4 Axis Open Source CNC Controller


 * Vendor: buildlog.net
 * Link: http://www.buildlog.net/blog/2011/08/open-source-4-axis-stepper-driver/
 * Price: $43

4 axis stepper driver board for use in laser cutter/engravers and general CNC. Below are the basic features
 * Socket mounted stepper drivers
 * Integral cooling fan with power connection.
 * On board 5V Power supply.
 * Rotary switch selectable microstep resolution (Full,2x,4x,8x,16x).
 * Control connection via terminal blocks or 25 pin ‘D’ connector.
 * Filtering on all step and direction signals.
 * Motor disable/enable feature through ‘D’ connector or external switch connected to terminal block.

Socket Mounted Stepper Drivers The board uses low cost socket mounted stepper drivers. These can be Pololu A4983/A4988 drivers or open source Step Stick drivers. These are easily replaced if ever damaged without any rework to the PCB. A compatible relay driver is planned that also fits this socket. This will allow up to (2) relays to be controlled per board. These are controlled via the step and direction pins associated with that axis and uses the existing terminal blocks for that axis. This is perfect for a spindle on a CNC router or assist air on a laser cutter.

Cooling Fan There is an integral cooling fan for the stepper drivers. It mounts directly to the board and has a dedicated power connection. It is mounted high enough to allow heatsinks to be mounted to the drivers. This will allow the drivers to run at their full potential of 2 amps per coil.

5V Power Supply There is a 1 amp 5V switching power supply on board. This will not get hot like a linear regulator due to the voltage drop from the motor supply. This can optionally be 3.3V if your controller requires that. All other items on the board are 5V – 3.3V compatible. Rotary Switch Resolution Selection. The resolution of the drivers can be independently set via rotary switches. The resolution is selectable between full step, 2x, 4x, 8x and 16x microstepping. These and the control connector are flush mounted to one side for easy bulkhead mounting.

Control Connector The board has a dual pattern for the control connector. There is a pattern for standard 5mm pitch terminal blocks and a pattern for a ‘D’ 25 pin male connector. The ‘D’ connector has a standard pinout for direct PC connection for Mach3 or EMC. The terminal block is perfect for direct connection to laser controllers like the Thunderlaser DSP controller or an Arduino microcontroller.

Filtering All step and direction signals are filtered with a RC filter and a schmitt trigger. This is ideal for a noisy environment like a laser cutter or CNC machine. The RC filter frequency is high enough to allow 1uS pulse control of the drivers. Motor Enable/Disable You can enable or disable the motors via the ‘D’ connector or via an external switch connected to a terminal block. This can allow hot motors to cool off or allow you to manually rotate them.