How to check that the Spindle Speed Controller works?

Hi to all,

I’m trying to assemble my first X-carve with Quiet Spindle using this tutorial:
http://blog.inventables.com/2014/06/shapeoko-upgrade-quite-cut-spindle-with.html

Not successfull. Looks like my Spindle Speed Controller arrived broken initially. I gave him 48V to input terminal, but red led on the board doesn’t glows. Also on output terminal i have 0V. I disconnected all other modules, leave only 48V power supply and Spindle Controller.

Must the red led glows on the Controller board if on the input terminal comes 48V? I use controller with default settings from the box, with potentiometer. Like here

Thank you for any help.

Check to see what version of grbl is installed in the Arduino.

There was a pin change from version 0.8? to version 0.9?

If you have version 0.9? then the PWM control pin moved from D12 to D11 and the Z axis homing/limit switch input moved from D11 to D12.

With the yellow jumper in the position in the picture the speed should be controlled by grbl, not the potentiometer. If you want to use the potentiometer to test the speed control move the jumper to the other position.

The way it’s set up in the picture the jumper is set to take input from grbl but there is no connection to grbl and the potentiometer is not active either. You have to move the jumper to use the potentiometer.

I understood about Arduino pins, thank you.

But now i’m trying to test Controller without Arduino, just Power supply -> Controller -> Spindle. I’ve tried both jumper position, and without jumper at all. Change the jumper position has no effect. As and potentiometer position.

I took a few photos of connection:


As i understood, a guy from this video use this controller by the same way as i am.

Also i tested my Quiet Spindle directly from 24V power supply, it works well. Looks like the Controller doesn’t work.

Move the jumper and try your test again.

The g shield is only supplying current to the controller same as your isolated test setup. The controller does not care where the current comes from, just that it is the right voltage.

Check the polarity of your connections.

The one that has the meter hooked up looks like it is backwards. You have the positive lead of the meter on the position that is next to the led, potentiometer, and jumper, but in the photo referenced at the beginning of your post shows the negative lead hooked in that position.

For input voltage polarity doesn’t matter. Because this controller can work from AC and DC voltage. But i tried different polarity for input and output terminals. It did not help.

Also on my photo polarity for spindle exactly as on first photo of this thread. Only polarity for multimeter wrong :slight_smile: But again, it doesn’t matter.

Actually controller truly broken.

I think it is.

Under that translucent blue cover is a fuse. Check the continuity of that fuse. My bet: blown fuse.

1 Like

I would think Polarity does matter. Just from what I can see, how this works when on AC, a small amount of power is drawn off for the controller through a rectifier, on DC if the polarity is wrong no power can flow through this diode. So switch the input polarity before you give up.
:slight_smile:

if blown, dont pay too much for it’s replacement, I found a new identical fuse for about 10 bucks at Ace hardware the the helpful hardware man showed me a 2 pack of fuses for some christmas lights… same exact doggone thing for $1.79 or so, FOR TWO!

Now i have a spare too!

Sneaky little marketers those wholesalers are…

About polarity. I’ve tried:

  • Input terminal: + / -
  • Output terminal: + / -
  • Jumper in left position
  • Input terminal: + / -
  • Output terminal: + / -
  • Jumper in right position
  • Input terminal: + / -
  • Output terminal: - / +
  • Jumper in left position
  • Input terminal: + / -
  • Output terminal: - / +
  • Jumper in right position
  • Input terminal: - / +
  • Output terminal: + / -
  • Jumper in left position
  • Input terminal: - / +
  • Output terminal: + / -
  • Jumper in right position
  • Input terminal: - / +
  • Output terminal: - / +
  • Jumper in left position
  • Input terminal: - / +
  • Output terminal: - / +
  • Jumper in right position

Same results for all. Doesn’t work.

Wire in fuse looks solid.

I don’t know what the problem with this controller, no matter. Guys from inventables promise me to send new one, because it was broken initially.

Thank you all for a help!