there's a red light active on the inside the corner of my cw230 stepper driver, but there's nothing that says what it's for. is that bad? on the cw8060 driver there's two LED's and the red one says alert. are the red light's on both drivers supposed to mean the same thing?

Question #: 10124

Question: there's a red light active on the inside the corner of my cw230 stepper driver, but there's nothing that says what it's for. is that bad? on the cw8060 driver there's two LED's and the red one says alert. are the red light's on both drivers supposed to mean the same thing?

Current Solution

For the 3.0A driver (CW230), the red led means that it is functioning correctly. It is confusing that they are made this way, but if the red led is lit then everything is fine.

As the 6.0A driver (CW8060) the green led means that it is functioning correctly, and the red led when there is a error.

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Other Possible Solutions to this Question

ON THE BOB...EVERYTHING TESTS OK BOB EXCEPT X-DIRECTION OUT. IT'S VOLTAGE IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN Y AND Z (5.00 INSTEAD OF 5.03. TESTED X DIRECTION ALL THREE DRIVERS. IN EACH CASE THERE GOING INTO DRIVER BUT NOT OUT IT.
The electronics can be tricky sometimes, especially if more than one change is made for a test. You can move the x-dir wire to another pin and set it in the software configuration. If it works, then only that pin is bad.
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ON THE BOB...EVERYTHING TESTS OK BOB EXCEPT X-DIRECTION OUT. IT'S VOLTAGE IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN Y AND Z (5.00 INSTEAD OF 5.03. TESTED X DIRECTION ALL THREE DRIVERS. IN EACH CASE THERE GOING INTO DRIVER BUT NOT OUT IT.
In looking for a stepper motor amongst old parts in my lab, I found one with a sticker that says buildyourowncnc.com and PN SM60HT86-2008BF U2 on it. I found a Q&A on your website that says it's a NEMA 24 motor with 425 oz/in holding torque. I was wondering if you were able to confirm this? Any specs sheets and details of the motor would be much appreciated
The motor with that model number is here: https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-nema24-425ozin
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In looking for a stepper motor amongst old parts in my lab, I found one with a sticker that says buildyourowncnc.com and PN SM60HT86-2008BF U2 on it. I found a Q&A on your website that says it's a NEMA 24 motor with 425 oz/in holding torque. I was wondering if you were able to confirm this? Any specs sheets and details of the motor would be much appreciated
If I wired my stepper motors incorrectly what parts of the electronics will be ruined? When I turn on the power, my motors jump like they are supposed to but for some reason, the G-code doesn't seem to be moving from Mach 3 to the motors. Any help would be appreciated. Do I need to order new electronics or just part of the system? Thanks
The drivers have quite a bit of protection, so you probably won't ruin anything. You motors are jumping and that is just the motors engaging from getting power from the power supply.

There could be many reasons your motors don't turn. Consider these troubleshooting tips:

- If you are using our parallel breakout board, make sure that the step pins are set for active low (config -> Ports and Pins -> Motor Outputs -> the steps pins should be enabled and set active low)

- The parallel breakout board is powered (connect the USB to the computer using a USB cable)

- In Mach3, make sure you have jog enabled (a little green button at thelower middle of the page in the program run screen).

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DS26
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If I wired my stepper motors incorrectly what parts of the electronics will be ruined? When I turn on the power, my motors jump like they are supposed to but for some reason, the G-code doesn't seem to be moving from Mach 3 to the motors. Any help would be appreciated. Do I need to order new electronics or just part of the system? Thanks
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WORKS. I HAVE ALL STRUCTURE AND MECHICAL PARTS OF THE BLACKTOOTH CUTTER DONE. HOWEVER WHEN WIRE UP STEPPER MOTOR TO DRIVER. THAT MACH 3 USB CONTROLLER BOARD, TRY JOG MOTOR, WORKS! PREVIOSULY HAD PLANET CNC BREAKOUT HOWRVER, ONLY MOVED MOTORS IN ONE DIRECTION COULDNT CHANGE IT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APRECIATED
Did you install the Mach3 USB plug-in?

Make sure that you followed all of the steps and diagrams on the following page:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board
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ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WORKS. I HAVE ALL STRUCTURE AND MECHICAL PARTS OF THE BLACKTOOTH CUTTER DONE. HOWEVER WHEN WIRE UP STEPPER MOTOR TO DRIVER. THAT MACH 3 USB CONTROLLER BOARD, TRY JOG MOTOR, WORKS! PREVIOSULY HAD PLANET CNC BREAKOUT HOWRVER, ONLY MOVED MOTORS IN ONE DIRECTION COULDNT CHANGE IT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APRECIATED
Regarding L6203/L297 Stepper Board Driver, would you be willing to sell two unpopulated boards? A friend and I are each building a low cost CNC and I already have most of the components. Thanks.
We don't hold those boards in-house anymore. You can use the schematic to form your own boards if you wish.

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Thanks for the reply. Has this proven to be a good design?

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Regarding L6203/L297 Stepper Board Driver, would you be willing to sell two unpopulated boards? A friend and I are each building a low cost CNC and I already have most of the components. Thanks.
Can I connect a 36V power supply to 2.5 AMP Stepper Motor Driver. On the actual driver it shows 12V - 24V, but in the description and data sheet it indicates that it can accept 8V - 45V. Will I benefit from more powerful power supply. Thanks
The 2.5 amp driver can only accept a power supply between 12 volts and 24 volts. If a 36 volt power supply is used for this driver, the main driver chip will exceed its maximum voltage rating and cause failure.

If you need to spin your motor faster, you can either use a more appropriate driver (i.e. 3.0 amp driver) or you can change the mechanical parts so the axis has faster travel.

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Can I connect a 36V power supply to 2.5 AMP Stepper Motor Driver. On the actual driver it shows 12V - 24V, but in the description and data sheet it indicates that it can accept 8V - 45V. Will I benefit from more powerful power supply. Thanks
What is the 24VDC Power requirement for the Pokeys47CNC? 1A, 2A? ...I'm running a separate 36VDC PS to the Stepper drivers and a 24VDC PS to the Controller.
Polabs prepared step by step user guide for PoKeys57CNC and Mach4 to try answering such questions. It is available in our downloads section: https://www.poscope.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/Pokeys/LibrariesAndPlugins/Mach4 and PoKeys57CNC - step by step guide.pdf
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What is the 24VDC Power requirement for the Pokeys47CNC? 1A, 2A? ...I'm running a separate 36VDC PS to the Stepper drivers and a 24VDC PS to the Controller.
I am having difficulty with the wiring on the White Ant. The latest electronics that I received don't seem to be anything like the book or even the tutorials. For instance, the three stepper drivers need 6 pin connectors and ribbon cable. How are they wired? There was no thermocouple wire included. Thanks,
The whiteAnt is no longer sold; the information on the website is to support legacy customers. We have spoken with you and are sending the materials that you need.
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I am having difficulty with the wiring on the White Ant. The latest electronics that I received don't seem to be anything like the book or even the tutorials. For instance, the three stepper drivers need 6 pin connectors and ribbon cable. How are they wired? There was no thermocouple wire included. Thanks,
2.5A small stepper driver I received has blue connection blocks instead of green like on the last three I got. wow what a difference in ease of wiring with the green blocks. Please i don't know what the savings are but it's not worth it unless the price can be dropped as well. the green blocks have a "chute" style guide for each wire which keeps it under the metal tab while tightening.
From time to time we change providers of components for various reasons. I just spoke to our assembler and electronics employee to determine if he witnessed the same issues. He said they work, but are not as easy to use as the previous terminal block. We will make sure not to use this provider anymore and will search for a better quality terminal block.

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Boom thats the answer. Your quick and thorough response and dedication to correcting the problem is why i choose to do business with you and encourage others to do the same!

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Thank you for that kind response!

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2.5A small stepper driver I received has blue connection blocks instead of green like on the last three I got. wow what a difference in ease of wiring with the green blocks. Please i don't know what the savings are but it's not worth it unless the price can be dropped as well. the green blocks have a "chute" style guide for each wire which keeps it under the metal tab while tightening.
The X-axis stepper motor on my BlackToe suddenly started acting up. It is wired bipolar series, and was working great but then in the midst of a cutting operation the stepper started sounding rough- as though one of the phases was shorting out. However, all the connections and wires are in tact. Any ideas what would most likely cause this?
If the motor starts acting rough or is excessively trying to move without physically moving the input shaft. Re-check that your pins are in the correct settings and always set the amps required to the closest needed but not exceeded (ex. required 3.00A, but only having 3.14A revert from using 3.14 and go lower to 2.57A).
Also a software issue that can affect the motor is Config/MotorTunning/(x,y,z)-axis, if you are trying to push your motor to move at a faster rate by modifying the acceleration and velocity could cause your motor to fail if the settings are to high. Lastly out of those two tests, would re-check wiring for continuity lastly.

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Also, even if the wiring was checked thoroughly, re-check the wiring for any chafing from wire ties or any other means of causing a short with two or more of the motor wires.

You can also try swapping the motors from another axis to determine if the cause is derived from the driver or the motor.

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I disconnected the stepper motor entirely except left the yellow and blue wires tied together and the motor still made the sound when manually rotating the shaft. When I disconnected the yellow and blue wire the motor rotated smoothly again, so there must be a short inside the motor. Is there a warranty on the motors you sell?
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The X-axis stepper motor on my BlackToe suddenly started acting up. It is wired bipolar series, and was working great but then in the midst of a cutting operation the stepper started sounding rough- as though one of the phases was shorting out. However, all the connections and wires are in tact. Any ideas what would most likely cause this?
Y axis on usb controller not working. The motor gets power and holds but will not turn. I tried switching the same wires, driver, and motor over to the A axis on the controller and it works fine like that. I have double, and triple checked the wiring
This sounds like a problem with the step (pulse) signal. The driver motors receive two signals from the computer via the board -- one is high or low and tells the motors which direction to turn, one is a square wave pulsed signal(quick that tells the motor to turn or a constant high signal that tells the motor to maintain its position. With an oscilliscope you can check for proper signal at the board. If you bought the board from us, please contact us to arrange a return authorization.
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Y axis on usb controller not working. The motor gets power and holds but will not turn. I tried switching the same wires, driver, and motor over to the A axis on the controller and it works fine like that. I have double, and triple checked the wiring
I'm trying to build my CNC router 3m*1.3m, but i'm not sure what is the type of stepper motor i should pay, all my CNC body is Al. I need to bay 4 Stepper motors, 4 drivers, spindle, inverter, and i don't know what is the type of controller ?
The size of the stepper motor is measured in holding torque, generally oz/in. You will determine the torque loads of your axes when selecting steppers. Once you know which stepper you need, the drivers and controller board are simple to pair with them.
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I'm trying to build my CNC router 3m*1.3m, but i'm not sure what is the type of stepper motor i should pay, all my CNC body is Al. I need to bay 4 Stepper motors, 4 drivers, spindle, inverter, and i don't know what is the type of controller ?
Absolutely nothing works. I have all structure and mechical parts of the blacktooth cutter done. However when i wire up the stepper motor to the motor driver. and that to the mach 3 usb controller board, and try to jog the motor, nothing works! I previosuly had the planet cnc breakout board, howrver, that only moved the motors in one direction and i couldnt change it. any help would be apreciated
Did you install the Mach3 USB plug-in?

Make sure that you followed all of the steps and diagrams on the following page:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board
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Absolutely nothing works. I have all structure and mechical parts of the blacktooth cutter done. However when i wire up the stepper motor to the motor driver. and that to the mach 3 usb controller board, and try to jog the motor, nothing works! I previosuly had the planet cnc breakout board, howrver, that only moved the motors in one direction and i couldnt change it. any help would be apreciated
I purchased the driver boards and MB shield for the White Ant. None of the headers are labeled. Is there a diagram showing which headers is for which axis? Is there also a diagram showing which pin on the driver is ABCD? I have watched the vids and the boards in them do not match what was sent to me.
The axis and connection information for the 3D Printer Main Board can be found here in the instructions below the product information.

https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/3D-Printer-Component-electronicsAndMotors-3d-printer-mainboard-FDMElectronics-3dprintermainboard
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I purchased the driver boards and MB shield for the White Ant. None of the headers are labeled. Is there a diagram showing which headers is for which axis? Is there also a diagram showing which pin on the driver is ABCD? I have watched the vids and the boards in them do not match what was sent to me.
I was in the process of aligning mirrors for our vertical XL and suddenly the laser does not fire anymore, there is an arcing sound and a light near the Anode (positive) connector of the tube on the very inside. Do you think the laser tube would go bad so quickly? how could we avoid this?
Can you check if there are cracks in the inner glass tube? Also, check to see if there is water between the inner glass tube and the outer glass tube. That will give you an indication of cracking in the inner glass tube.
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I was in the process of aligning mirrors for our vertical XL and suddenly the laser does not fire anymore, there is an arcing sound and a light near the Anode (positive) connector of the tube on the very inside. Do you think the laser tube would go bad so quickly? how could we avoid this?
I connected the electronics (for 2 x 4 feet) that I ordered from you. But how do I check if I connected all the wiring properly. There is neither any light on motor drivers nor on breakout board. And the motor shaft also does not move before and after the power supply is given.
Did you connect the USB connector to the breakout board?

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YES I CONNECTED THE USB TO THE BREAKOUT BOARD
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I connected the electronics (for 2 x 4 feet) that I ordered from you. But how do I check if I connected all the wiring properly. There is neither any light on motor drivers nor on breakout board. And the motor shaft also does not move before and after the power supply is given.
I cannot find a driver for the NEMA 14 Stepping Motor (17 oz-in 1/4" dual shaft) on your site, would something like the Pololu DRV8834 be okay? (I note that the stepper requires 2.7v)
The NENA 14 motor is paired with this driver and will work very well: https://buildyourcnc.com/item/motion%20electronics-steppermotordriver-newbiehack-Motor_Drivers-2!5_Amp_modular
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I cannot find a driver for the NEMA 14 Stepping Motor (17 oz-in 1/4" dual shaft) on your site, would something like the Pololu DRV8834 be okay? (I note that the stepper requires 2.7v)
My stepper motors stopped working all of a sudden. Mach 3 is running fine, just no signals getting to the motors. The lights on the motor drivers began blinking erratically when this started. Any advice where a problem like this can come from would be greatly appreciated.
The drivers have quite a bit of protection, so you probably won't ruin anything. You motors are jumping and that is just the motors engaging from getting power from the power supply.

There could be many reasons your motors don't turn. Consider these troubleshooting tips:

- If you are using our parallel breakout board, make sure that the step pins are set for active low (config -> Ports and Pins -> Motor Outputs -> the steps pins should be enabled and set active low)

- The parallel breakout board is powered (connect the USB to the computer using a USB cable)

- In Mach3, make sure you have jog enabled (a little green button at thelower middle of the page in the program run screen).

Additional Information:

Additional Information:
DS26
Click the link to add information to this solution:
My stepper motors stopped working all of a sudden. Mach 3 is running fine, just no signals getting to the motors. The lights on the motor drivers began blinking erratically when this started. Any advice where a problem like this can come from would be greatly appreciated.
I have one of your smaller stepper motors running my X AXIS bridge crane and if it is moved to fast the stepper motor sounds like it is skipping steps will the 651oz stepper motor require a different power supply and controler?
Yes, the 651 oz/in motor requires a driver that is compatible to the motors (the motor will draw 6 amps max and the driver paired with this motor will be able to allow for a 6 amp draw). I would also recommend a 36 volt power supply for better high velocity performance.
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I have one of your smaller stepper motors running my X AXIS bridge crane and if it is moved to fast the stepper motor sounds like it is skipping steps will the 651oz stepper motor require a different power supply and controler?