Quote Originally Posted by boydage View Post
Purchasing an ATC Spindle I found the BOB I have been using for many years has finally run out of I/Os. Infact I have several inputs for tool setting and probing, in NO and NC configurations, which I have put a small board together with a LCC110 to accept these different inputs to go into one pin. Know what I mean?

Its become apparent I need to draw up my wiring diagram proper so I guess when I am dead, or if someone buys my machine (god forbid) they then have a chance of troubleshooting a fault. Although lets be real its all pretty basic stuff huh? Anyways...... I am drawing it up. And will label all my wire ends with sleeves/numbers/letters.

Upgrading to Mach 4. Am yet to draw in my PWM to Analog converter for spindle. Also to add is spindle I/Os for the ATC. That will come.

Now that I don't have to tie up several inputs into one pin. I am just checking that I am doing this correctly with a couple of questions for a elec Guru.

1) BOB#1 and BOB#2 Input Grounds. The pins on these two BOBs, 10,11,12,13,15 are opto isolated. I believe are on a 12vdc circuit. Is it correct that I would common up the grounds on these two boards, or is this a ground loop fault issue if I do? I would have thought this will work fine.

2) Now that I have a bunch of new input pins, is it best practice I have all these inputs on their own pins? Currently, I would have a probe, tool setter, and a flying lead with ground is connected to my frame. This gives me a bunch of options to set my Z.

3) Common BOB GND with the machine frame. Is this poor practice? The frame, everything, will be super bonded and grounded with a live earth about 5m from the machine.

4) The BOBs are Chinese using a USB input for their 5V power. Measuring the USB pins I have a direct line across to the PC5v pins. I am planning on powering the BOBs through these in the place of the USB lead. Make sense and not a wrong move?

5) Driver 2HSS86H has input parameters of 24-75VAC or 30-110VDC the highest of the two voltages I can input into these being 110VDC (I need to confirm) My thoughts are to go 110VDC because I hear the highest voltage I can run these on the better. Any preferences I might have missed? AC or DC or it doesn't matter?

6) I still need to work out my E-Stop circuit to safety my machine up.
Wiring looks ok, I can see it is work in progress, as you are missing a few components Like Breakers for the main VFD input circuit a main cabinet input power disconnect.

5v sharing is fine but using each Breakout Boards commons as (1) may cause some problems, some Breakout Boards require Isolated Coms so need to know more about the Boards being used

Will these USB Breakout Boards work with Mach4, or do you have a Smooth Stepper, and these are just attached to the Smooth Stepper Board

What is the Breakout Board you are going to use

As for your drive voltage use what is the most convenient if the dc is a filtered supply, then that may be a better option if you have it, the Ac will work fine as well and may be easier to use with just a step-down Transformer

Your EStop circuit as long as you can disable all the Enables and stop all drives this is ok for most machines like yours a safety Relay in the circuit is the best, these are expensive though so most don't use them.