QUESTION :How to upgrade to Mach 3 software, on Bridgeport BOSS Cnc mill, using original Driver boards and Stepper motors?
In my recent reading on these forums, I think I have seen threads talking about doing this, but I don't remember the details.
Here are some things I think I have figured out.
1. A common way to upgrade to Mach 3:
To power Stepper Motors, use a new breakout board, 3 new stepper motor driver boards,(Gecko G203, Automation Technology KL-9082, etc.), and new power supply .
The original Stepper Motor Drive boards, (SMDs), are not used with this method, but the original stepper motors can be used.
The new breakout board buffers, and or, opto isolates the signals between the PC computer and the mill electronics.
Mach 3 sends Step, and Direction signals, through the Breakout board, to new Driver boards.
The Driver boards interpret Step and Direction signals, and then generate output signals, that are sent to the coils in the Stepper Motors. These signals to the coils of the Stepper Motors make the stepper motors rotate.
2. How the original BOSS controller drove the Stepper Motors:
Each Stepper Motor has 4 windings in it. The 4 windings are connected to form 2 pairs of windings. Each pair of windings is connected in series.
In the original BOSS system, the BOSS controller sent two pulsing signals, to the inputs of each Stepper Motor Drive board, (SMD).
The Stepper Motor Drive board broke each of the 2 incoming signals into 2 output signals of opposite polarities . (Total of 4 output signals from the Stepper Motor Drive board).
Each pair of opposite polarity output signals, from the Stepper Motor Drive board, is sent to one, of the two, series connected coil pairs in the Stepper Motor. The positive polarity signal goes to one end of the series connected coil pair, and the negative polarity signal goes to the opposite end of the series connected coil pair.
3. As I said above, the one thing that I don't understand so far, is how is the direction signal from Mach 3 is going to be used? As far as I can tell , the original Stepper Motor Driver board didn't use this signal.
Thanks for any help from the readers of this post
Rob