I'm looking for CNC3020-800W info

CNC is traditionally a parallel communication interface. Each wire is its own discrete channel that is fed commands in REAL TIME from the computer.

USB is a serial protocol, therefore it cannot TIME events on CNC without another microcontroller inline to align a synchronous data feed (parallel) with an asynchronous (serial) feed. With Mach3, that microcontroller is called a smoothstepper. They also make an Ethernet based system that is better at synchronous conversion and can handle more channels than parallel and USB combined.

Sending signal back to the PC is a piece of cake from the controller to serial, and this is a common scheme with small consumer/hobby machines. The loopback works for limit switches, simple logic and things like that.

Sorry about the learning curve, CNC is not that easy as a do-it-yourselfer unless you already have a good background in digital mechanics and controls. It may look like a printer, but you'll need to know a lot more than which way the paper feeds to get that project up. I would spend as much time reading about Mach3 as you can, and ask around in their forums too.
 
One thing we haven’t asked is if you have a pc with a parallel port? It would either have to be very old, or a newer tower with a parallel card installed.

Not hard to accomplish but will need to be done before you can communicate with the machine once you fix the connector.

My CNC machine runs Linux CNC with a control board similar to this one:


And stepper drivers like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Stepper-Controller-2-phase-subdivision/dp/B08J3NFF9V/ref=sxin_20_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.d300750a-a046-4309-8e8d-27d5c8f4d010%3Aamzn1.sym.d300750a-a046-4309-8e8d-27d5c8f4d010&crid=W60GTXHNPNYL&cv_ct_cx=cnc+stepper+motor+driver&keywords=cnc+stepper+motor+driver&pd_rd_i=B08J3NFF9V&pd_rd_r=c86e03ae-5e67-4e37-a8a3-36b3302fa728&pd_rd_w=pWC78&pd_rd_wg=UXfIK&pf_rd_p=d300750a-a046-4309-8e8d-27d5c8f4d010&pf_rd_r=2K371YSZD107Y6KNZV5M&qid=1670294799&sprefix=cnc+stepper+dri%2Caps%2C168&sr=1-1-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFNUlJaVEo1Q0ZZTlQmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA3NTQ3OTAzMTRJVlVSSzVSRVJXJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0MjU5MTUySlFERjZWSVFYWEdHJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

The learning curve is steep but achievable, and there are plenty of folks on here and elsewhere that are happy to help.

Here’s my project btw.

www.hobby-machinist.com

Homemade vertical mill drill

Well, I guess I'm gonna try to make myself a mill for cheap. I found this column on Craigslist for $80. And I ordered this spindle I can power with a VFD I already have. And I'm going to get one of these cheap x-y milling tables. And probably look for a really flat piece of C channel...
www.hobby-machinist.com www.hobby-machinist.com

I’ll be changing it to a Mesa electronics control board when I get back to it, hopefully this winter.


I too wanted to keep my costs down which is why I went with the cheap Chinese hardware. I learned a lot and now that I have a better understanding will be upgrading to a more robust and supported system.

You have the start of a decent machine there but will have to decide how much effort you want to put into the existing controls.

John
 
I have a small amount of experience with some older hobby level cnc systems. I spent untold hours get systems working with emc2 then linuxcnc. The USB port is not a communication port, it is only to supply 5vdc to the board, usually to run relays or other I/o. You can still find bob boards on eBay and such that have the parallel 25 pin port and a USB port that does this, long since obsolete. I even still have a dedicated desktop with win xp to have a parallel port system. I have given up on the parallel idea. Mach3 does have usb bob boards, this maybe a path for you, but I have no back ground with it.

If you haven’t yet. Have a look at using grbl, there are very inexpensive systems out there even esp32 boards with decent drivers and you can go wifi and run the cnc from a Java window. You can also look at using many of the 3d printer boards with marlin and run off an sdcard or octoprint. many of the programs are free or reasonably priced. Search grbl how to and it should be pretty easy to get up and running.

rckieth has a good howto on his site with a series of videos using an mks gen l board And grbl mega x5, with onboard and external drivers depending on size of motor. There are many others.

Best of luck post your progress.
 
I DO have an OLD table top PC running XP with a Parallel port.

Well, to add to the story, I DO have some history with CNC.

After Grad-U-A-ten from OIT (Ohio Tech) in 1978, I started working at

General Automation, on the System Test floor.

I worked on Gen 3 CNC controllers (c. 1979), among other stuff.

I did a quick look on the web for GA CNC pictures, nothing so far...

And FYI, Gen 1-2 (before my time), had small display screens, individual

Keyboards, switches and buttons and was using a Mini computer

( GEN 1 had Magnetic Core Memory!) with an 8" floppy.

They were quite old fashion, at the time.

The GEN 3 was NEW! it had a Much bigger Direct Memory Display screen,

a Flush panel key/switch board and had a control board

for the Keyboard and all the switches, with 16 programmable real time clocks for interrupts.

AND, it ran with a SMOKEN fast 20Mhz clock... ;-)

It used a NEW Micro-Computer, with a 5 1/4" floppy.


I worked in the computer world until 1990.

In '90, I started working on old ('60s) cars.


In about 1985, I bought a Very old Big dinosaur, An American Lathe.

I up dated it with Real bearings on the jack shaft and a new flat belt

from a Car!

Even though it has seen a LOT of use and has the ware to show for it,

If I pay Real close attention to Tool location, it cuts well.

IMG_20200727_124404182.jpg


Through the years, I have added tools. I have several Lathes and a small knee Mill.


LONG ago I gave up any fantasy of having a CNC Mill.

And CNC stuff has Long been Off the Radar screen.

So this little CNC mill is a nice unexpected discovery and a long time coming.

I'll get it going one way or the other!!

DW
 
You could start by opening the controller box and check the parts inside. I expect that the spindle driver is a separate part. Probably more parts are reusable.
A new USB Mach3 controller could be as cheap as this one: USB Mach3 controller. If you want to keep your parallel port than these boards are an option Parallel port controller. A driver for your 800W spindle would probably cost €100,--. A digital stepper driver ( you need atleast 3) about €18,-- and a new power supply about € 30,--
 
To back up a little bit in time, I did play with the 25 pin using my old PC.

The only thing that worked was the E-Stop input, (I didn't check any other inputs).

There was No activity, that I could detect, with any of the outputs to the controller.


I took the CNC project to a guy that has more then a passing acquaintance with CNCs.

He played with it some more and determined all the PC inputs (e-stop and limit switches)

were working, but still no output functions.

At that point I went after the 25 pin connector.

I pulled the housing off the pins,

After realizing unsoldering the connector would likely

do more damage to the already very weak and damaged etches.

I found pin 1 was not connected and pin 9 had an added wire and

resistor that was not connected to anything, any more.

I attempted to fix the connector and only went backwards with the etches,

and connector pins.

So my next effort is to remove the remains of the 25 pin connector

and hard wire the 25 pin cable to the PC board.

About my only hope is pin 1 is some type of Enable function for the input

to the Driver signals.

DW
 
My CNC effort has been slow...

I have tabled the efforts to hard wire the 25 pin cable to the JY5800.

But I did gamble on a jy5300 controller off ebay

Not a Win, it has issues...

However, it's parts, case, PWRS and connectors.

SO, I just pulled the trigger on a GRBL 1.1f Board and remote controller.

It looks like about as close as I can find to do the same/similar functions

as the JY5800 controller, with the exception of Spindle control (with high enough power).


SO, the problem I see at this point, is cables/wiring.

The Board has connectors BUT I have no cables/wire with the correct connectors...yet.

AND, I am Failing locating the cabling on the Web.

My two closest Electronics supply houses have closed...


Where should I look for some cabling for the GRBL Board?

DW
 

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Or


Should have anything you need.

John
 
Thanks John.

We'll see when I get the board.

But at this point, I have no idea what I neeed, a bit of a Needle in the hay stack...

Hoping someone has been down this cable road and knows just what to order.

DW
 
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