Step1 stepper drive board from Conqueror Design

[pistolknight]

Hi,
I just figured out that one of my drive boards in my Conqueror Design CNC2x box is faulty. Anybody got a spare for sale? The guy at CDE is in hospital and I have no idea when I can get a new one! Any step 1 drive board should do me

Many Thanks
David

[john swift]

Hi Dave

If no one has a driver to sell and its going to be a while before
CDE can supply a replacement

a photo and data sheet of the faulty board would help
to identify the stepper driver IC's used to see if its realistic to repair it with minimal tools
for example
21885
should be easy


(through hole IC's are easy but surface mount IC's are more of a problem as you may not want to buy the required tools for a one off repair)

one possibly is to use some thing like a THB6064 stepper driver module
avoiding the problem tb6560 drivers !!!!!

John

[pistolknight]

Hi John,

I would use a TB6560 but the problem I have is that the Conqueror card supplies the stepper drivers with a shared direction signal. I have no idea how I can use just the part of the signal that I need for my drive without buying their stepper card interface. Any ideas?
Best Regards
David




Hi Dave

If no one has a driver to sell and its going to be a while before
CDE can supply a replacement

a photo and data sheet of the faulty board would help
to identify the stepper driver IC's used to see if its realistic to repair it with minimal tools
for example
21885
should be easy


(through hole IC's are easy but surface mount IC's are more of a problem as you may not want to buy the required tools for a one off repair)

one possibly is to use some thing like a THB6064 stepper driver module
avoiding the problem tb6560 drivers !!!!!

John

[john swift]

Hi Dave

without photos and the data sheet for the Conqueror driver board
I can't tell

not sure of the shared direction signal ?

should that be shared enable ?

the only time two drivers have a shared direction signal I know of
is when two drivers are connected to one axis
(provided the breakout board can supply enough current )

John

[pistolknight]

Hi John,
I've not managed to get pictures yet! Work is crazy right now. From what the blurb on the Conqueror Design website says, the drivers are interconnected with a ribbon cable and the direction signal form all the drivers is passed through one wire using a timing sequence. So, my issue is if I use a TB6600 which I have kicking around, how do I get it just the part of the signal intended for that driver?

David

[john swift]

Hi Dave

just looked at Conqueror Design website

if this is what you have
21889

going by the width of the ribbon cable that is daisy chained between the driver boards

I expect all the step and direction signals go to each driver board

the pictures resolution is not good enough to see but I expect
each board has links to select the correct signals for that axis


John

[pistolknight]

Yeah that's what I have. According to the information in this link under step1(R4);

http://www.eaziform.co.uk/files/CNCComps.pdf

There is only one wire which contains all the direction signals but they are selected at the board. So if I substitute the driver then I somehow need the individual part of the direction signal for that driver

Any ideas?

David

[john swift]

Hi Dave

if I have read this correctly

21891

it looks like for up to 4 drivers
you can have separate step & direction signals to each driver

for more axis they must multiplex the direction signals on pin 7
and store it the appropriate driver board until you need to change that axis direction

I would need to see the detailed data sheet for a stepper 1 driver board or
study a board to trace the direction signal path

I would expect the rest of the circuit to follow the data sheet for the stepper driver IC's used

John

[pistolknight]

I think I'll try wiring up the TB6600 using one of those pins as the direction and see if it works. I remember reading a paragraph in that manual about the timing signal settings but can't find it now

[john swift]

Hi Dave

going by what looks like two seperate H bridges on your stepper drivers
I guess instead of the usual L297 + L298 chip set
your stepper drivers use a L297 & two L6203 H bridges

21893

John

[pistolknight]

Hi Dave

going by what looks like two seperate H bridges on your stepper drivers
I guess instead of the usual L297 + L298 chip set
your stepper drivers use a L297 & two L6203 H bridges

21893

John

Hi John, my two H bridges are both L298N coupled with a PIC 16F87 I/P.
If it's the H bridges that need replaced that's no big deal but if it's the PIC won't I be up the creek without a paddle? What is actually happening is that when I jog the motor in one direction then stop, then jog in the same direction again, the motor doesn't always go in the right direction.

David

[john swift]

Hi Dave

I'm assuming the board has a L297 driving the two L298 ICs
they must of connected the two H bridges inside the L298N in parallel to make a higher current bridge

until CDE are back in business a faulty PIC is a problem
unless your lucky and the PIC program is not protected so you can copy a working PIC - a bit of a long shot I know


for now I would swap the faulty drive with a working drive to prove the driver is the problem and not the control board
changing the switch settings that determines which axis commands the board responds to may be enough instead of physically moving the board – just avoid jogging into an end stop

with a logic probe you monitor the L297 direction pin to see if its the PIC or L297

John

[pistolknight]

Hi John
Thanks again for your help. I've swapped the faulty drive for the other which is known to be ok and it is working just fine. If I could just find a CDE X641SC stepper conversion card then I'd be laughing. I'd be able to fit other drivers. I'm really struggling with this but I don't want to harass the guy for the drives if he is in hospital!