budget diy cnc controller question

[dangerousdave]

Hi guys. Im here looking for a bit of advice really. Im aiming to build a router with a 8x4 machine bed not wanting to spend thousands but not expecting eveything for 200 quid.

So im buying bits every payday and will design a gantry router around the motors and rack and pinions I buy so this month I wanna buy the step driver and came across a few cheap options I found 2 types I found a breakout board and drivers system or a combined unit that I quiet like the look of

[dangerousdave]

High Integrated 4Axis Professional TB6600HG CNC Router Lathe Stepping Driver Set | eBay

Just popped on ebay and this tb6600 is the one id like to know about. Has anyone used it? Does it do what it says on the tin? If i remember correctly I am hoping to use nema 23 motors 566oz 4nm 4a the specs say it will work so just hoping for someone to tell me its not to good to be true

[andrew583]

High Integrated 4Axis Professional TB6600HG CNC Router Lathe Stepping Driver Set | eBay

Just popped on ebay and this tb6600 is the one id like to know about. Has anyone used it? Does it do what it says on the tin? If i remember correctly I am hoping to use nema 23 motors 566oz 4nm 4a the specs say it will work so just hoping for someone to tell me its not to good to be true

I've been using that controller on a small 3040 CNC mill for the last couple of years, using MACH3. I found it to be very good - it not only does the control bit but steppers are driven directly without need of extra driver boards. However whether it is meaty enough to handle big steppers as might be found on an 8x4 mill I can't say - mostly I used it to drive steppers which were drawing 1.7A apiece, but latterly upgraded to ones which draw 4A each - it took the hit no problem, though mine was only casual use so maybe it would go pop if I gave it some serious work.

I don't have any big negatives to share about this controller, and would buy another should I ever be looking to provide the functionality.

As for not buying bits as advised by others, I applaud you for taking the piecemeal approach. Buying this box is going to keep you happy fiddling around with configuring it, and I do feel it would be a wise investment to get it early - otherwise if you buy the big kit in one fell swoop you'd have a mountain to climb to get everything working. With this box and just a single stepper and some microswitches you can learn the basics.

[JAZZCNC]

I've been using that controller on a small 3040 CNC mill for the last couple of years, using MACH3.

Ok well not getting into this debate again but will just pickup for the sake of others on the fact the board is NOT a controller. Mach3 is the controller and is software based. The board is simply combined drives and I/O interface nothing more.

I do feel it would be a wise investment to get it early - otherwise if you buy the big kit in one fell swoop you'd have a mountain to climb to get everything working. With this box and just a single stepper and some microswitches you can learn the basics.

Again in the interest of saving people money from buying Crap hardware.! . . . . There is no mountain to climb It's just the same with a couple more wires.? Then repeat for each axis.
The process is easy enough You connect motor wires to terminals on a board just the same with the only difference being you have 2 extra pair of wires for Step and Direction. That's it other than providing power to each drive which you have to do only 1 time with this controller.
The limits and Home or correctly termed I/O's are just the same no matter which setup.

The Controller Mach3 needs the same setting up as the cheap controller does with absolutely no difference in the process, just with differant numbers for the I/O so it knows where to look.

Don't get me wrong here I'm not getting at you just making it clear for those sat in the back ground(You know who you are) who don't ever speak up or ask but buy off reading post's like this.
Yours is a fair assement based on your single experience which is good and applaude you for giving it. But I've experienced lots of this crap thru helping others and it's not worth the hassle considering much better drives can be had cheap. The " It's easy " reasoning or " It's cheap" is wrong way to view it because it's not cheap when it goes "Boom" which often happens and it's not easy when your pulling hair out trying to find out what happened with limited experience.!

Like wise the individual drive setup isn't hard to setup or get your head around and if folks can't do this then maybe they should be questioning the whole idea of DIY CNC.??

[andrew583]

Ok well not getting into this debate again but will just pickup for the sake of others on the fact the board is NOT a controller. Mach3 is the controller.....

I apologise for incorrect use of terminology. You are correct of course :)

A couple of years ago when I first took an interest in CNC (for hobby purposes) this assembly was just what the doctor ordered. It did the business of taking GCODE issued thru MACH3 and made the 3020 router/engraver perform its merry dance. I learnt a lot from that. And that's why I am happy to give this the thumbs up for a new user who is not accustomed to setting up and using a CNC machine. It is low cost enough (in the region of $100) to be viewed as a throwaway purchase down the line.

What I do think is wrong is trying to persuade people NOT to invest in this "crap technology" (using your words), and instead save up to buy the full monty. Interests come and go, and if someone bought the full monty and then lost interest then they would have paid a shedload of capital - to discover that maybe it's a hobby they don't want to follow after all. Furthermore, when they do make the full monty purchase, having used this assembly they would be conversant with everything they would need in terms of a tick list.

I'm not pretending this assembly is the dogs danglies, because it clearly isn't. It does however provide the baseline of functionality to get started with a CNC project. Furthermore, in the event that the user decided they wanted something more powerful then they could auction this on ebay to recover some of their outlay. It has crossed my mind to do just that now that I have a CNC 6040. However I still have my 3020 which I will probably continue to use for smaller projects.

Sorry if I'm offending anyone, but realistically I don't think it is fair to poo-poo this assembly given that it does actually perform the job expected of it. I've had many hours of pleasure using it, and it has enabled me to get to grips with CNC - even if I can't manage to get the terminology just right :)

[JAZZCNC]

Sorry if I'm offending anyone, but realistically I don't think it is fair to poo-poo this assembly given that it does actually perform the job expected of it. I've had many hours of pleasure using it, and it has enabled me to get to grips with CNC - even if I can't manage to get the terminology just right :)

Don't worrie you don't offend me or imagine anyone here. It's not personal that I corrected you and I do it with every post I see things said wrong whether they be strangers or friends and I also don't mind people doing the same with me if(when) I do it.!
I don't do this because I'm Anal or up my own A'~$ I do it because I'm dealing with lots of people Off forum so encounter wrong terminology all the time and it really can make things harder than need to be.

Now back to this "Crap technology".!! We may have to agree to disagree which often happens around here. . Lol

Your satisfaction with this board comes from your one view, your own, based on succesful results using it which is fare enough.
My dislike comes from many many experiences of helping others who have bought and killed these boards/kits relatively quickly only to waste any investment they made, not to mention time and frustration. I also experience users who like your self buy them and they work without problems but never achieve the results they would like or expect but blindly carry on thinking that's just the way DIY CNC is.
So I STRONGLY DISAGREE that there is any thing wrong with encouraging people to invest in better technology because time and time again I get thank you messages from people who have bought "Crap technology" and struggled on with it until frustration or Magic smoke brings them to taking my suggestions on board. Only then do they realise just How Rubbish or restrictive the "Crap Technology" really was and stand in disblief watching the machine that ounce struggled to go from A to B does now.

Again we will probably have to Agree to disagree but I don't think you'll be getting many thank you emails.!!

[irving2008]

don't buy motors or electronics until after you have a near final design, or better still, after you've completed the mechanicals. and 'all-in-one' are often a false economy, and probably won't be up to the needs of an 8 x 4 machine anyway..

[dangerousdave]

Thankyou for your input. Do you have a suggestion of a good well priced 4axis breakout board and power supplies compatable with a handle control wheel and upto 5 amp per phase

[dangerousdave]

High Integrated 4Axis Professional TB6600HG CNC Router Lathe Stepping Driver Set | eBay


that is the kit I was looking at originally

[JAZZCNC]

High Integrated 4Axis Professional TB6600HG CNC Router Lathe Stepping Driver Set | eBay


that is the kit I was looking at originally

Dave Don't buy anything yet because you'll be making the classic mistake often made by new people and will blow money big time.!!

The fact you have looked at this kit tells us that you haven't done any home work really because if you had you'd know these are complete pile of Crap and absolutley no use for the machine your thinking to build.

Irvings Advise is sound advise but from the looks of it you really need to go away and study the forum and build logs because to build a large format Cnc machine requires you have a sound understanding of how to go about it in every department.
The electronics are KEY to a good machine and for a machine thats running R&P even more important you get it correct because it's very inefficient compared to ballscrew machines so Motor and drive selection is critical.

Honestly your approach of buying each month is not a good one at all. You'll be much better off putting the money in the bank and swatting up on whats needed then start with the frame and work up from there buying electrics and stuff just before required.
This way you'll be much more informed of what's actually needed and you'll save a load of money on wrong components.