Not a problem. The ALM is rather self-explanatory as this is a closed-loop stepper motor and driver that you are using. The ALM (alarm) is a signal that is used to tell the driver/controller that the motor is not in the same condition that the driver expects. In a closed-loop system, the motor has an encoder that tells the driver exactly how many steps that it turned, and if this value does not coincide with the driver's outputted number of steps, and within a specified amount of time, the alarm will trigger so the system can stop and the workpiece can be salvaged.

The MF is simply a signal that tells the driver that there is impending direction and step pulses coming. If the MF signal is high, then that is similar to an enable signal.

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Hello I recently read your site and have a question. I have a driver model DM2722A but I can't connect it to my usb controller due to the fact that the driver is not marked enable, but instead it is marked: mf-, mf +, alm-, alm +. I will be very grateful if you explain to me the meaning of the latter and tell me what should be related to "enable" Thanks in advance!

As shown in the instructions the laser tube that was used was a different model which had the metal end, compared to our full glass tube models we currently ship with the machines.
So there is no difference besides appearance between the two tubes.
The focus lens should be placed in the laser nozzle assembly and not on the laser tube itself.


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I bought a blacktooth laser from you about a year ago.. I am finally getting around to installing the laser tube and I noticed that my tube does't have the metal end on it like all the pictures I've seen. is this a focus lense and can I purchase one?

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

You want to look for the analog input terminals in the wiring diagram in the manual for your VFD. I believe the VFD you have, the XSY-AT1 has three terminals that will accept an analog voltage to adjust the speed. These terminals are:
COM or ACM - this is where the ACM from the controller will connect
VI/CI - The AVI will connect to this terminal which is the actual voltage level that will determine the speed from 0 to 10V.
10V - This connects to the 10V terminal of the controller which will provide 10V to the controller allowing the top voltage reference for the controller. This will provide a 0 to 10V range for the AVI or VI/CI terminals, and if 5V is available on the VFD, then the range will be 0 to 5V.

The parameter you need to change in the VFD is P10 which will change the source of the frequency, either the control panel which is the default (0 or 1, keys or potentiometer - dial, if that is available on the VFD), External analog signals which are the ACM, VI/CI and 10V/5V terminals in the VFD, or the RS485 which is a serial connection to the computer. You want to set this parameter to the External terminals which may be 2, but check your manual for the proper value.

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I'm hooking up the VFD Controller to the USB controller to control the speed of the spindle. In your video you have the wire from the USB controller to the ACM of the VFD controller. The VFD controller I have is a XSY-AT1 model AT1-2200s. It does not have an ACM contact. It does however have a SP1 contact, is this where I land that wire?

The relay is only used for devices like routers, spindles, coolant, mist, etc. The relay works like an automatic switch and will allow current to pass when the relay is engaged.

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The relay doesn't have a A+ B - it has signal in god. 5v. / 0 S P. This has to go to my USB motion card wiring shows v+ goes to top of coil no number and comes out the bottom to #2 the relay I got from you is not that simple

Many shielded cables come in various materials and designs, so having one with a copper mesh covering the inner insulator wire is no problem. We currently use a extension cord found locally at a hardware store and include one 18G wire for ground. So a specific shielded cable is not a required, unless being used next to specific and sensitive electronics that are extremely sensitive to noise and voltage interference than a shielded cable is required.

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I purchased a 2.2 spindle a while back and went to the electrical supply house to but shielded cable for the power run, I was on the web a while back and saw a picture of shielded cable that didn't look like what I had bought. should it have a copper like mesh wraped around the inner insulation. Thanks

If you were logged in when you made the purchase, you can click the "My Account" link at the top of any page on this website and see all of your orders, order line items (with direct links to these items), and shipment information.

Here is a link to the "My Account" page for your convenience:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/CustomerInfo.aspx

I did not see your username on your internal customer record, so I added this username and you should be able to see the information in the "My Account" page.

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I just tested your accounts page and the cable carrier links are in there. Thanks and please let me know if you need further assistance.

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I have purchased cable carrier chain and would like to know if you could send me a copy of that order as I need to purchase extra lengths of the links I bought. Thanks

The Mach3 USB interface board requires 24V relays externally. There are no relays on the mach3 usb board. If you use an external relay on the mach3 usb board, the relay connects to the V+ which is 24V and the output pin is the return.

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I understand what you are saying. Does your relay board work with the Mach3 USB board? If not, what relay board do you suggest to work with this usb controller?

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Our relay board works with our parallel breakout board. An off the shelf SSR (Solid State Relay) made for 24V should work fine.

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I bought a 'BuildyourCNC V1' relay board to go with my mach3 usb controller. I have been sent a 'Songle' relay. It's not the one in your picture and it's got different connections, for which there isn't a wiring diagram. The one I ordered says it is 5v, this one seems to be saying it's a 24v unit. Can you please explain what has happened? Thanks

The Mach3 USB interface board requires 24V relays externally. There are no relays on the mach3 usb board. If you use an external relay on the mach3 usb board, the relay connects to the V+ which is 24V and the output pin is the return.

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I understand what you are saying. Does your relay board work with the Mach3 USB board? If not, what relay board do you suggest to work with this usb controller?

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Our relay board works with our parallel breakout board. An off the shelf SSR (Solid State Relay) made for 24V should work fine.

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I bought a 'BuildyourCNC V1' relay board to go with my mach3 usb controller. I have been sent a 'Songle' relay. It's not the one in your picture and it's got different connections, for which there isn't a wiring diagram. The one I ordered says it is 5v, this one seems to be saying it's a 24v unit. Can you please explain what has happened? Thanks

Does your plasma cutter have an external trigger that voltage can be applied to make the trigger engage? If I known, please provide the brand and model of your plasma cutter so we can determine this.

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I converted my blackToe to do plasma cutting. Used the Motor control relay on the break out board and just wired it into the plasma cutter trigger. Put a large pan (like a car oil drip pan) with about 1/4 inch of water on the table and attached fixtures. 400 15ga parts later it's still working great.

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That is so cool!!

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I would like to post a story on your setup and conversion. Do you have pictures of the process and/or the new setup?

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Hello I bought a full setup of parts a couple years ago to make a cnc router and now I have decided that I want to make a cnc router/plasma. I was wondering how to go about hooking up the plasma to the breakout board

It's a question of signal strength. Interference has been observed only very close to transmitting antennas where there is strong signal strength. Interference has been observed in some medical electronics due to hand-held cell phones. Roof-top antennas are some distance away from any susceptible electronics. In addition to proximity, the directionality of the antennas is important. Most rooftop antennas have strong gain in the forward direction—towards the horizon—and very low gain in the vertical direction. Finally, there are layers of building materials shielding the interior areas from the rooftop antennas. Proximity, directionality, shielding—all go towards reducing the signal strength inside a building due to the antennas on the roof so that interference is not generally an issue. This does not mean that you cannot receive the signals from the roof top antennas inside the building; it simply means that the received signals are not strong enough to cause interference. Gary H. Zeman, ScD, CHP

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HOSPITALS DO NOT ALLOW CELL PHONE USE DUE TO POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE. LAST WEEKEND I WAS IN A HOSPITAL WHERE THE TOP OF BUILDING STUDDED WITH TOWER ANTENNAS. WHY IT THAT PHONES WOULD CAUSE INTERFERENCE, BUT ANTENNAS NOT?

To control a spindle using the USB CNC interface, you will need a relay board that contains a transistor that can activate the relay with a power source with enough current that can activate the relay. This video explains all of the information you will need to develop this relay circuit:

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i have a breakout usb controller iam using a spindle output to active a relay 5V but it didnt work.... whats the problem, what else i need to active that realy 5v 10A?

The Mach3 USB controller can only output pulses and direction signals (5V logic signals).

To connect your Mach3 USB controller RNR controller with a servo AC that has a 24V open collector, you will need to use a level shifter circuit to convert the 5V pulses from the controller to 24V pulses that the servo can accept.

One way to do this is to use a simple transistor-based level shifter circuit. Here are the steps to connect your Mach3 USB controller RNR controller with a servo AC using a level shifter circuit:

Connect the 5V output signals from the Mach3 USB controller RNR controller to the base of the NPN transistor in the level shifter circuit.

Connect the collector of the NPN transistor to the 24V power supply.

Connect the open collector output of the servo AC to the emitter of the NPN transistor.

Finally, connect the ground of the Mach3 USB controller RNR controller and the servo AC to the ground of the 24V power supply.

The level shifter circuit will act as a switch, allowing the 24V power to flow to the servo AC when the 5V signal from the controller is present.

Remember that the MAch3 USB controller only outputs pulses for steps per rotation of a motor. If the servo requires a different method of motor rotation, this will not work.

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[575] Hello. I have rnr controller. My problem is connection with servo ac. My servopack have logic Voltage 24v open collector. How Connect and what i need to Connect rnr with servo if rnr have 5v logic. Thx

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 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 ?

Sure, let me check.

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Your order was shipped out on Tuesday (10/20/2020). I noticed that your email was not stored in the customer record when the order was made. I will send you the tracking number via email now.

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Placed an order for the cable set for the Pokeys57cnc interface on 10/20 but it is not showing up in My Account as being ordered. It was charged to my credit card and I have not had any info that it was received by you.

Text the image to 281-815-7701.

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I set up my limits in Mach3 but after restarting machine/program it does not allow me to use them, keep getting error they are out of limits. I have a picture of how they are set and worked at least one time. but not sure how to share it

All of our controller will allow two steppers on any of the axes. Multiple stepper motors and drivers on a single axis is more a function of the way the stepper motor drives are connected to the output pins of the controller. To connect two stepper drivers to a single axis, you need to connect the output pins (dir and step) to each of the two stepper motor drivers.

Consider the controller on cost, features and how they are connected to the computer.

Out lowest cost controllers are:

Mach3 USB board - Has good features and uses the USB from the computer as the main connection
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board

Parallel Breakout - The computer generates the main signals and this board conditions the signals for the drivers. Although it requires the parallel port from older computer, the board has the most broad compatibility with control software out there including Mach3 and LinuxCNC.
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-parallel-breakout-relay

Highest cost but most feature rich:

Pokey57CNC - works with both Mach3 and Mach4
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach4-mach3-USB-ethernet-Board

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I am looking for a controller for a 3 axis dual Y stepper cnc machine. If at all possible I would like a list of the parts that will be needed. I prefer to go with an ethernet setup vs a parallel port.

I would not recommend slaving an axis using the method of taking an additional axis from the USB interface. Instead, wire both drivers to a single axis on the USB interface. This will insure perfect signal output to both drivers. If you requre the motors to spin in opposite directions, simply wire one of the motors to the driver reversing the coil A and B connections, or use a hex inverter (https://www.buildyourcnc.com/tutorials/Tutorial-Two-Motors-Spinning-Oppositely-On-Single-Axis).

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I purchased a USB Breakout board, motors and drivers, paid for CNC USB Controller Software and I CAN NOT "Slave" an axis, but there is an option to do that. The moment I connect USB Breakout Board "Slave" option becomes shaded and I can no longer select it (becomes not functional). What is going on? Need help asap. Thanks