4 Axis Driver PCB

[bdring]

I am playing with a new 4 axis board design. This would be a driver only board that would work well with the DSP controller. It would also have a disable line so that can be easily implemented with the DSP via external switch. The default would be motors on, if you did not want the use a switch.

I managed to get dual foot prints for terminal blocks and a 'D' connector for the control pins. The terminal blocks would be used for the DSP. The 'D' connector would be Mach3/EMC compatible. This would allow it to work for small CNC machines. The 'D' connector would also have access to the motor disable. This would also have all the filtering and noise control features of the current PCB.

It has rotary switches for step resolution selection. I split them to make the circuit cleaner and smaller on the board.

[twehr]

Sign me up!

[metalman]

Do you plan on making a 4 axis version of the Pokolu driver board also? It would be handy if the rotary axis could be switched over with the software rather than swapping steppers.

[bdring]

A four axis version could be made. It would probably require one of the relay circuits to be removed to get back the needed control pin.

[StigOE]

Would we really gain much? We would still have to connect up the rotary attachment and you run the risk of enabling the rotary driver without any motor connected.

Stig

[bdring]

I tend to agree with Stig,

I think the best solution is a bracket with a connector, a switch and a warning label. Flip the switch, swap the connector, return the switch. It is all right there as a reminder.

[bdring]

I am thinking about making a relay driver board in the same footprint as the Pololu. It would plug into a Pololu socket and use the same output terminal block to drive two relays.

[metalman]

I tend to agree with Stig,

I think the best solution is a bracket with a connector, a switch and a warning label. Flip the switch, swap the connector, return the switch. It is all right there as a reminder.

I can see that. The reason I was thinking the 4th axis would come in handy was the Y axis wouldn't have to be disconnected at all, and would be available for jogging during setup of the rotary attachment. Then the Y axis could be turned off in software or by a switch... I also figured it there would be less time setting up motor parameters when switching over and back. But I'm a newbe at this laser stuff and that's why I may be asking dumb questions to the experts... I appreciate the help and insight.

All my other CNC machines are larger servo driven machines where everything is done in the controls or software or both and the only time motor connections are swapped is to trouble shoot a problem.