[imperial90303]

Hi , I am building a USB control box for a Gantry type CNC router with stepper motors.


I have seen both being used with an Arduino Uno , the GRBL "Gshield" and the more popular "CNC shield".


The main thing I see is the "CNC shield" has replaceable Stepper Motor Drivers and the Gshield has the Stepper Motor Driver soldered to the board.


I like the idea that if I screw up and fry a Stepper Motor Driver that it can just be pulled out , replaced and back to cutting ( yes figure out why it fried first)


Is there anything else I should think about ?

PS....it seems the Shapeoko community uses a Gshield , and was supplied with the Shapeoko kit

Thanks for your ideas

[wizard]

The first thing to note here is that you left out all the important information. The size of the machine, the size of the steppers, their voltage rating and inductance values are all important in selecting proper electronics. Right now we know nothing about the steppers themselves so no learned opinion on the suitability of these boards can be made.

Like wise a quick trip to one of the sites selling CNC Shield indicates a similar lack of info. Specifically what is the voltage rating of the drivers and current capacity. Frankly such info should be front and center. Beyond that there can be advantages to using discreet drivers.

Hi , I am building a USB control box for a Gantry type CNC router with stepper motors.


I have seen both being used with an Arduino Uno , the GRBL "Gshield" and the more popular "CNC shield".

Most likely this would be on more limited machinery which brings up the question of what usage are you targeting? For example a router for light duty use, say PCB routing might be well served by CNC Shield. A larger router targeting general wood working might be better off with a different solution.

The main thing I see is the "CNC shield" has replaceable Stepper Motor Drivers and the Gshield has the Stepper Motor Driver soldered to the board.


I like the idea that if I screw up and fry a Stepper Motor Driver that it can just be pulled out , replaced and back to cutting ( yes figure out why it fried first).

This is the least of your worries when it comes to getting decent performance out of your implementation.

Is there anything else I should think about ?

Well more information would be nice!!!! In my opinion such boards are only really suitable for very light duty machine implementations. We are likely talking size 17 steppers at a max. In any event not knowing more about your router concept it is hard to provide a decent answer as to such boards working at all.

PS....it seems the Shapeoko community uses a Gshield , and was supplied with the Shapeoko kit

Thanks for your ideas

Shapeoko is a bit light as far as machine tools go. I would most certainly look for alternative router designs especially if you are going to build one your self. Going the DIY route will enable you to build a significantly better machine without totally blowing out the budget. By the way I'm not saying the Shapeoko can't do the job of a router, rather is is a light weight solution that is rather expensive compared to what can be accomplished DIY. If you are talking about the same model I am, the $1500 price tag is a bit stiff for a machine that isn't as stiff as could be had via a DIY project.

So my suggestion would be to look at some of the various build threads in this forum and more importantly read the sticky threads. This should give you an idea of what various people have accomplished with a wide range of experience and tooling access. A Shapeoko class machine could also be built cheaper going the DIY route. In any case I would urge you to consider what you need or want from the machine. Expectations are everything. I just don't want you buying electronic hardware until we know the hardware will fit the application.

[hfjbuis]

Depending about how much current your steppers need, you could consider using external drivers like TB6600. If you fry one, you can easily replace them. If you change the controller, they can be used again.

For easy wiring, there are screw terminator boards for the arduino uno and the arduino nano.

If your GCode sender supports network communication, there are arduino uno and mega boards having a build in ESP8266 board for wireless communication (I use the uno version).

[imperial90303]

Hi
sorry I did not know what info to include

I have an abandoned old Techno Isel Gantry FB-1 , probably from theearly 1990s , the base is 500x500mm ., great German top quality stuff ,

THe motors are ISEL brand A2405-9212-A2 made in Japan 2.0 A . no idea if they work but could change them if needed ,

Mostly I will use the CNC to make wood signs as a hobby and learn more, it does not have to be fast , I am old and retired and I have time,

Again thanks for your ideas.....

[A_Camera]

I would never use one with built-in drivers.

[hfjbuis]

THe motors are ISEL brand A2405-9212-A2 made in Japan 2.0 A . no idea if they work but could change them if needed

This motor is a 4 wire stepper and should work with all common stepper drivers like TB6600, arduino shields etc.

If they work, and there is no reason why they shouldn't, I wouldn't change them.

Here a link for the motor specs given by another forum member: https://www.isel.com/en/downloads/dl/file/id/4186/970473_dm102_49_2009_ms_110_160_160w_engl.pdf

[fretman_2]

I use an Arduino Uno out to the individual drivers. My two Y motors are driven by two separate drivers, but the two drivers are connected to the single Y port on the Arduino. The Uno only has three ports...X, Y and Z. Most of the shields that I've seen won't handle the higher current that the larger motors need.

[imperial90303]

This motor is a 4 wire stepper and should work with all common stepper drivers like TB6600, arduino shields etc.

If they work, and there is no reason why they shouldn't, I wouldn't change them.

Here a link for the motor specs given by another forum member: https://www.isel.com/en/downloads/dl/file/id/4186/970473_dm102_49_2009_ms_110_160_160w_engl.pdf

Hi , thanks for the info , I guess they are bipolar , they are very well made ,
I would like to re-use them if they are ok

[skrubol]

Are there any other specs printed on the motors? Can you measure how big they are?

[imperial90303]

Are there any other specs printed on the motors? Can you measure how big they are?

ISERT zweiphasen schrittmotor 1.8 grad.
Art.-Nr.3455
ISERT ELECTRONIC.
Iw=2.0 A Rw=1.0 Ohm
WX6 08560
A2405-9212-A2
Made in japan.

They are Nema 23 size , I do not know the weight as they are still connected to the machine

Thanks for your help

[skrubol]

How many wires on them? If they're 4-wire, it's pretty straightforward, it's a 2A, 2V motor, give it 2A and around 24V and it should run well. If it's an 8-wire it's a bit more complicated, as we don't know exactly what that 1 ohm means (series, parallel or single winding..)