Well I give up

[Christine88]

This thing has been a constant battle and it has finally won. Those 8825s got so hot they fried causing the Y axis to stop working correctly. I'm going to rip all the electronics out that I stupidly wasted my time on and go back to the TinyG that worked. Then I'm going to sell the fancy spindle and just use the shapeoko for a drawing machine which is what really wanted to start with. Or I might just sell the whole dam thing. I placed me laser on eBay if anyone wants it.

[Dhpenner1]

That's too bad. TinyG is plenty powerful enough to run a router around and do some cutting. What did you want to cut with it?

[Christine88]

That's too bad. TinyG is plenty powerful enough to run a router around and do some cutting. What did you want to cut with it?

Nothing specific really. I think trying to build a servo controler from scratch was a mistake. I'm looking at something I can buy off the shelf like 4 of these. https://www.inventables.com/technologie ... per-driver Something already built that will run with Mach 3. TinyG is perfect but it's incompatable with Mach 3.

Added: what I actually need is a 4 axis controler board that is compatible with Mach 3. What I have found so far needs supporting electronics. Like the TB6600.

[Improbable Construct]

If you want something that works with mach3 get a Gecko Drive G540 and be done with it.
http://www.geckodrive.com/geckodrive-st ... /g540.html

Four drivers, Three hundred bucks, Made in the USA.

Better yet here is an ebay auction with a 48v power supply:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gecko-G540-Cont ... 2580638892

[Christine88]

If you want something that works with mach3 get a Gecko Drive G540 and be done with it.
http://www.geckodrive.com/geckodrive-st ... /g540.html

Four drivers, Three hundred bucks, Made in the USA.

Better yet here is an ebay auction with a 48v power supply:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gecko-G540-Cont ... 2580638892

I considered the G540 but someone stated this in another thread:
The G540 isn't a controller, it's just a motor driver. It doesn't do anything about limit switches or homing or anything, except maybe pass the signals on through the parallel port to the PC. It does about as much as four of these, except much more robustly, with more current capability, and with more advanced waveforms. But it has no intelligence. It has no idea what homing is or how to do it, for instance. All that is done by Mach3 or whatever your controller is.

So wouldn't I still need stepper controlers breakout boards?

[Improbable Construct]

Nope. The above answer is correct. The G540 is a motor driver with a parallel port breakout for limits and PWM. Mach3 takes care of the limit switches and positioning. Think of it this way. The G540 is the stepper shield and your computer/mach3 is the arduino. Mach3 is also the g code sender.

[WillAdams]

I updated the Electronics page: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Electronics

Does it make this clearer now?

[Christine88]

Nope. The above answer is correct. The G540 is a motor driver with a parallel port breakout for limits and PWM. Mach3 takes care of the limit switches and positioning. Think of it this way. The G540 is the stepper shield and your computer/mach3 is the arduino. Mach3 is also the g code sender.

Ok if I buy a G540 please list everything I'll need to make it work. I already have Mach 3, Shapeoko 2, 48 24 5 volt power supplies quiet cut spindle with controler. I also have a UC-100.

[Damin69]

Yeah Unforutunatly I had the same issue early on with the 8825 drivers. I noticed them getting very hot just doing my bench testing. I scrapped them and went to the SainSmart CNC Micro-Stepping Stepper Motor Driver 2M542 Bi-polar 2phase 4.2A Switch http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DFS ... UTF8&psc=1 4 of them with my C-10 BOB. With Mach3.
Gave my machine an Iron Man workout week ran my machine 10 Hours strait Zero Problems.
http://www.shapeoko.com/forum/viewtopic ... =30#p36638

[Improbable Construct]

You shouldn't need any components other than the PC, a parallel cable, the Gecko itself, a power supply, motors, cables, and connectors. You need to install a resistor in the connector for each motor to set the current for that specific motor. See the G540 manual. That's the only external component you need. You can wire limit switches directly into the connector on the Gecko G540, and you can use the outputs to control the spindle.