[kish89]

I have this driver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=260509188593

And it has connector for manual control.
Can someone please explain me what PINs do I need to connect to move steppers, and on what PIN's can I connect LEDs so I can see them lightning when stepper moves.
This is the pinout of connector:
P1- X STEP
P2- X EMPOWE
P3- SPIND
P4- X DIR
P5- Y EMPOWE
P6- Z DIR
P7- Z STEP
P8- Z EMPOWE
P9- Y LIMIT
P10- Z LIMIT
P11- Y DIR
P12- Y STEP
P13- STOP
P14- GND
P15- 5V/VDD

Also, I can change "Buffer Settings" with jumpers on board.
Can someone please explain me what this means?
I can chose this settings :Fast, 25% , 50% , Slow

Thanks!

[dilbert0815]

I have this driver
And it has connector for manual control.
Can someone please explain me what PINs do I need to connect to move steppers, and on what PIN's can I connect LEDs so I can see them lightning when stepper moves.
This is the pinout of connector:
P1- X STEP
P2- X EMPOWE
P3- SPIND
P4- X DIR
P5- Y EMPOWE
P6- Z DIR
P7- Z STEP
P8- Z EMPOWE
P9- Y LIMIT
P10- Z LIMIT
P11- Y DIR
P12- Y STEP
P13- STOP
P14- GND
P15- 5V/VDD

Output:
very likely non at all.
The manual connector seems to be just inputs.
So I fear no way to connect moving indicator lights except solder some wires to the LEDs on the board.

Control: you need to:
a) enable the driver channel you what to move (x EMPOWE[R])
b) select the wanted direction (x DIR)
c) clock in pulses for stepping (x STEP)

SPIND is the spindle relay ... and so on.
Not exactly rocket science when you translate the pin names.

But actually for manual control you better use the control program on the PC.
Every movement via manual control is invisible for the controller program.
It apeares like lost steps to it.
It become critical if you could select some manual input during execution of a milling program by the PC. That throws the program completely off track and trashes your workpiece. You better have then a master switch that disables the manual control safely while on automatic control.

Manual control ist just usefull for moving the machine when the PC (or the controller program) is off.
I don't need no stinking manual mode on my maschine

Also, I can change "Buffer Settings" with jumpers on board.
Can someone please explain me what this means?
I can chose this settings :Fast, 25% , 50% , Slow

This has to do with the chopper current regulation of the chip and sets the decay mode of the current in the coils. Just thake a look into the chip documentation for details.
Actually I have no idea what is best as it might have to do with the inductivity of your motors, the micro stepping mode and the supply.
To fast may cause noisy operation and possible step losses, to slow and your motor may overshoot on deceleration and have step losses too.
This gets more critical at high speed of course.
The key may be to adjust it so that the coil currents can follow most accurately the commanded steps at your fastest speed.
But thats difficult without detailed calculation using all the variables of the specific machine.

Peter

[kish89]

Output:
very likely non at all.
The manual connector seems to be just inputs.
So I fear no way to connect moving indicator lights except solder some wires to the LEDs on the board.

Control: you need to:
a) enable the driver channel you what to move (x EMPOWE[R])
b) select the wanted direction (x DIR)
c) clock in pulses for stepping (x STEP)

SPIND is the spindle relay ... and so on.
Not exactly rocket science when you translate the pin names.

But actually for manual control you better use the control program on the PC.
Every movement via manual control is invisible for the controller program.
It apeares like lost steps to it.
It become critical if you could select some manual input during execution of a milling program by the PC. That throws the program completely off track and trashes your workpiece. You better have then a master switch that disables the manual control safely while on automatic control.

Manual control ist just usefull for moving the machine when the PC (or the controller program) is off.
I don't need no stinking manual mode on my maschine

I'm just testing the board features, when I'm using controller program, surely I will not use manual control
Just wanted to know how it works.

This has to do with the chopper current regulation of the chip and sets the decay mode of the current in the coils. Just thake a look into the chip documentation for details.
Actually I have no idea what is best as it might have to do with the inductivity of your motors, the micro stepping mode and the supply.
To fast may cause noisy operation and possible step losses, to slow and your motor may overshoot on deceleration and have step losses too.
This gets more critical at high speed of course.
The key may be to adjust it so that the coil currents can follow most accurately the commanded steps at your fastest speed.
But thats difficult without detailed calculation using all the variables of the specific machine.

Peter

When I set settings to low, I'm having high pitching sound from steppers, but they are working fine.
But, when I set settings to high,25% or 50% , steppers are silent and doesn't have that horrible sound, but they are hot like a hell.
So, probably best way would be to leave it low.

[dilbert0815]

When I set settings to low, I'm having high pitching sound from steppers, but they are working fine.
But, when I set settings to high,25% or 50% , steppers are silent and doesn't have that horrible sound, but they are hot like a hell.
So, probably best way would be to leave it low.

When this is without movement then the current is set to high and should be reduced until you think it's ok.
Without movement the coil current should be constant.
The slow mode means the current looks like a saw tooth.
I would rather recommend increasing it to 50% and reducing the current setting.

What stepping mode are you using?
Stay away from full step as might generates up to twice the disipation in the motor depending on the stop position.
2 out of the 4 phase positions cause 100% current in both coils in full step mode.
Half step mode reduces the peak to 71% worst case in both coils.
When one coil is at 100% the other always is at 0%.
So the worst case is 200% current for full step vs 142% for half step.
As power is proportional with current squared this means twice the dissipation for full step in worst case without movement.

[kish89]

When this is without movement then the current is set to high and should be reduced until you think it's ok.
Without movement the coil current should be constant.
The slow mode means the current looks like a saw tooth.
I would rather recommend increasing it to 50% and reducing the current setting.

What stepping mode are you using?
Stay away from full step as might generates up to twice the disipation in the motor depending on the stop position.
2 out of the 4 phase positions cause 100% current in both coils in full step mode.
Half step mode reduces the peak to 71% worst case in both coils.
When one coil is at 100% the other always is at 0%.
So the worst case is 200% current for full step vs 142% for half step.
As power is proportional with current squared this means twice the dissipation for full step in worst case without movement.

I will try reducing current and increasing buffer.
I'm using 1/16 microstepping.
I will let you know results.

thanks for help