[notalive]

Hello!

Several years ago, I purchased some CNC parts as I had plans of building the best CNC table router out there, however plans were postponed and eventually forgotten about as I had to move halfway across the country and other life-related stuff happend. However! I was visiting a friend of mine the other day, and helped him cut out some sheet metal with a plasma cutter as he's reparing a rusty old nissan truck. Pictures of the sheet metal here if anyone is interested: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x9rgxad06...IDNRdDmpa?dl=0

We started talking about how much easier this could have been done with a cnc machine, when I recalled I have some parts laying around ...

3 pcs Nema 23 stepper motor 425 oz.in bipolar - https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wlocd51jg...20.21.jpg?dl=0
1 pc Driver Board TB6560 3.5A,16 micsteps - https://www.dropbox.com/s/qvh1a600by...20.09.jpg?dl=0
1 pc Power supply 350W-24vdc/14.6A

So my question would be, could someone verify wether or not I need something in addition to this to run it from my computer? Once everything is connected to power, and I plug in the usb cable to my computer, one of the axis lights turns on on the board, and one the stepper motor connected to that axis recieve power and is "locked", won't rotate. Aren't all 3 or none supposed to do that? Could something be broken? Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/eu5txe2i20...21.40.jpg?dl=0

I read in the mach 3 manual that I could use a motion controller board if my computer does not have a parallel port, I also recall reading somewhere that I can't use a USB port. Could any of you guys guide in the right direction to get this working? The computer I'm currently using runs windows 7.

Let me know if I could provide you with some additional information if that is required to help out. Thanks in advance for your reply

Best regards

Notalive

[Metrologist]

Can you verify communications with a program like Hyperterminal pointed at that port? (Just to prove that command\response on that port is functioning)

What software are you using to communicate with the board? Mach3?

[CitizenOfDreams]

It's a good old parallel port TB6560 board. You need an old computer with a hardware parallel port to run it. USB to parallel adapters meant for printers will not work. Go to a thrift store (if you have those in Norway) and find an old desktop computer.

[notalive]

Hi there! Appreciate your reply.

Yes, I am using Mach3. I've been following a tutorial video on youtube and it seems like the way to go. However I've been reading a bit more on the forum and found this post in another thread. Seems like the drawing there in post 10 is fairly neat. The difference between my driver board and his is basically that he has one dedicated board for all 3 axis, and I have one that covers all 3, correct? He's got a break out board in addition to that, and I don't. I guess this means I'm looking for a suggestion to which break out board would be recommended to use with my current driver boards.USB from computer to the BOB would be prefered, I think.

Will take a look at hyperterminal if that is necessary after I get a confirmation wheter I need that BOB or not. I apologize if I was unclear in my first post, I don't remember hearing about bobs back when I first bought my parts. Its been five or six years since I bought it, so seems like I have to read up a bit more.

Appreciate the help you provide.

notalive

Edit:

Thanks for confirming my suspicion, CitizenOfDream. I will see what I can find. An alternative, I suppose, could be buying something like this? US&EU FREE SHIP-3Axis motor driver DQ542MA 4.2V 18-50V 128Micro For Nema23 Motor | eBay

Would a PCI-e adapter work? like this: Parallel Port DB25 25Pin LPT Printer to PCI-E Converter Adapter Express Card | eBay

Do you typically create your g-code on one computer and transfer the file over to the computer that runs mach 3? I know some of the cad software requires a decent cpu and I'm not sure how well an older computer would handle that.

Thanks again!

notalive