What’s the easiest way to add the 5th drive to a system running G540 and ESS a smooth stepper?
Thanks
Hager
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What’s the easiest way to add the 5th drive to a system running G540 and ESS a smooth stepper?
Thanks
Hager
Hi,
the ESS has in port one alone, 12 outputs and 5 inputs. Note that all those inputs are full speed.
Port two has another 12 outputs and 5 inputs, or alternately you could have 13 inputs and 4 outputs, again all at full speed.
The G540 has a DB25 socket that replicates a parallel port. The G540 uses 8 outputs for 4 stepper/servos, and another 2 for the spindle.
That leaves 2 outputs and 4 inputs to spare. If you chose you could dig into the G540 to gain access to those inputs and outputs I would not
recommend that though, those inputs and outputs could be used conventionally for limits/homes/probe/Estop etc, without having to take to the
G540 with a soldering iron.
Buy yourself a simple bi-directional breakout board like a C10 ($23.00) and plug it into the second port of the ESS. Now you will have direct access to all that extra
IO, including 2 outputs to signal your fifth axis stepper drive. Note that the G540 has four built-in stepper drives and you want to run five steppers. You will need a standalone
driver in addition to the C10.
Craig
You could pick up a Gecko G251 which is basically the same drive inside the G540. It’s just at solid.
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Listen to Craig.Quote:
Originally Posted by joeavaerage
You can use an IDC26 to DB25 adaptor cable to connect from the ESS to the C10 type parallel breakout board.
I have G251 stepper drivers left over when I upgraded to the G540.
Couldn't I just connect the G251 to the output connections of the C25S, why would I need a C10 board?
Thank you all for responding.
Hi,
the C25 board is, if I'm not mistaken, a two port input board and has a bunch of relays, PWM outputs etc. Thus the C25 board was designed
to be a standalone breakout board. If you were to use it in conjunction with a G540 then many of the features of the C25 would be unused
but constrain your choices of IO assignment within the ESS/Mach.
A C10 on the other hand is a single port board, is bi-directional without any relays or optos that constrain your IO assignments in any way.
You asked for the simplest way to add a fifth axis, and adding a C10 and an extra driver is in my opinion the simplest way..
Craig
Most drivers are open collector type. You set Dir+ to 5v and collect Dir- to ground to control it. G251 is just +5 volt to Dir and it has an all signals ground terminal.
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Here’s a link to the C25S board that is plugged into my SmoothStepper board Terminal Board. “ C25S - Smooth Stepper Terminal Board”
It works in conjunction. with the G540, no relays on this board. It monitors all my homing and limit switches.
I was hoping since this C25S board i already am using and has outputs available I Could connect the G251 to it giving me the 5th stepper.
Sorry I’m not very component savvy.
Hi,
looking closer at the C25 and yes that would work fine.
Plug the G540 into port one of the ESS and the C25 into ports two and three.
Craig
Thanks for confirming that, it is the easiest way for my configuration.
Hager