Making your own powerful Controller on the cheap side

DOH! didnt paste the link: https://amzn.to/3BPoeXt

i just don’t want to have to solder. i’m not very good at soldering these little pins. I do want to maintain the necessary pins for coolant control so that i can add that at some point without needing new electronics.

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I take zero responsibility even if I were responsible! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

One of the main reasons I am building my own controller (aside from more power), is so I can replace a driver individually if one dies.
The tinyg like all integrated boards, at least that I am aware of would require specialist equipment to remove surface mounted chips. So more than likely one driver chip being dead would mean buying a whole new board

does it ever? :sweat_smile:

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I am a partially retired Research Associate at the University of Utah (www.cvrti.utah.edu). I have absolutely no connection to Synthetos other than I happen to have purchased a Tiny G from Synthetos for a CNC Plasma Cutter that I am building. I DO NOT OWN an x-carve. I am hoping to use changeable Z Axis mounts so that I might do Plasma Cutting , Wood Carving, Light Aluminum Machining and PC board routing. I am also building my own mechanics. I noticed that folks were trying to build ( and sometimes struggling ) to build their own stepper motor control and drive systems. That is the only reason I mentioned an option for a complete controller/driver board. As for where I replied to a thread, I wasn’t sure where the best place to make my suggestion. Here is a picture of my partially built system.

If this qualifies as spam then delete it. I COULDN’T POSSIBLY CARE ANY LESS. I was just attempting to be helpful.

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Hey @PhilJohnson I was doing some light reading (yeah right) and came across this white paper. Since I remember you posted somewhere your were using the chips spec’d in the paper, at least I think you did, I thought you might want to read it. I think it has some great info in it. Regeneration Energy Dissipation or Store When Using the MX3660 and MX4660 (1).pdf (1.4 MB)

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For those using drivers with the integrated Toshiba chips that geek speak basically is about switching transients. The simple, If your using a switching regulated power supply do not go over 24 volts. Keep your drivers cool. If you happened to get the well made ones you should see years of service. If you happened to get the poor made ones, you can post on the net about the crap drivers with everyone else. If you need to drive at higher voltages and amps then look to the drivers with discrete FETs. They are much tougher and more expensive. The Toshiba chips are a great value if they are operated with in their design envelope. Also note that the better driver manufacturers of high current and voltage drivers usually talk about unregulated power supplies with large caps to absorb these switch transients.

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I really like that framework. Did you weld/build that yourself?

can someone tell me which connection each color wire coming from the stepper is? the stepper online specs don’t label which is which. i am on the last bit of wiring. just wiring the steppers to the drivers.

Thanks, Cory

The specs sheet that came with the steppers was only in Chinese, but on their website it shows the matching colors for A+ A- etc. I wired mine according to that and had to invert the directions in grbl settings

Well, for those that just have to know, take a look here:

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What are those 5 blocks? I know they’re for wiring, but I don’t know the name, so I can’t find them to get some.

image

Terminal block

Hey, you parked in a handicap space!

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You are my new friend Angus. Phil is like my wife. he corrects me even when I (and Amazon) is right.

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more importantly how many position and what amperage rating needed?

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has anyone been seeing the videos on youtube about the Masso Cnc controller from Hind Technologies? its a fanuc control without the need for a pc.

THe Masso is neat. they have been sending updates out every week on it. I know someone that has one and they actually stopped using it for a while because of the updates… I just don’t think it is quite ready for prime time yet.

The Masso is an interesting device. It appears to be a combination of a sending computer (PC/Mac/RaspberryPi) and the Arduino side of GRBL. You still need separate stepper drivers for your motors.

For a more commericial/industrial CNC, I could see that device being cost effective and potentially working well. A lot of inputs and outputs and such.

For an Xcarve, it’s way overkill in my opinion, especially considering you can buy an Arduino and a Raspberry Pi for 1/5th the cost if not less.

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if a raspberry pi is what you want and you need a controller then I would get this one on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Raspberry-Pi-CNC-Hat-V2-58-GRBL-v1-1-Compatable-Uses-Pololu-Stepper-Drivers-/271901344091

can use Pololu drivers or hard wire external drivers. it also can clone a forth driver for use like the X-Carve. very reasonable price.
but I already spent on the X-Controller and have no need for an extra.