easy connection 4th axis on pcnc440

recently I saw a guy on one of the facebook pages who was trying to figure out how to add a 4th to a 440 .

A while back I contacted tormach with questions regarding connecting a rotary to one of my mills . The result was an unanswered question and a warning that modifying the mill would void any warranty . Not the answer I hoped to get since I hardly consider connecting a rotary as modifying the machine .

So , in complying with not " modifying " my mill I used the simplest setup , which is a db splitter and an exterior bob to send the signal to the 4th axis driver .

The only problem that I faced with the extra board was that the reset and home signals were affected and I was unable to pull the mill out of estop . The fix for this was simple , a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the affecting pins out of the breakout board .

From that point it was a matter of modifying the ini , and if I recall correct the pin outs are 8 and 9 .

This setup has given me a 4th axis that can be 100% removed and stored complete on a shelf when not in use ,and can be thrown up on the mill and connected within minutes

A db splitter can be purchased on ebay for around 12 dollars , and simple bob's are a dime a dozen . I fitted the 4th axis driver , bob and power supply in it's own electrical box . It is portable so that I can add it to any other mill I have .

Maybe this will be of use to someone who wants a simple and effective way of adding a 4th to their mill