eBay TB6560 Stepper Motor Driver Boards

**Swarfing** · 26-08-2010

I used my board with 12mm lead screws on nema23 motors with EMC2. The max velocity would not go beyond 40-50 on the X and Y. The Z was a lot less. If that helps at i don't know

**cleansurf2** · 27-08-2010

Final drive speed is a concern for a 4 axis hotwire foam cutter. It needs to be fast enough to not excessively melt the foam.
I think I'll be OK, won't know till I've built the rig. I haven't bought the threaded rod yet. I could do the math (thread count, max rpm), I think I will just cruze along and see how it turns out. It will be like a suprise, aren't suprises fun, well hopefully!

Cheers

**cleansurf2** · 24-09-2010

Back again.
Slowly progressing with my hardware for the 4-axis hotwire cutter.
I have read that probably the best software out there for my specific application is GMFC (RC foam wings, including stacked airfoil cuts, creates airfoil G-code and direct drives the stepper control board).
Problem is, all the reading I've been doing about GMFC software, seems to indicate it only works with a specific driver board.

Has anyone got any experience or info on the possibility of using the TB6560 board with GMFC software ?

thanks
Rick

**irving2008** · 25-09-2010

A little googling gets the answer.... the MM2001 interface that GMFC interfaces to uses standard step/dir signals for the motors, but has a heat control interface to manually and via PC set and turn on/off the heat and validate the heat is on. This needs to be replicated alongside your stepper driver. It doesnt look too hard to do, and I think there are some examples on the GMFC site. When I get a moment later this weekend I'll have a look through the circuit diagrams and see which one is easiest to replicate.

**cleansurf2** · 27-09-2010

thanks

for the info Irving.

There was considerable documentation on the GMFC web site for the MM2001 interface. However I didn't see anywhere if this was specifically for the stepper controller board that GMFC recomend. I was guessing that maybe it would work on the TB6560 board. I found one forum where someone with a TB6560 CNC, had used GMFC, but only to create the G-code for Mach3.

**irving2008** · 27-09-2010

The MM2001 interface IS the stepper controller, there is no separate board. It is a PIC-based 4 axis unit using a crude unipolar drive arrangement. It connects to the PC using the parallel interface. The MM2001 provides a 2000Hz timer interrupt signal back into the PC which the GMFC software uses to generate the PWM heater temperature control. The MM2001 PIC uses this to drive the heater wire and protect it against over heat - i.e. the PIC prevents the PC overdriving the heater wire in the event of an error... This is not essential, but useful, and could easily be replicated. If a non-MM2001 interface is to be used then some way to replicate the timer interrupt is needed and an example of this is here

There are optional additional interfaces MMUSB and GGC which allow a USB connection, but add no new functionality.

The parallel interface uses step/dir signals on the following pins...

Channel 1 - step = 9, dir = 2
Channel 2 - step = 7, dir = 4
Channel 3 - step = 5, dir = 6
Channel 4 - step = 3, dir = 8

Other parallel port connections:

Overall Enable from PC = 17
Heating PWM signal from PC = 16
Heating PWM feedback to PC = 11
PC/Manual mode feedback to PC = 12
Timer interrupt to PC = 10
MM2001 program mode to PC = 1

Not connected 13, 14, 15
Ground 18 - 25

So if you want to drive the TB6560 board directly a small interface board will need to be created to swap the wires around as the GMFC software has no pin configuration capability as far as I can see. This board would usefully add the components for the Timer interrupt and the heater management.

How were you proposing to control the heater wire temperature?

I suggest you start a new thread for this as it could be of wider interest and is OT on this thread.

**cleansurf2** · 30-09-2010

Irving,

I was looking at just manual hot wire on/off/temp control initially and look into the automation down the track.

Looks like my best option is to make up another DB25 cable configured to the pinouts you gave to run GMFC on my TB6560 board. Then I can swap DB25 leads to run Mach3 when I need. Thanks so much for clearing up the MM2001 interface question and providing all the pinouts, very helpful info.

thanks
Rick

**Theo** · 14-10-2010

I bought the TB6560 in combination with 4 Nema 23 steppermotors. It works fine with Mach3. It's the intention to use it only with GMFC foamcut software. As Irving sayd its possible. Saw the same solution on the Jedicut site.

The problem is, I don't know anything about electronics

. Simple connecting and making small boards are no problem as long as i know what to connect to what.

So i need the timer from the GMFC site. Thats no problem for me to make. And then i need to swap some pins from the DB25 at the computer side to the controllerboard side. Ok also no problem. Then there is the DB9 port. That one i need also??

I made a easy excelsheet with the components. Maybe someone can ad in this sheet the connections.
I would appreciate that.
Sorry

**cleansurf2** · 16-10-2010

Theo,

I am still slowly progressing with my hardware build. I will probably start off with Mach3 and Profili2 to get a feel for the CNC process. I would love to try the GMFC combination later on, as it's airfoil stacking capabilities are something I would like to use.

As it will be a while yet before I tackle GMFC (given the additional engineering required), would love to see any new info you obtain.
If you get an update on your attached file, please post.

Rick