VFD output and an AC filter on the VFD 220V supply line. Was a real struggle but the machine is rock solid now, love my Acorn/Clearpaths. That cabinet is beautiful, BTW. Can’t wait to see the rest of it.

[@automan1223]

Those nice cables with the servos they sell are unshielded ??

[@dustboy1978]

@@automan1223 Yes, I was really surprised, especially considering the high quality of everything else they make.

[@davidcashin9194]

Really looking forward to seeing the whole system in operation all very nice kit.

[@bobjames4452]

Very concise. I liked the content and your delivery.

[@sebastiendesormeaux1853]

As working for a custom panel builder for 20 years ... I can say kudos, very thorough and tough thought. I`m presently working on research for my CNC build and also found that Acorn + Clearpath would be the way to go. Are you planing sharing the schematics of it all? Watch your videos for a little while, I know you have them :P Amazing work, can`t wait for part 2 on the CNC.

[@joro4301]

I enjoyed putting this in my eyes. Thank you.

[@danielgentile935]

@Claugh42 late to that one, but thanks a lot... this explained a couple of things I was currently researching, as I have to re-do my CNC's controller ....

[@RotarySMP]

Really tidy control cabinet. Nice work.

[@rpavlik1]

Quite the complex and professional build!

[@JimWhitaker]

What a beautiful job!

[@sethalump]

Shoot and here I thought I made a tidy control box for my CNC router. This is some next level stuff. Kicking myself for not knowing about that finger track back then, or DIN rails lol.

[@transmitterguy478]

I wish I was 20 years younger so I could build equipment like this! I was stuck fixing old tube TVs and Radios.

[@ChrisTietjen_00]

Super nice job! Thanks for the detailed explanations.

[@scottbenauer1189]

Great project. The panel turned out great.

[@johnbewick6357]

I note the brake on the Z axis to prevent it creeping down when servo is deactivated. What stops the Z axis creeping down when all power to machine is off, eg when it is not being used, or worse still if there was a power outage while machining.

[@Clough42]

Power is applied to the brake to release it. If it loses power, it applies under spring pressure.

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

Excellent work as always.

[@ADBBuild]

I'd love to hear a comparison of Acorn and Mach3 and what you like and dislike and why. I currently have a small mill running on Mach3 and am pretty underwhelmed by it, (though I'm a bit spoiled running Fanuc and Brother controls at work) and would like to upgrade to something else in the future.

[@v8Mercury]

Yes. After you spend some time with the Acorn I would also like to hear your thoughts on the two.

[@lwilton]

There probably isn't a need, but you can get shielded power cable to use for the 72V outputs inside the box.

[@joecnc3341]

Great build. You always do a first class job on everything that you do. Would love to see a schematic and a bill of materials with total cost

[@Clough42]

You probably don't really want to know what it cost. :)

[@oldturbojettest9724]

I see you have the silencer for the relief air on the air vale’s inside the electrical box. I would advice you to connect a hose and let the air out on the outside. There can be some moist and oil coming from the compressor. It can make it really nasty inside the electrical box. I follow this build with big interest. Keep up the nice work, greetings from Sweden.

[@Clough42]

There is no oil in my pneumatic system, but point taken.

[@rickhaass1133]

I noticed the hold-down vac option on your Acorn app - could be a nice feature in the future... Cool project sir.

[@Clough42]

Maybe. I have something different in mind.

[@GBWM_CNC]

You've got great aesthetic in your control box. Btw - these servos are so silent - I'd love to test them in a future project. Best wishes!

[@jasondevault5066]

Awesome build

[@jasonh3109]

Another great video. I’ve got an Oak Board on the bench and the build is going great! ( not as good as yours though. Ha ha)I’m sure I’ll pick up plenty of tips from you as I always do! Cheers!

[@g.tucker8682]

Great demo! You make in seem as easy as, uh, XYZ.

[@Clough42]

Terrible pun. I approve.

[@dannywilsher4165]

Awesome build James! It's been 15 years since I built and designed electronic controls. Lots of changes. Makes me want to delve back in to learning about the new possibilities...

[@MillVIPCNC]

Amazing control box!!

[@trentlouviere5009]

Awesome work

[@prototype3a]

That little Bee computer is pretty cute. I recently got a Lenovo m910q for a project.

[@Clough42]

So far it seems okay--not great. I'll probably regret not buying an Intel NUC.

[@prototype3a]

@@Clough42 I wonder if the version with the Ryzen 4800 would be better. My application is (barely) running on an OLD core2duo so the i5-6500t in the m910q is a LOT faster.

[@samvoelkel2046]

A very nice control panel.

[@ryanvoots9827]

First? I've learned a lot about things I didn't know existed for doing a project like this over the series. Only thung I might do is use a vlan to isolate it on the network side too since locally the network is handling a lot of hard real time info. Then i'd have tried to get the computer ro show up on both networks so I could use a remote desktop client to it to monitor from the other side of the room on a laptop

[@frijoli9579]

Another great video!

[@frankward709]

Excellent build Thanks for the video

[@TheWatchMker]

any chance youll be releasing the connector plate on the bottom?

[@petrasvestartas4359]

Is there at least theoretically possible to control Teknic servo motors using just the ClearCore board or one must definetely have a proper CNC controller like Acorn?

[@alexwbakker]

It would be fantastic to have you do a comparison between Mach and Acorn/Centroid. I’m considering the same thing and there is little high quality discussion of the differences.

[@CncObsession]

Because Mach is buggy. It is ok for a hobbyist but you will be finding workarounds. I used it for years 3 not 4 and loved it however it did need attention.

[@tonybullard8537]

Thank you for another great tutorials. The wiring diagram for the Acorn power shows CHRISSIE, COM and +24VDC terminals. It doesn’t show CHASSIS jumped to COM on the power supply. The ETH1616 shows EGND, 24GND and 24VDC with the EGND jumped to -V(24V COM) on the power supply. Is the CHASSIS internally jumped to COM on the Acorn board? You have the relay COM floating and they have it to earth ground. Should the Acorn COM be connected to earth ground?

[@joopterwijn]

Impressive! Sounds simple, but must have been hours and hours of research, planning, ordering,…. And building… well the last we have seen I the serie so far.

[@Clough42]

Yes. Many, many hours of research and planning.

[@LeeFordDiYs]

Looking forward in tuning servo in dual axis.

[@catahoulagarage]

amazing channel

[@gertskjlstrup1804]

Nice work!

[@seimela]

Awesome stuff 👏

[@theundergroundesd]

Good Job. Keep up the good work.

[@MarkFischbach-g8v]

In a future video would it be possible for you to go over what you use for wire, wire sizing, connectors for making a control box like this? Also what vendors you tend to use to get this stuff? Also is the connector board you made available to buy?

[@DaveNorthWest]

Do these Acorns boards allow someone to connect a couple physical buttons for start and stop along with an encoder to change the feed ratio and some buttons for rapid? Physical buttons? Im thinking of getting Acorns and some DMM motors and encoders for a conversion/upgrade on a machine. Thanks

[@Phiz787]

Hi James, Could you help me with one of your connectors? On the Acorn board, there is a 10 pin connector which goes to the relay board (or the Ether1616). The acorn kit comes with a white ribbon cable that is really short. How did you lengthen that? I can tell you made a new one, or bought a longer one because the cables' colors are different. Would you happen to have a link to a kit that can make that connector? Or any tip on how to do it the way you did? I'm definitely a novice still, but I'm trying to follow along with your build. Thanks!

[@donniehull574]

@Clough42 I have a question. Will this work on another cnc plasma table. Also do you sell these, and if so what one would be best one to run on an old Premier Plasma table. I was thinking I should switch the motors out for nema servo motors, and switch my rails from gear driven rails to screw driven. What would you recommend, if you are ok with me asking for your help. I should also mention that when I get my table to work right again. I am adding the router attachment for my table so I will have more options for making custom tables, and chairs. I already have a mill and lathe for working on small steel parts, and other softer metals I doubt i need it for building the box, but I have it if neesed to build a new controll box. I would greatly appreciate any help you could provide on building this new controll box. It is killing my business without it running. That and having to outsource all my plasma cnc work to other companies. Also not sure if it helps but, the programs I use are Inkscape for drawing, Sheetcam to layout my sheets for cutting, and Mach3 while I am cutting is what runs the programs g-code. Also I have a Proma 150 for THC that I have never got hooked up right to work. I have taken my Hypertherm Powermax 85 into the local shop that is licensed to work on them to have a cpc installed for my plasma table. I did not know until after I bought my machine that I had to have a cpc port on it to use THC. When we bought it the guy we got it from said all the electronics were good, but he forgot to mention I had to have the cpc port. The lead I use is the regular hand cutting torch that comes with the plasma. I am going to buy a new machine lead for it after I get it working again. I would really appreciate any help you can provide. Even where to get the information on how to build my own controll box correctly for a cnc plasma. I apologize for the book of a post, but I have to figure this out. So I can get back to cutting on my own again. Thank you for your time, and I greatly appreciate any help you could offer. Have a good day.

[@oldtennessee34machineshop62]

I bought all the stuff to do the ELS just to find out the TI board is unavailable what can I do now

[@Zoli_ExhibitPrinting]

Dose anyone know if he changed both to clear path and acron at the same time because you cant change to clear path using the standard avid board?

[@billyclaymyers82]

Any chance you might provide the stls for the acorn switch mount and the ether1616 mount with the relay stack pieces for purchase and download on your site? I am building a similar setup and would gladly pay either for finished parts, or the stls to print on my own 3D Printer.

[@JasonTHutchinson]

I wonder if there is a slight delay in between the motor powering down and the brake coming on. If the brake comes on too early, it will probably break stuff.

[@Clough42]

I think this servo will easily overpower the brake. It's only rated for a couple of N.m braking force.

[@Cutgator-ps7sk]

the clear path motor you chose looks like max rapid 250 imp isn't that Cind of slow

[@kerrydonnelly9296]

Are you running a single power supply to power both servos on the Y-axis and then a separate single power supply for the Z and X-axis?

[@guitarchitectural]

I'm curious, how do you like the touchscreen input? does it work OK in a messy shop with oily fingers, or do you find yourself going for the mouse more often?