New CNC Mill on the horizon

**fvfdrums** · 17-02-2015

ok so assuming that I use these DM860 drives. What do I do with the enable signal? It says in the manual normally left unconnected (enabled) if i were to use it what would I be connecting it to? Sorry a little confused on that one

**IanS1** · 17-02-2015

Originally Posted by fvfdrums

ok so assuming that I use these DM860 drives. What do I do with the enable signal? It says in the manual normally left unconnected (enabled) if i were to use it what would I be connecting it to? Sorry a little confused on that one

Whichever controller board you decide on, it should have a connection for the enable/disable.

**fvfdrums** · 17-02-2015

thanks for the reply, I know they have to be connected to the controller and I am settled on the CS labs CSMIO IPM board which I am sure has a facility for connection of these I am just not sure where they are meant to be connected to on this. Is it a digital in or out? .......

Give me a welder over a soldering iron any day!

**fvfdrums** · 18-02-2015

Does anyone happen to know the dimensions of the CSMIO IPM board roughly? trying to source a control cabinet and know everything else size wise apart from this, it does not appear to be in the manual or on the site as far as I can see.

**njhussey** · 18-02-2015

http://www.cs-lab.eu/en/produkt-18,2...onnectors.html

It's on the page

**fvfdrums** · 18-02-2015

some times you cant see the wood for the trees - or in this case I have looked at that page so many times I just plain did not see it, now I have looked I have no idea how I missed that.

Cheers for that!

**njhussey** · 18-02-2015

You and me both, I thought it was in the manual till I saw it there....

**JAZZCNC** · 19-02-2015

Originally Posted by fvfdrums

thanks for the reply, I know they have to be connected to the controller and I am settled on the CS labs CSMIO IPM board which I am sure has a facility for connection of these I am just not sure where they are meant to be connected to on this. Is it a digital in or out? .......

Which motion controller you use doesn't matter. All you are doing is using a Output to turn the drive Enable signal on or off.
What matters is the Software Mach in this case has an enable output option for each axis which turns on or off when software is reset or E-stopped. You Assign this enable option to any output pin or pins you choose.
Often you'll just use 1 output and use this to trun a relay on or off which in turn sets all the enables on each drive.

**fvfdrums** · 19-02-2015

Thanks Dean

So am I right in thinking that the default on these drives is enabled? unless instructed otherwise as in the manual for the DM it says these are not usually connected, I have seen many wiring diagrams now where they are and I fully intend to just a little confused as to why they would say not normally connected

basically will the drive still work if these are not connected I think is a simpler way of putting this!

**JAZZCNC** · 19-02-2015

Originally Posted by fvfdrums

basically will the drive still work if these are not connected I think is a simpler way of putting this!

Yes they will work fine if not connected. Yes and No to default being Enabled. To understand better how the Enable feature works some understanding of the feature will help.
The Drive signal inputs by Default are enabled and when you use the enable feature what your actually doing is turning them off.
One of the main reasons to use the enable feature is so the Motor stays powered up. The enable signal just disables the drive inputs
and leaves motor under holding torque.

This is fine for Say limit triggers for when other axis need holding Ie Z axis and when leaving machine for any length of time when Mach is not Re-set so motors or axis can't accidentaly moved. But Not when in E-stop situation when really power should be removed from the drives.