4 Axis TB6560 pin setup in MACH3???

Hi guys,

Long time reader, first time poster. I've built a DIY CNC (based loosely on the LumenLab models) and having some issues getting any sort of action from the system using MACH3. The recommended pins in the included manual are apparently wrong, but I have tried several others listed elsewhere with no luck. I'm using the following setup...

4-axis TB6560 Driver Controller Board (12-36V/3A model)
4x NEMA23 175oz-in 4wire steppers (2.8A) (X&A slaved)
24V 15A DC power supply


The problem(s) I have are:

-When the board is connected to all the steppers and to the PC, which is on, I get the 5v regulator light and the Y axis work light dimly lit. There is no power to the board at this time.

-When the board is powered on, I get the 5v and the 12v regulator lights and the Y axis work light lit up nice and bright. The Y axis motor is locked, the others are free to spin. Switching motors doesn't change this. Its always Y axis, with 1 or 4 motors connected, same deal.

-Nothing happens at all when a job is loaded and run. On the diagnostics page, Outputs 1-4 have red squares. The motors are green squares.

The pins I was recommened to use are:

X Dir = 1
X Step = 16
Y Dir = 7
Y Step = 14
Z Dir = 6
Z Step = 3
A Dir = 8
A Step = 9

Mach3 Output Signals:
Enable1 Pin Number 4
Enable2 Pin Number 17
Enable3 Pin Number 5
Enable4 Pin Number 5

I'm not sure of which "port" I should be using either. The original manual said use port 1, but screenshots I've seen are set to 0.

I'm a bit suss on the PC I'm using being upto the job. Its a VIA 1ghz powered mini-PC, but runs Windows XP etc, but I've read the Parallel ports might not output the signal at the right voltage (3.3v not 5v) I have another full size desktop PC to try yet. *crosses fingers*

I know plenty of guys have troubles with these cheap boards, Just want to make sure I have the correct pins setup first.

Does anyone have a 4axis TB6560 that is working who could maybe provide me with screenshots or an export of their settings? I'd really love to get this thing cutting :)

Thank you in advance guys.

Well the good news is, I tried a full desktop PC, and with some tweaking of those pin settings I managed to get all 4 steppers working perfect with 2 steppers on X axis slaved. On my board though the 4th axis slaved to X was actually C axis, not A.

The weird lights cleared up too so I can only assume the parallel port on the VIA ITX motherboard isnt compatible, or normal.

I ran the board at 100% current but found the steppers got a tad warm, went back to 75%.

I'll see how I go once I have the steppers all mounted up on the screws. Cant wait :)

Typical stepper motors that I have worked with have maximum rated operating temperatures of perhaps 80 degrees C or even more (or they may be rated for a temperature rise of something like 40 degrees C over the ambient temperature). That's "really, really hot".

So a motor that is "too hot to handle" may actually be operating within its normal range.

That said, you still don't want to overheat a motor. If your motors are mounted on aluminum or steel brackets, it may help to dissipate excess heat. But reducing the current will work as well.

The TB6560 board may have circuitry designed to reduce the motor current while the motors are idle, however there have been reports that such circuitry does not work well (or at all). Some people simply disable that circuitry, because it is not thought to be effective.

Thanks for the tip Doorknob :) They were cool enough to pickup, I wouldnt say they were hot after an hours unloaded work, but clearly getting some current. Z axis stays cold obviously.

They seem to hum and almost vibrate when not in use, so I've just been clicking the "reset" button which induces the E-stop mode, they stop humming then.

I have them running on 1/2step...how smooth should they move? They seem to shudder when moving...but maybe that's just how the "step".

Why not use 8 microsteps? The motion will be much smoother and less likely to vibrate and stall when running.

I need help, I have the 4 axis tb6560. Im lost from the get go. I have 287on/in motors with 6 wires. anyone have a start point for the wiring and ports/pins?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blueicevirus

I need help, I have the 4 axis tb6560. Im lost from the get go. I have 287on/in motors with 6 wires. anyone have a start point for the wiring and ports/pins?

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For one thing, you will need to decide which 4 wires to hook up (and tape off the other two) - either with a full-coil or half-coil hookup. Since the voltage rating of the TB6560 is relatively low, it will probably make sense to try the half-coil one.

Look at Support, figures 9 and 10 (figure 9 shows the half-winding hookup).

I read through and understand the link you gave me but how do I know which wires are the ones I need to use. there are blue,red,black,green,white,and yellow. So far I think I have found that the white and yellow are then center wires. if someone can hit me up maybe, teach me a little something I would really appreciate it. I have a teamspeak server or we can chat over skype or txt. thanks guys

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blueicevirus

I read through and understand the link you gave me but how do I know which wires are the ones I need to use. there are blue,red,black,green,white,and yellow. So far I think I have found that the white and yellow are then center wires. if someone can hit me up maybe, teach me a little something I would really appreciate it. I have a teamspeak server or we can chat over skype or txt. thanks guys

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It sounds like you have the right idea.

Use a digital multimeter set on the ohms scale (at a very low full-scale value, perhaps 2 ohms or 20 ohms full-scale).

You will have two pairs of 3 wires each that are connected together - you can identify those by checking the resistance between pairs of wires and writing down the result in a table (for example, blue to red = 3 ohms, blue to white = 1.75 ohms, etc.). After you do that, you can identify the center tap wires because the resistance from the center tap to either of the end wires will be roughly half of the resistance between the two end wires (it will not be exactly half, because the multimeter probe wires will have their own resistance, but it will be close).

Once you have done that, then call one of the pairs of 3 wires your "A" winding, and the other one will be your "B" winding.

To use the half-winding hookup, choose the center tap of the A winding and either one of the end wires and hook them up, one to the A screw terminal and the other to the A' screw terminal for one of the axes, it doesn't matter which is which (I forget, maybe they are labeled A+ and A- or similar). Tape off the unused end wire so that it does not short out to anything. Then do the same with the B winding wires.

Im sure now that I have the proper wires, now the settings for mach. Iv tried all kinds of settings for pins that I have found around the net. is there a way to test and see if the board works seprately from wiring the motor up.

do I have to connect all my motors or can I test with one.

should the leds blink with activity when the mach is trying to controll?

should the motors get warm when they are connected?

but so far from what Ive found is that I dont have the correct pin setup in mach.

fyi, I have the "blue" tb6560 4 axis


:( my table is ready, just need to figure out these electronics :(