Quote Originally Posted by Neale View Post
I'm using a couple of Vigortronics transformers myself. Seem to do what they say on the tin! I bought from Rapid but only because I didn't know they were available via Amazon...

500VA is probably enough although because the price difference was small at the time, I went up to 650VA for my router.
That’s good to hear some real world feedback, think I might be reaching a conclusion on this……

Based on the Gecko recommendations of 1/3 total current I’d need a 425VA transformer. I’m inclined to go a bit bigger so the transformer isn’t working so hard - if I go for 625VA that takes me to roughly 50% total current as you suggested Neale.

Just to clarify for my own sanity:

1) What are the consequences if I’ve under rated the transformer? The motors will struggle in the situation that they’re all maxed out? How does this actually manifest itself? Motors stall? Feed slows down and start to get rubbing on the cutter?

2) You mentioned checking the motor temperature and adjusting the current - how do you adjust it? Is it a software setting?

3) If I want to add an extra motor sometime in the future (4th axis) I can just add another transformer and wire it in parallel to the first one to give more grunt?

4) The drive accepts AC, I don’t need any kind of smoothing or additional circuitry - just wire direct to the drives from the transformer?

Thanks for your help