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:


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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

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?

In all CNC electronics configurations, you will need the motor paired with its own driver.

If two motors/drivers are intended for a single axis and the motors need to turn at the same rate and in the same direction, then the two drivers for these motors should be connected to the same signal wires from the breakout board (step (CP) and direction (CW)) signal wires.

If the motors need to turn in opposite directions, then either one driver will need to have the direction signal inverted, or resolve the opposite direction through a change in the mechanical drive train (i.e. flip the rack on a rack and pinion configuration, or in a roller chain setup, have the chain ride along the opposite side of the drive sprocket).

How do I go about purchasing a redleaf system with 4 drivers, where the (y) and (a) driver are connected to the same signal from the breakout board? I'd also need them to rotate in opposite directions.

The redLeaf webpage contains a purchase option for an extra motor and driver. We can setup the redLeaf system uniquely so it conforms to your application (i.e. motors running in opposite directions).

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I've built a machine where the y axis has (2) 425oz motors, x axis has (1) 425oz. motor, and the z axis also has (1) 425oz motor. Would it be better to purchase a redleaf system with 4 drivers? or can I just connect both y axis motors to the same driver for a total of 3 drivers?

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

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

Yes, here is the URL for the parallel breakout board that we sell:

https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-parallel-breakout-relay

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can I purchase just the parallel controller board? I purchased the usb option 4 axis combo and would like to also try the system with my parallel port computer. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated; my goal is to implement mach4.

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?

What electronics do you have at the moment? Depending on your machine, you will need a minimum of 3 stepper motors and 3 drivers (unless your heavy axis requires two stepper motors and two drivers). You will also need an interface board that is capable of providing three inputs for the THC (Torch Height Controller), THC on, THC up and THC down, and outputs for firing the torch. I would recommend the Pokeys57CNC interface for the primary interface. This interface will connect to the stepper motor drivers and the THC. The Pokeys57CNC can also communicate via USB or Ethernet.

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Looking for electronics for a plasmacam table. It's going to to be a 5'x10' table with x,y,z axis. Will be running on windows ten with a hypertherm powermax45 xp plasma cutter. Any information or links would be greatly appreciated!

You have motors and drivers that already work with your machine (unless the drivers are an all-in-one setup and not modular. I would advise you to keep your current electronics and replace the parallel port breakout board with a controller that uses the USB to operate.

Here are two controllers that work under Mach3, or Mach3 or Mach4:
Mach3 USB controller (works under Mach3 only)
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board
Pokeys57CNC full-featured controller works under Mach3 or Mach4:
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach4-mach3-USB-ethernet-Board

Alternatively, you can purchase a complete plug-and-play system or have your control system sent over to Buildyourcnc to modify the control system to use one of the above controllers.

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[422] I have a probotix cnc router purchased in 2014, used to run on linyx, now Mach3, WindowsXP, printer port, i would like to be able to use a modern computer usb, do you have something like a plug & play or control box i can wire this into, 2 Y axis, i lost my auto tool length when i switched to XP also, any help appreciated

You will also need to check if the mach3 configuration and the wiring. Since you tested the connection from the motors to the drivers, the connection from the computer to the interface may still be the issue. It could also be the connection from the interface to the drivers, but we test all of these units going out, so I don't believe that would be the problem.

If you have a redfly that uses a parallel cable, you may need to check to make sure the parallel cable is functioning properly, and also, make sure that the interface is also powered using a usb cable.

If you have a usb interface (the terminals will be labeled XD, XP and so on), then there may be a wire not seated correctly in a terminal.

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I plug in my redFly for the first time and after configuring Mach3 and rechecked my settings axes Y and Z are working well, but X is not working, just for testing I plugged in each motor to the Y and Z and they work fine, but no motor works when plug into the X axes of the redFly, also one of the NEMA 24 425 Oz motors dose not turn just jitters.

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

Dealing with a larger offset when cutting a larger object, try calibrating your machine accordingly (

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I am having trouble with my cutting precision. I can cut a 1" box within 0.005" accuracy, but when I try to cut something with a 6" profile, it cuts almost 0.125" heavy. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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 MOTOR SOUNDS LIKE SKIPPING STEPS WILL 651OZ REQUIRE A DIFFERENT POWER SUPPLY CONTROLER?

The blackToe 2'x4' cnc machine is sold as a kit only. We offer plans for the scratch (book) build machine that can be found here for purchase and also comes with a DVD showing the build process: http://www.buildyourcnc.com/cnckitintro.aspx and the plans for build in the book is on the CNC book page: http://www.buildyourcnc.com/Book.aspx.

You can use the same size stepping motors referenced in the book: http://www.buildyourcnc.com/category/elcombo

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I would like to build the 2’x 4’ blackToe2x4v40 CNC router. I have your book. I want to build the latest model blackToe2x4 v40. Are those the correct plans on your web book page ? Is there a bill of materials? If I use a Porter Cable 3-3/4 router motor what size stepper motors do I need?

Are you connecting this spindle and pokeys57cnc controller to a CNC? or are you simply wanting to control a spindle by itself?

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Sorry, I thought that my question made it clear that it is for a Chinese 40W laser and I am replacing the original board in it with the 57cnc and I’m told that I need to buy stepper drivers and probably the stepper motors as well and I was asking which drivers and motors would be most suitable for me to buy to go with my already purchased from here 57cnc board

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Ps, I intend to use Auggie from Gearotics to drive the laser

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I have a Chinese 40w laser that I was advised to get a pokeys57cnc for which I did. I didn’t realise that I would need stepper drivers for so was wondering which you would recommend as well as which stepper motors as I may as well replace those as well. Any advice is gratefully received, thanks

If your axis shutters and will not move unless moved by another force, that sounds like your acceleration is set too high. Lower the acceleration until it works well, then lower it a bit more to have a margin of safety.

IF that didn't work, try swapping the X and Y drivers. That way you will pinpoint if the issue is the driver. If the proplem persists, then there may be an issue with the motor itself.

The X and Y drivers can be easily swapped by swapping only the motor wires.

- Remove the x-axis motor wires from the X driver.
- Remove the Y motor wires from the Y driver.
- Insert the X motor wires into the Y driver.
- Insert the Y motor wires into the X driver.

Now the Y-axis will move the gantry. Test the Gantry movement by moving the Y axis using the up and down arrow keys (mach3).

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X AXIS STEPPER MOTOR STALLS AND SHUTTERS WHEN COMING FROM A STAND STILL WON'T MOVE WITHOUT PUSH BY HAND. I TOOK THE CHAINS OFF SPUN FINE WITH OUT LOAD. HAVE CHAIN HOOKED UP CAN MACHINE BACK FORTH HAND, NO HANG UPS OR ANYTHING, BUT TRY TO IT DOESN'T JUST SPINS OUT. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Do you have the Pokeys57CNC connected to a 24V external power supply?

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Yes, a 24V external power supply with the jumper positioned. I'm using the ethernet port so the 24v is the only source of power. I plan to measure the amp draw when I have a chance to see how much the vfd is drawing on the analog out.

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Further information. The resistance across the terminals on the vfd is 22k ohms. With an independent 0-10v current source I can run the spindle from 20 to 400 Hz. The PokeysCNC only gets to 3.8v with the vfd attached (and the vfd is at 150 Hz) compared to 10v when the vfd is not attached. The power to the PokeysCNC is steady at 24.18 V, so I'm not maxing out the power supply. Still looking for thoughts on what might be going on?

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And the other thing - The measured amperage is 0.17 mA for the 0-10 V signal (which makes perfect sense for 3.7 V and 22k Ohms).

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Just to bring finality to this issue - I added a 2.2 microfarad capacitor across the 0-10V input terminal (from signal to ground). This solved the issue. Evidently, it was an electrical noise issue.

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My pokeysCNC board creates and analog signal of 0-10V for 0 to 24000 spindle rpm just like it should from Mach3. However, when the spindle is on, the voltage only gets to about 3.8V for 24000 rpm. It seems like the vfd is drawing more current than the pokeyscnc analog output can produce. It there an easy solution to this problem?

You should have no problem connecting the Pokeys57CNC controller to the drivers of your machine as long as the drivers have step (Pulse or PUL) and direction (DIR) terminals. You will need the cable pack that is sold separately so you can connect the headers/connectors of the pokeys57cnc controller to the drivers using ribbon cables.

I show this process in great detail on this page:
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach4-mach3-USB-ethernet-Board

Is you scroll down on the page, you will see a set of videos that show the process step-by-step.

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I have a ShopBot CNC that was converted to Mach 3. The controller has gone out. I pourchased your Pokeys57 board, but I'm not sure I have everything I need. I think my motor drivers are OK, but am not sure how to wire them to what I purchased from you. Need Help. How can we make this work, or do I need a different board to distribute the movement signals to my drivers?

The fact that you cannot move the motors with the keyboard serves as a clue to a couple possibilities.

- The software may not be communicating with parallel port. (One possibility may be that your step pins are not low active, or vice versa depending on your drivers).
- You may not be in the correct tab of Mach3. Make sure you are in the Program Run tab.
- The jog on/off button on the program run screen may not be lit (invoked).

This address below shows the complete troubleshooting for this type of situation. It will show how to test each pin at the parallel port at the back of the computer and everything else associated with correctly wiring the electronics.

https://buildyourcnc.com/CNCElectronicsandWiring.aspx




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6 axis robot with Mach3 Card 6 Axis Motion Controller

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I have a home built CNC running Mach 3. I have power to all the motors and the breakout board but no movement when running g-code. I cannot even manually move the motors with the arrow keys or page up and down. It also has an integrated 120v receptacle showing an open ground. I don't know if all this is related.