Driver wiring to my computer for mach3 to control

Hi guys, im not the best when it comes to wiring things up, as you can see from my build log i purchased some servo drives and motors, these drive can accept clock and direction, but i have not got the foggiest on how do wire them up to my computer so mach will control them.

Ive got a BOB from previous build of a drive system (unfinished) if that is helps.

Ive attached the pdf of the drives and how they can be configured, if someone could have a flick through i would be very grateful indeed, im at my whits end :(

which model driver do you have - the manual gives wiring options for several... although the driver does have a step/direction interface (you have to select mode 0 of parameter PN52 on the servo driver) the connections do not appear to be a standard off-the-shelf connector.

Where did you get the drivers from?

Hi Irving, i have 3x SA3L06B and 1x SA3L04C they do come with solderable plugs so you can configure the I/O manually on channel 2 its just working out what pins i use for what to connect to my BOB. I got them direct from the company but Zapp also sell this particular drive and motor setup.

So you should have 4 x CN2 connector (rectangular mulitpin)

The diagram you need to look at is 'Position Control Mode' on page 20

Step signal is on 32(+) 33(-) (PULSE)
Dir signal is on 34(+) 35 (-) (SIGN)
Sheild is on 36

These are opto isolated and can be conected to a parallel port directly or via a buffered BOB. I would recommend an active low configuration. In which case pins 32 and 34 need to be wired to a source of +5v from your BOB. 33 is Step, 35 is Direction

There are other connections on the CN2 plug that might be useful to feed back to MACH3.. Servo ready, servo alarm, etc. On all of these the - signal should be connected to the GND line on the parallel port and the + side pulled up to the +5v via a 2.2k resistor.

Hope that helps, shout if you need more help

Irving, cant thank you enough. on quick question tho as regards to wiring the 2.2k resistor. do i ground all the - signals together then go to a ground on my bob and all the + signals together and supply a 5v from my BOB and fit the 2k2R across the - and 5v?

I dont wanna mess things up. a lot of money if it goes wrong :(

Once again thank buddy

What Bob have you got, do you have a wirning diagram/manual?

Hi, Irv the board is a C10 BOB

OK, thats straightforward...

Assuming 4 axis x/y/z/a
BOB->ServoDrive/pin (for step/direction)
2 -----> x/33
COM-> x/32, x/34
3 -----> x/35
4 -----> y/33
COM-> y/32. y/34
5 -----> y/35
6 -----> z/33
COM-> z/32, z/34
7 -----> z/35
8 -----> a/33
COM-> a/33, a/34
9 -----> a/35

Set the COM jumper X7 near pins 2/3 to +5v and apply +5v to the board from a wall-wart, USB cable or tapping off a disc power cable inside PC.

Cheers buddy, where do i apply the 2k2 resistor or do i not need one now?

You dont need that as the C10 has internal pullup/pulldowns.

If you want to wire the servo alarm back then do this (this assumes you are wiring limit and estop as shown in the wiring diagram you sent - so the jumper X5 is set for 'pull down'

x/25 -> BOB 5v connection near 11
X/26 -> y/25
y/26 -> z/25
z/26 -> a/25
a/25 -> BOB/11

This will show an active HIGH signal when all three servos are OK, and a LOW when one or more servos alarm. This is the same polarity as the e-stop and limit switches.

Thanks so much :beer: ill get it all up and running then ill give the other features ago at a later date.. no doubt i will be calling upon your wealth of knowledge again soon :heehee:

Just been toying with the idea of setting up the alarm like you said in the above post.. how do i go about setting that feature up in mach3?

Sorry to be a nuisance, but im yet to learn the in's and outs of the software.

Ive played with setting stepper motors and the likes up but not servos. one of the servos (Axis A) will be mate slave to X as im driving to ballscrews. i think i can manage that but its just the config of this alarm malarkey.

never having used MACH3 I dont know... but I guess its the same as setting up the estop - it should act the same, and lo, page 4 of the MACH3 manual (here on Keling's site) shows how to do this - on the inputs tab, select it as pin 11 and active low checked. However that raises an issue, since MACH3 only supports 1 estop input, so how would the estop switch be configured? Well one option would be to wire it in series with the servo alarms. I think however there is a simpler and better answer... dont wire the estop switch to MACH3.

My reasoning is as follows: I'd not want rely on MACH3 to do the estop function, I'd want 100% certainty that when I hit the switch it stops things dead by killing power to the whole device. In which case I'd want a relay/contactor on the power input to the drives and to the spindle which was opened when I hit estop.

If the servo alarms are fed back to MACH3 as described they will open when the power is killed and tell MACH3 there is a problem so that works correctly.

Hope that helps...

Got ya, hmmm ok so to do it a safer/better way ill need a simple 240v relay then?