Stepper Motor Driver Recommendations

[GF357]

Looking for stepper motor driver recommendations...

I've got a CNCRP 48X96 machine with their electronics kit, and I'm starting to build a new and upgraded control box. A new 24"X24" enclosure, UC300ETH, and a MBB2 is what I've gathered so far. I'll probably step up to NEMA 34 motors over the 23's for this upgrade. The long axis is slaved, and I've added a rotary axis.

Any suggestions for solid stepper motor drivers, or must have power supplies? I'm leaning more towards individual drivers for ease of replacement. Thanks.

[Robertspark]

I would have thought that this is not an easy discussion point because you have many options, and it does depend where in the world you are with regards to availability.

Drives are like cars.... everyone has a brand / model they like and those they don't and we all end up buying one we can afford despite there being something seen as better on the market.

It must be said that CNC drive have their own products:
http://www.shop.cncdrive.com/index.php?categoryID=151

And it is their product forum

However I don't have any of their drives, so cannot comment on their products. It was not by choice, but at the time of building my machines, I was using Mach3 hence had not begun to use CNCdrive for components. The other items I've bought from them have been great and delivered very quickly and I'd happily buy from them in the future.

I have ended up with what I believe are a good set of drives, quiet, programable via software and able to setup to the specific operating current. They are also fed AC and have their own bridge rectifiers and capacitors in each drive. Hence it simplified my setup to a single (dual coil output) 50V toroidal transformer which feeds directly into the drives.

The drives I use as AM882H leadshine drives (the H denotes AC or DC input is acceptable, they are also sold as non "H" DC input only variant). They are no longer manufactured and are presently sold in volume via ebay as seller refurbished.
http://www.leadshine.com/productdetail.aspx?type=products&category=stepper-products&producttype=stepper-drives&series=AM&model=AM882

Similar newer are also available as EM806 http://www.leadshine.com/productdetail.aspx?type=products&category=stepper-products&producttype=stepper-drives&series=EM&model=EM806


The first number denotes the maximum ampage of the drive. I am running mine at a little over 4 Amps and have no problems whats so ever.

Some of the "DM" drives on the CNCdrive website are Leadshine drives (or at least appear to be).
http://www.leadshine.com/series.aspx?type=products&category=stepper-products&producttype=stepper-drives&series=DM

[Robertspark]

CNC drive also sell power supplies here:
http://www.shop.cncdrive.com/index.php?categoryID=106

Power supply, I went with one of these direct from a manufacturer (they are sold through various other outlets in the UK (farnell, RS Components, Maplin, CPC etc, but from the same manufacturer)
http://www.vigortronix.com/SinglePrimaryToroidal230V.aspx

very helpful owner, got a lot of help / discussion guidance from him late one night.

In the US, AnTek is a a company you see spoken about:
http://www.antekinc.com/
(with shipping, VAT & Import duty, it was cheaper to buy from the UK supplier above ... hence depends where in the world you are.....


There is also CNC4PC too (who also sell UC products) and the owner is well known and helpful in the world of CNC
https://cnc4pc.com/hardware/power-supplies.html?SID=9phlqo9k7tcv37841nj0edt246

[ger21]

I'm also using AM882 drives, with an Antek power supply.

You can't beat the drives for the price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leadshine-AM882 ... XQH-pRCTGy

Here's a video I posted running it from the MB2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dGwyM5Pyt8

[GF357]

Thanks for the info guys. I'll give the AM882's a shot once I get some electrical components (disconnect, distribution block, din rail mounted breakers, etc) installed in the can.

[Robertspark]

You can download the software and full manuals for the am882 drives from the leadshine link I posted below, on the right hand side below the image of the drives.

You can make your own lead up using a 3 core telephone cable or modem cable with an rj11 on one end and an rs232 9 pin serial plug on the end... Yes you will need a serial rs232 Comms port... Or a usb to serial adapter.


http://www.leadshine.com/Download.aspx?Type=software

Although for the later drives, this manual is very helpful and detailed plus the software is almost identical
http://www.leadshine.com/UploadFile/Down/EMsm_V1.1.pdf


Lead pinout
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sourc ... GoAlvj6HSQ