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Help with assembling a CNC Shield v3 and other electronics

Discussion in 'General Electronics' started by krizo96, Jul 31, 2018.

  1. krizo96

    krizo96 New
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    I'm still waiting on some parts I order for making my CNC, but despite being good with the mechanical parts my electronics knowledge is very limited so I'm looking for some advice.

    These are the components I got so far, but I'm not really sure what else I would need (like what kind of drivers for the motors etc.)
    - CNC Shield v3 with and Arduino Uno (CNC Shield V3.0+ UNO R3 Board + A4988 Driver + Heatsink Kits For Arduino CNC Kit | eBay)
    - 4x Nema 23 Motors (【EU Ship】NEMA23 for 287oz-in CNC Wantai stepper motor /3.0A , 2phase, Engraver | eBay)
    - 24V Power Supply (350W 24V 14.6A Single Output Switching power supply AC TO DC | eBay)

    All your help is very appreciated!
     
  2. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    The A4988 Stepper Motor Driver do not have the amperage you may require. They are made for 3d printers with much smaller motors. I wish they would not be marketed for CNC applications. The external drivers like the TB6600 (good) or DQ542MA (better) would be a much better option. You can still use an Arduino, but pay the $20 and get an official one that is guaranteed to work. I had a CHinese clone when I first started. it lasted about two months of light work. I have since replaced it with a real one and it has worked great for 2 years. The Uno board you have may, or may not, have issues running GRBL because it is a cheap clone with the CH340 chip. See Ask Grbl CNC questions here. The package says:

    While you are waiting for parts, thoroughly read this gnea/grbl because it will answer most questions you will have. I refer to it often whenever I have an issue pop up. So far I have been able to resolve most on my own and I have very little electronics background. It has all been self taught since I got into this hobby. Also, read all the cnc posts as they come in daily. People are asking questions and getting answers everyday. I call it OpenBuilds University. I have learned so much just by reading forums.
     
    GrayUK likes this.
  3. krizo96

    krizo96 New
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    Thanks for the replying! I thought I needed to change something with the drivers since these motors require 3 A. Do you have any recommendations on what drivers to get for my motors? Also might be a dumb question but can I run two motors of one driver? I'm asking since I will use 2 out of 4 motors for my y axis (basing my machine on the OX-Metal).

    I understand what you said about my Uno board, I only started this recently so I guess I'll use this one for testing and if it won't be handle what I'll be using it for I will buy a legit Uno.

    I have read parts of that since I already have a small A3 laser engraver that I got as a kit but later on modified to add TTL support, different software etc. I will definitely read it more thoroughly now while I'm waiting for the rest of the parts to arrive. Thank you for the advice!
     
  4. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    The external drivers like the TB6600 (good) or DQ542MA (better) would be a much better option. They can still be used with the Uno board. I use an Uno and DQ542MA drivers for my CNC. You can run 2 motors off one driver if the driver can handle the amperage. To make connections to my Uno from the drivers easy, I used a screw shield in my build. This is one example https://www.amazon.com/Aideepen-Ass...sr=8-3&keywords=arduino+screw+terminal+shield
     
  5. krizo96

    krizo96 New
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    Hmm... as far as I can see those can handle up to 4 A usually, so it might just be better to get one for each motor.
    I think that's all the help I need at the moment (unless there's something else I need besides an uno, a power supply and the drivers for the electronics).
    Thank you for the help and hopefully I'll be able to do the rest on my own when everything arrives.
     

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