Introducing new DIY hobby CNC controller project TOAD4 / EazyCNC

[Jonathan]

Welcome to the forum, I would consider being a guinea pig like Geoffrey although the 34v dc limitation might put me off a bit.

It looks like it just controls TB6560's and they use step/dir inputs so you should be able to attach it to worthwhile drivers.

On the website it says the maximum step frequency is 11kHz. Is this true? If so then that's less than half of what you'll get with virtually any parallel port system that works, which will severely limit feed-rates or resolution.

[John S]

I read it as 15kHz which equates to 1400 mm/min in microstep mode.
Certainty not enough for the rip arsed router guys but more than enough for something like a small X2 that cannot get up to these speeds anyway.

[Swarfing]

Trouble is John as soon as these whipper snappers get a license to kill, they want to race around with their go faster stripes at a million miles an hour :-)

It's more than adequate for a lot of machines Jonathan

[Jonathan]

It's more than adequate for a lot of machines Jonathan

Never said it wasn't. It'll be fine if you've only got a small one to control ;)

This one manages 25kHz with the same micro-controller, so it's likely that the 11kHz mentioned here can be improved upon.

[Swarfing]

Very nice if you want to be stuck with Windoze? Also not very cost effective if your at the cheaper end of the CNC market. I think EasyCNC at least addresses the first dabble into it. A bit like the educational type machines did for schools.

[John S]

Jonathon,
Don't know where you are getting 11kHz from.
The manual says the 6560 driver chip is limited to 15kHz

**********************************8
The chips voltage supply range is from 6 V up to 40 V so the board can be used (with some
trivial component changes) down to 6 VAC and it might be possible to push it close to 40 VDC
giving some more drive capability for higher inductance motors, but that will require a better
regulated power supply so as not to exceed the 40 V under any circumstances.
The other limiting factor of the chip is it's 15 kHz step clock maximum which limits the step
rate to 3750 steps/sec using full step or 950 steps/sec with micro stepping. With a typical 1.8
step angle or 200 steps per revolution of common hybrid steppers this translates to about 19
r/sec or 1100 rpm and 4.5 r/sec or 280 rpm, respectively.

[Jonathan]

Jonathon,
Don't know where you are getting 11kHz from.
The manual says the 6560 driver chip is limited to 15kHz

This page from the first post:
About EazyCNC

It says:

Four identical stepper drivers:
...
up to 11 kHz step frequency'

Interestingly the next paragraph from the document you read says 5kHz!

In practice the microcontroller and its firmware can be the limiting factor and it maybe be
hard to push the software generated step clock rate above 5 kHz. Fortunately most applications
are likely to require much slower speeds.

So it might be 11kHz, certainly not more than 15kHz with TB6560 and might be just 5kHz. I think we need clarification from the member who started this thread...

[GEOFFREY]

My understanding is that this is to be "project" in kit form, which implies that it will come in at a better price than anything currently on the market. If successful I think it could be a bonus for many new builders, and may well lead them (EazyCNC) to introducing a higher specified version at some future date, maybe higher A/V, digital drivers - and any other bells and whistles etc. Surely a move to usb can only be the way to go forward in the long run.

I hope that this venture will prove to be affordable and successful. G.

[stirling]

Does it support CV?

Ian