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IndustryArena Forum > CNC Electronics > Stepper Motors / Drives > 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    7

    8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    I will admit I have no clue how to wire these motors, so I need some help. I bought a kit(motors, board, etc) off ebay to build a cnc routing table. I have the table built and all the other goodies hooked up, but can't get the motors to do anything. I'm not sure about wiring the motors. They are from JMC-motion NEMA 23 2 phase stepper motors with 8 wires on each one. Red, blue, green, black, yellow, orange, brown and white. The diagram confuses me and I didn't get any info with the kit on how to hook it up(wiring) using general(easy) directions. I have everything else wired in comp. to board and power supply, just don't know the wiring. Has anybody else have any knowledge of these motors and how they are wired up? Are there e-stops and limiters in some of these wire I need to cross to get it going? I am greatful for any help I can get. Was getting parts cut on a plazma table from work, but the guy that was programing and cutting my stuff coped an attitude and won't cut or program anymore. Need to get this thing up and going. Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    115
    Picture says a thousand words here.

    Google 8 wire stepper motor.
    You'll see that you're dealing with 4 coils.
    2 wires each coil. You're trying to wire 2 of the coils in series (of course they have to be the right ones).
    Now you're left with 4 wires, right? Sketch it out as we go here, it'll make more sense.

    2 of those are going to be your "A" and 2 will be your "B".
    Draw a capital L. Put the A on the vertical, and the B on the horizontal. That's the way they are usually shown.

    The colours of the wires are usually manufacturer specific, so you'll want to find there site. You CAN meter everything out and figure it out... but... It's not that easy to wrap your head around if you've not done it before.

    Anyhow - that all make at least a bit more sense now?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    467
    To expand on what Dr. Fiero said, here is a diagram from our Step Motor Basics Guide that should help visualize what the motor looks like electrically.

    Motor Wiring - Step Motor Basics - Support

    You can see that an 8-wire motor is essentially two 4-wire motors living in the same house. Using an ohmmeter to puzzle out the wiring connections is doable but is a HUGE pain because you have a 1 in 8 chance of getting the wiring right the first time. Do you have a datasheet for the motor that you can link to?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    7
    This is the kit that I bought and about all the instructions I got. The link is a big help understanding the full concept of the motors. I think i've got this now, just needed a diagram better than what they got. Thanks guys, i'll let you know in the next couple days if I get it up and running. Out of town right now. TB6560 4 Axis Driver NEMA 23 Stepper Motor Power Supply Shaft CNC Kit | eBay

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    115
    If you look at the diagram near the bottom of the eBay ad - you'll see the very motor drawing you're looking for!

    Attachment 183726

    Just tie the red & yellow together (insulate and tuck away), then the blue & green are your "A" motor leads.
    Do the same for the other colors.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    7
    Ok, got everything hooked up. I start it up,( power, not computer yet), all the motors make some humming and lock up (meaning they are hard to turn by hand). When I turn the computer on, one of the y axis motors will stop humming and is easy to spin by hand. Checked all the wiring, the z axis is wired for speed and the x and y are wired for torque. I have 2 Y motors hooked up, one to Y on the board and the other to the C connection on the board. Is this correct or do both Y axis motors tie into one output off the board?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    115
    Both Y axis????

    Unless you're doing something really odd application wise.... There's an X, a Y, and a Z.
    Try doing things one at a time since you're not dead sure what you're doing.

    Unhook everything outputs wise.
    Pick some very conservative settings (dip switches), then wire up one motor.
    Go into motor tuning, and just step it fwd/rev until its happy. Rewire etc as required until its happy. Then pull that motor off, put the others in its place and test again. NW you know all your motors and wiring is ok.

    Set the other outputs to the same, and move one motor along them all. Now you know all your drivers are ok.

    If things go backwards, etc - check your active hi/low toggles.
    If nothing happens, consult the book as to what pins for step and direction are for each driver output.

    Someone else will have to jump in with specifics for that driver as I don't have experience with it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    364
    Quote Originally Posted by racerx81 View Post
    When I turn the computer on, one of the y axis motors will stop humming and is easy to spin by hand.
    Normal sequence is turn PC on, start CAM software wich set's the printer port in a known state. Only now power up the drives.

    Funny things can happen when you boot a PC with CNC hardware already powered up. That's why Mach3 has a chargepump.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    7
    Will the Mach 3 program work with Windows XP? I find in the properties, that it's compatible with 95, 98 and ME, but nothing withXP. I finally got a few days off for the holiday to mess with it. What would be conservative setting on the dip switches? 2 and 6 are in the off position, the rest are on. Thanks

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1695
    Mach will work with winxp 32 bits.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    4

    Re: 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    I'm a newbie, both here and in CNC. Bought used 8 wire stepping motor from Sanyo Denki type 103H7123-6241 without manual and trying to find out how to identify the wiring. I could find pairs of wires connected to stator windings but it has 8 winding (I suppose 2 windings are connected inside as one). How to identify position of winding? (I need to use the step as bipolar one). Please help! Thank you!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    115

    Re: 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    Quote Originally Posted by thangngoc View Post
    I'm a newbie, both here and in CNC. Bought used 8 wire stepping motor from Sanyo Denki type 103H7123-6241 without manual and trying to find out how to identify the wiring. I could find pairs of wires connected to stator windings but it has 8 winding (I suppose 2 windings are connected inside as one). How to identify position of winding? (I need to use the step as bipolar one). Please help! Thank you!
    https://www.sanyodenki.com/archive/d...OTION_F2_E.pdf

    Look at page 68.

    Not exact, but - maybe close enough.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    4

    Re: 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    Thanks Dr. Fiero. I've got that pdf, but my motor has 8 wires /4 winding and each winding is split into 2 (probably located opposite each other?). Is there any color code standard for motor output wiring
    ? I'm still looking on the web for that.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    115

    Re: 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    Quote Originally Posted by thangngoc View Post
    Thanks Dr. Fiero. I've got that pdf, but my motor has 8 wires /4 winding and each winding is split into 2 (probably located opposite each other?). Is there any color code standard for motor output wiring
    ? I'm still looking on the web for that.
    Well, you get to do it the 'fun' way then!

    Grab a notepad and pen. Write down all the colors. Grab a multi meter, and start checking pairs.

    With 8 wires, you'll have 4 pairs that are joined. Those are the 4 coils. Biggest trick is figuring out which ones are which!
    This is going to take some trial and error, and a LOT of hooking and unhooking.

    Refer to the other 6 wire drawing. Pretend the colors are #1-8. What you will end up with is like
    (1) (2&3 joined) (4)
    (5) (6&7 joined) (8)

    This is the same as 6 wires. The bonus of 8 wires is that the coils can be in parallel OR in series.
    Remember that there is an A & B set, that are 90* apart from each other.

    Start hooking various combos of coils up until you get rotation. Make notes. Eventually through process of elimination you'll nail it.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    4

    Re: 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    Thanks Dr. Fiero. I'll try that.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    199

    Re: 8 wire stepper motor wiring ?

    How to find the wires of a 8 wire stepper motor, the easy way
    First find the coils. leave all wires free, and turn the motor by hand, remember the free running force you need to do that.
    Now connect two wires together and turn again same force, bad luck that isn't a coil so change one wire and try again. repeat this until
    more force needed, you find the two wires of one coil, mark them as 1+ and 1- go on for the other 3 coils
    when this is done you have found the four coils marked 1 until 4 + and -
    now connect 1+ and 2+ together and 1- and 2- together. rotate again by hand
    Free running force, you found a pair of coils that belong together and have them in the same direction. mark them as A1+ A1- and the other as A2+ and A2 -
    more force needed, reverse the connection 1+ and 2- together and 1- and 2+ together
    Free running force you found a pair of coils that belong together and have them in the same direction. mark them as A1+ A1- and the other 2 - will be A2+ and 2+ will be A2 -
    still more force needed, mark 2+ as B1+ and 2- as B1-
    now connect 1+ and 3+ together and 1- and 3- together. rotate again by hand
    Free running force you found a pair of coils that belong together and have them in the same direction. mark them as A1+ A1- and the other 3+ will be A2+ and 3- will be A2 -
    more force needed, reverse the connection 1+ and 3- together and 1- and 3+ together
    Free running force you found a pair of coils that belong together and have them in the same direction. mark them as A1+ A1- and the other 3- will be A2+ and 3+ will be A2 -
    still more force needed, connect 1+ and 4+ together and 1- and 4- together. rotate again by hand
    Free running force you found a pair of coils that belong together and have them in the same direction. mark them as A1+ A1- and the other 4+ will be A2+ and 4- will be A2 -
    still more force needed, connect 1+ and 4- together and 1- and 4+ together. rotate again by hand
    this should now be free running force mark them as A1+ A1- and the other 4- will be A2+ and 4+ will be A2 -
    Take the two remaining pairs and connect + to + and - to - rotate again by hand
    Free running force you found the direction. mark them as B1+ B1- and the other will be B2+ and B2 -
    still more force needed, connect + and - together and - and + together. rotate again by hand
    this should now be free running force mark them as B1+ B1- and the other B2+ and B2 -

    Now you have the A and B coils you can connect them as 6 wire connection.
    A1- and A2+ connected to each other is the center tap of the A coil
    B1- and B2+ connected to each other is the center tap of the B coil

    4 wire connection in series ( low current, low RPM and high mh )
    A1- and A2+ connected to each other not connection to the driver A1+ and A2- are the connection to the driver
    B1- and B2+ connected to each other not connection to the driver B1+ and B2- are the connection to the driver

    4 wire connection in parallel ( high current, high RPM and low mh )
    A1- and A2- connected to each other and A1+ and A2+ connected together A1+ and A- are the connection to the driver
    B1- and B2- connected to each other and B1+ and B2+ connected together B1+ and B- are the connection to the driver

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