[Stepper Monkey]

New drives are delivered with enhanced cooling features. (New drives also have an external heatsink as well).......
The only drive currently equipped with a powersupply is the enclosed 4 axis unit, the power supply is 24v @ 5 amps, more than adequate for recommended uses......

That would indeed mean that two of my three main problems with these boards have been solved. The third problem would be communication, which hopefully it looks like you are taking steps to remedy. It also appears that a number of features have been added to the boards in recent revisions that probably do take them into the same category of other boards on at least an even footing. If so, congratulations.
Thanks for expressing that there are differences now, as people only have their experience to go from and early experiences with your equipment were clearly not satisfactory in most cases. Everybody understands teething and development troubles, this is a smalltime industry still. Hopefully your communication will improve and customers will actually hear from you. I think your product then has the potential to really take off.

[Joey]

AlienCNC and Stepmaster are the same company, just look at the `Contact us` details on AlienCNC website.
When I sent Alien an email asking about the board, all i got was a short one line reply direct from our `Stepmaster friend`. I had already bought a Stepmaster 4 axis box and have also been stung with his total lack of support.
It seems they are trying to sell a new driver based on the same technology as Xylotex. and I reckon it`s an Alien smoke screen to claim the board has been developed in the UK. Perhaps the board is better than the previous stepmaster but you can garantee you`ll end up with NO support.

I made the switch to Xylotex and am very happy with them.

[keepitsimple]

If you contact [email protected] or [email protected] you will get a reply. All questions are answered as completely as possible. There have been communication issues in the past, but they have been resolved. Yes, both StepMasterNC and AlienCNC are owned by the same company. The StepMasterNC product line has more user options, but the AlienCNC line is much more straight forward, and has less potential for user error. Xylotex is a fine product, but he has had his share of service issues, as anyone who offers diy tech items. We are trying to reach out, monitor and address issues that arise in this forum, as it seems some people are not getting through to us via email (which is fully working?). We would rather help people directly with their particular issues. Other companies direct almost all product questions of a technical nature to this forum, we do not feel that is neccessarily appropriate.

[Joey]

So if I asked for some help obtaining the SOP-2B full schematic drawing and how to go about wiring in some limit switches I`d get a result ?

[Kipper]

So if I asked for some help obtaining the SOP-2B full schematic drawing and how to go about wiring in some limit switches I`d get a result ?

From what I recall regarding the boxed units it doesn't seem they want you to use limits/homing although the "unused" pins should be available... "internally"

[keepitsimple]

I'm sorry we do not make full schematics available for our products. Modifying our enclosed drives, to access unused pins would be extremely cumbersome, messy, and very likely disasterous to the drive. We recommend the purchase of an open drive if you wish the to add limit switches.

[b25hf4u]

Well if you look at Xylotex, they do not have a good pin out diagram for limit switches. The best way to address those seems to be using a BOB. Such as the CNC4PC. While browsing I did see on the Pobotix Website a good diagram for limit switches and E-stop, which is great and gives you a great idea on how to do it. Is it compatible with other vendors? the signals are the same.

[Kipper]

Well if you look at Xylotex, they do not have a good pin out diagram for limit switches. The best way to address those seems to be using a BOB. Such as the CNC4PC. While browsing I did see on the Probotix Website a good diagram for limit switches and E-stop, which is great and gives you a great idea on how to do it. Is it compatible with other vendors? the signals are the same.

It seems Stepmaster have a good pinout for the board too...Just no "easy" way of getting the wires in (nuts)

[b25hf4u]

The one thing that is fun to see, is the fact that almost nobody is interchangeable with another guy. Unless you want to run single wires all over the place

[ALAN2525]

Sorry to revive an old thread!

Just purchased a Taig CNC on Ebay for £1320

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Ebay Item number: 250568150527

Auction advert links to microproto website and uses information from that site, seemingly indicating that the item for sale is a Microproto machine.

Actual machine came with a StepmasterNC controller. None too impressed by that and doubt it has enough power to power 4 2.8amp steppers without frying itself!