584,879 active members*
5,199 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
Results 1 to 14 of 14
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Home and limit pins?

    My 4 axix board from Hobbycnc does not have any connector to home and limit pins. My board was bought back behind 2004. I use it without any home or limit switches till now that I upgrade my router. On my original instructions is stated that the pins 10,11,12,13 and 17 are available for that purpose but I can't find a connector or any indication that they are there. Please help me find these pins on the board. I am attaching some pics so you can have a better idea of what I am saying. Thanks for any help..Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1185.jpg 
Views:	0 
Size:	122.0 KB 
ID:	292490Attachment 292492Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1184.jpg 
Views:	0 
Size:	104.5 KB 
ID:	292494

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    hi on7tim7


    I can't find the missing pin connections in the pictures posted
    can you take a photo of the under side of the board ?

    John

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    Sure, I'll.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1186.jpg 
Views:	0 
Size:	105.9 KB 
ID:	292496 Here its.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    hi on7tim7


    I've not found them all but it looks like pin 7 of the 8 pin IC (U7) is connected to the printer port pin 10

    connection points for pins 13 and 15 are next to the 25 pin D-Type and
    pin 11 is connected to pin 8 of the 13 pin connector J1

    I can't see printer port pin 12 but I'd expect it is connected to J1 ( possibly pin 2 ? )


    Attachment 292542


    John

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    Thank you John-100, I’ll follow your findings and trace the rest of them. Looks like the documentation doesn’t agree with the hardware! The best way to go I think would be traced and wire them out of the board to a home made optical isolation board to protect the PC port. I really appreciate your time and help. As I have it ready I’ll post it to you. Thanks

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    hi on7tim7

    it could be the text was taken from the manual for a 4 axis board with out the hot wire cutter control

    as the PCB does not have a single connector for all of the inputs

    you could make Y adaptor cable from a 25 way IDC ribbon cable fitted with a 25 pin IDC D-type plug and two 25 way IDC D-type sockets ( IDC = insulation-displacement contact)

    Attachment 292558

    that way you only need a cable with just the ground wire and the 3 or 4 available inputs connected to a 25 pin D type plug wired to your optical isolator board

    (this avoids soldering wires to the Hobby CNC board)

    john

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    That's a good idea but I need some understanding before I do anything. I have a doubt. I found the parallel 12 pin connected to the J1 pin 2. You found the parallel 11 pin connected to the J1 pin 8 and both are in use, they are not free. The full J1 connector is labeled on the board as “Auto/Man, On/off, and Up/Dn" (13 pins in total). On the documentation the same strip is referred as the “micro stepping jumper setup strip”. I am not sure what that connector its used for. Would you help me understand? It is as labeled on the board or it is as the documentation said? I need to know because the parallel pins 11 and 12 are jumped into that strip connector. So many years I forgot how I used it. Thanks

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    hi on7tim7

    the part number of the stepper drivers is not very clear but if its SLA7051M as I think it is

    pin 12 is used to select half or full step and does not appear to connect to any pin on J1 to select the micro stepping used

    J1 pin 6 could of been used to trigger / control U7 ( the 8 pin IC - possibly a Microchip Pic Chip)

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	HOBBY CNC INPUTS update.jpg 
Views:	0 
Size:	183.5 KB 
ID:	292604

    what software did you use ?

    I expect the auto/manual and on off switches state was monitored by the software
    using printer port input pins 11 and 12 and U7 via printer port pin 10

    leaving printer port pins 13 and 15 for possible use for limit switches

    the first 9 pins on J1 look like they are for 3 wire to each of the 3 switches for the auto/manual and on off control

    the last 4 pins (10 to 13) labelled up / down are connected to 2 pins on U7 and 2 ground connections
    and must be used to control the hot wire current ( use 2 normally open push buttons)



    John

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    Yes the stepper drivers are SLA7051m as you said and the pin 12 is connected to J1 pin 2 to control the half or full steps so the 12 pin in not free to use. Software, Mach3. So I can’t use pin 11. So, which pins do you think are really free to be used. I will need three input pins to home the three axis at least one for limits and panic “and “connected. Looks like I have available with this board only pins 10,13,14 & 15 and that’s good enough for me. Thank you Mr.John-100 for your assistance and your time. Thanks.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    6

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    The instructions shown in the left most picture are NOT for the driver board you show in the middle picture. The "foam cutting board" you show does not support home/limit switches as the foam cutting software available at that time did not have these (home/limit) functions. You cannot have home/limit functions with this driver board. Plain and simple.

    Quote Originally Posted by on7tim7 View Post
    My 4 axix board from Hobbycnc does not have any connector to home and limit pins. My board was bought back behind 2004. I use it without any home or limit switches till now that I upgrade my router. On my original instructions is stated that the pins 10,11,12,13 and 17 are available for that purpose but I can't find a connector or any indication that they are there. Please help me find these pins on the board. I am attaching some pics so you can have a better idea of what I am saying. Thanks for any help..Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1185.jpg 
Views:	0 
Size:	122.0 KB 
ID:	292490Attachment 292492Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1184.jpg 
Views:	0 
Size:	104.5 KB 
ID:	292494

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    Attachment 292716It was bought as a four axis controller board and that documentation came with it. It reads “4 axis HobbyCNC PRO Rev1 Chopper Driver Board Kit” I remember the ad was stating that it has the limits, panic and home capabilities, the documentation read this also. Of course, there is no way that I can get that ad information from 11 years back. They sent me the wrong board!
    I need these capabilities on my machine now so I’ll look for a board that support also the unipolar motors. I am attaching the documentation’s first page so you can read it for yourself. Thanks for your great help.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    hi on7tim7

    first an error in post 9 - printer port pin 14 is an out put pin

    I didn't get time to review the photos to see if you can re-allocate input pins 11 and 12 in mach 3 to be used in addition to pins 13 and 15 as limit switches and E-stop

    if you don't need U7 to control a hot wire cutter
    you could remove U7 from the IC socket and then you will be able to use printer port pin 10

    there is a post on cnczone to mod the 4 axis HobbyCNC PRO

    John


    update --

    mods to hobby cnc ez and pro boards

    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/joes-c...e-forum-2.html

    schematic of hobby cnc boards


    HobbyCNC ez-M3 Schematic
    Attachment 292764

    HobbyCNC PRO-M3 Schematic
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	HobbyCNC PRO-M3 Schematic.pdf 
Views:	0 
Size:	140.6 KB 
ID:	292766
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails HobbyCNC%20PRO-M3%20Schematic.jpg  

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    That's is a solution to this mess. Thank you Mr. John-100. I'll let you know if everything works.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    34

    Re: Home and limit pins?

    Thanks to all of you for your help! I want to apologize on thread 11, I shouldn’t say“ they sent me the wrong board” The board was the right one, but due to my lack of knowledge at that time I picked the board that was not the specific for the job I wanted. Again, thanks for your unconditional help.

Similar Threads

  1. Need Help Limit and Home
    By Maxpower50 in forum Mach Mill
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 01-20-2015, 08:10 PM
  2. Limit switch re use of pins.
    By neilw20 in forum Mach Software (ArtSoft software)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 07-15-2011, 03:48 AM
  3. Does anybody have USB limit and home switches?
    By glentner in forum CNC Machine Related Electronics
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-26-2009, 09:49 PM
  4. THC300 Input Pins and Home Switches
    By krazycnc in forum Waterjet General Topics
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 09-06-2005, 03:36 AM
  5. Home and Limit
    By kenlambert in forum Uncategorised MetalWorking Machines
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 04-02-2004, 06:00 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •