PM 940 M & V z axis

For me for sure I will go hybrid and have remote control possible for semi manual operation. So if you can share the drivers your using it would be great. For me I want to go cheap I don’t mind the head going down on the table if it’s not working. Will try to come up with a remote controller like the Adam d guy on you tube has but he is using acorncnc I will be using linuxcnc eventually.
 
My 940M CNC uses a computer running Mach3 and a stepper controller (a computer thta sits between the PC you run and the stepper drivers and other parts of the CNC machine) called nMotion. These are the cheapest around and are commonly used in all kinds of low end CNC equipment, however, you can find virtually no documentation about the controller. Mach3 software has been replaced with Mach4, which I think is probability a lot better. Only $200. www.machsupport.com I think at this site they will provide info on which controllers are compatible with the Mach software. (ArtSoft and Newfangled solutions are other names for Mach ) You can find the nMotion controllers for sale at places like ebay or Aliexpress etc. but I have yet to see useful documentation. However, since you going to be doing it your self you may want to go with Acorn, USA company, who has documentation. They also sell complete CNC kits I think so they sell motors. But I have not looked at this for a long time. As I said, look at what Arizona CNC is selling. Lots of HM folks have used Arizona stuff and seem to get it to work well. I think that Arizona CNC is just a small operation, maybe one guy (machinist?) , but he is suppose to be very responsive. The web site is limited.

If you decide you really want to do it like mine I will try to supply you with any info I have. I am just shooting in the dark, but if I was just trying to get z-axis motion and not do a CNC, the ideal interface would be one that just had a knob (potentiometer or a pendant dial) that let you adjust the head up and down. I have a Pendant which talks via the controller to the PC which then sends signals back to the controller which casuses the drivers to step the motor. Kinda complicated for what you want to do, but lets you move in increments of 0.001" One dial click = 0.001 or 0.01 etc based upon a switch setting. Just google "cnc pendant" to see a bunch of them.
 
I found this one:
https://a.co/d/iw8j0Xx
RATTMMOTOR 4 Axis USB Mach3 CNC Controller Kit Nema23 Stepper Motor Single Shaft 76mm 270Oz-in 3A 1.8Nm+CNC Motion Control Board Signal Output 0-10V+TB6600 Driver 4A+350W 24V DC Switch Power Supply
https://a.co/d/aqWApOg

Is this the one you are mentioning

Tim
 
If you setup already has the remote controller then it will be good for me. I think I would like to hook it up to the existing axles and them later upgrade them with a kit.

What do you thing about it, Is wise on you opinion?
 
RATTMMOTOR 4 Axis USB Mach3 CNC Controller Kit Nema23 Stepper Motor Single Shaft 76mm 270Oz-in 3A 1.8Nm+CNC Motion Control Board Signal Output 0-10V+TB6600 Driver 4A+350W 24V DC Switch Power Supply
https://a.co/d/aqWApOg

200$ for Mach4 will not break the bank.

We have sort of taken over @mikewilliams posting maybe this should be back on the posting you started?

I have never spent a lot of time on the motor requirements etc as my machine came already built. But someday I may build another CNC machine of some sort.

I think you will need a controller board that is designed to work with the CNC software. I do not know anything about this RattmMotor board, but it looks like the motors are too small and it says Mach3 so the CNC software is essentially old or obsolete. At $160 it also seems way too cheap? If you want to by the Mach software I would by Mach4 not 3. But you do realize you will need a computer to run it! I would upgrade to Mach4 without thinking much about it if I knew it would work with my controller board. However, it is all working and you know the saying, "If it is not broken don't fix it."

Attached is a pdf file I downloaded from LeadShine in 2017 when I got my mill. It shows the specs for the motors that are on my machine. Torque: Google folks say that the conversion between NM and inch-lbs is 8.85. *16 yields 1 N*m =141.6in*Oz . https://www.unitconverters.net/energy/newton-meter-to-inch-ounce.htm RatTMMotor says it has a operating torque of 270 Oz-in or 1.8Nm. However, this torque number is dependent upon the speed so this would probably the the maximum possible. It does not list the detent torque, which Leadshine calls the detent torque. LeadShines table says, for my Z-axis motor, 86HS85, the Torque is 6NM (850 Oz-in) at 4.9Amps or 8.5NM at 6Amp at (when wired in parallel) . I have never looked to see how mine are wired. The detent torque which determines how hard it is to turn the motor when the power is off, is 35 Oz-in., and so determines how much weight of the head can be held. This is independent of how the motor is wired up as the current is off anyway. I wish the detent torque was about 2x this number. You also want to pay attention to the motor shaft diameter and the frame size so that it fits the mill. By looking at this motor document it would appear that in the model number 86 stands for 86mm and is roughly the physical width of the motor (85.85mm) while the 85 represents the 8.5NM torque. (Holding torque: I assume this is how much torque is required to turn the motor by hand when it is powered up. ) By the way, I have tried to turn the y axis handle while the motor is powered up and it is very difficult. Not so difficult when the motor is not powered up, but you still feel it cogging as it slips past the magnet positions. If you run a stepper two fast while driving a axis there is a lot of drag on it as there is when the gib is too tight, it will miss steps and the position will not be where you think it should be. For this reason alone it would be nice to have a physical DRO attached.

Apparently you can still by this motor. https://leadshineindia.com/products/leadshine-hybrid-stepper-motor-hs-series-86hs85-nema-34
https://www.cloudraylaser.com/produ...18mm-8-5n-m-6-8a-2-phase-nema34-stepper-motor $81.

Also attached is a Leadshine driver info for my drivers DMA860H. Even though the x,y and 4th axis motors are smaller than the z-axis motor they all use the same driver. https://www.amazon.com/Leadshine-DMA860H-Controller-Stepping-Engraving/dp/B07PYRRQ2V?th=1 $75.

When I got my mill I tried to get ahead of the curve by purchasing a computer for the machine. I mistakenly thought that the 940M-CNC needed the Mach3 32 bit and the computer had to have a parallel printer port. So I went out searching for an old computer that still had a parallel printer port. It did need to have Mach3 because the nMotion controller only had a software driver (plugin) for Mach3. However it did have a USB port and so I did not need nor use the parallel port on the used dell that I found. I hate that computer and recently purchase a new, small machine but have yet to fire it up with the Mach3 and the and Win10 OS. In concept with the old 32 bit Mach3 parallel printer port one can interface directly to the stepper drivers. But all of this looks like a lot of work that others have already beaten into the ground for you.

I still like the integrated motors (several manufacturers sell these, I mentioned the ClearPath) so that one does not have to interface to a power driver and then connect that to a stepper via multiple individual wires etc.

Also Acorn will sell you a pendant that is meant to work with their controller etc., but there are lots of pendants out there. I just do not know much about the interface between them and the controllers etc.
 

Attachments

  • Leadshine Motors 86HSxxd - mine are HS45 and HS85.pdf
    1.1 MB · Views: 61
  • Leadshine Motor Driver DMA860H User Manual.pdf
    644.7 KB · Views: 70
We have sort of taken over @mikewilliams posting maybe this should be back on the posting you started?

I have never spent a lot of time on the motor requirements etc as my machine came already built. But someday I may build another CNC machine of some sort.

I think you will need a controller board that is designed to work with the CNC software. I do not know anything about this RattmMotor board, but it looks like the motors are too small and it says Mach3 so the CNC software is essentially old or obsolete. At $160 it also seems way too cheap? If you want to by the Mach software I would by Mach4 not 3. But you do realize you will need a computer to run it! I would upgrade to Mach4 without thinking much about it if I knew it would work with my controller board. However, it is all working and you know the saying, "If it is not broken don't fix it."

Attached is a pdf file I downloaded from LeadShine in 2017 when I got my mill. It shows the specs for the motors that are on my machine. Torque: Google folks say that the conversion between NM and inch-lbs is 8.85. *16 yields 1 N*m =141.6in*Oz . https://www.unitconverters.net/energy/newton-meter-to-inch-ounce.htm RatTMMotor says it has a operating torque of 270 Oz-in or 1.8Nm. However, this torque number is dependent upon the speed so this would probably the the maximum possible. It does not list the detent torque, which Leadshine calls the detent torque. LeadShines table says, for my Z-axis motor, 86HS85, the Torque is 6NM (850 Oz-in) at 4.9Amps or 8.5NM at 6Amp at (when wired in parallel) . I have never looked to see how mine are wired. The detent torque which determines how hard it is to turn the motor when the power is off, is 35 Oz-in., and so determines how much weight of the head can be held. This is independent of how the motor is wired up as the current is off anyway. I wish the detent torque was about 2x this number. You also want to pay attention to the motor shaft diameter and the frame size so that it fits the mill. By looking at this motor document it would appear that in the model number 86 stands for 86mm and is roughly the physical width of the motor (85.85mm) while the 85 represents the 8.5NM torque. (Holding torque: I assume this is how much torque is required to turn the motor by hand when it is powered up. ) By the way, I have tried to turn the y axis handle while the motor is powered up and it is very difficult. Not so difficult when the motor is not powered up, but you still feel it cogging as it slips past the magnet positions. If you run a stepper two fast while driving a axis there is a lot of drag on it as there is when the gib is too tight, it will miss steps and the position will not be where you think it should be. For this reason alone it would be nice to have a physical DRO attached.

Apparently you can still by this motor. https://leadshineindia.com/products/leadshine-hybrid-stepper-motor-hs-series-86hs85-nema-34
https://www.cloudraylaser.com/produ...18mm-8-5n-m-6-8a-2-phase-nema34-stepper-motor $81.

Also attached is a Leadshine driver info for my drivers DMA860H. Even though the x,y and 4th axis motors are smaller than the z-axis motor they all use the same driver. https://www.amazon.com/Leadshine-DMA860H-Controller-Stepping-Engraving/dp/B07PYRRQ2V?th=1 $75.

When I got my mill I tried to get ahead of the curve by purchasing a computer for the machine. I mistakenly thought that the 940M-CNC needed the Mach3 32 bit and the computer had to have a parallel printer port. So I went out searching for an old computer that still had a parallel printer port. It did need to have Mach3 because the nMotion controller only had a software driver (plugin) for Mach3. However it did have a USB port and so I did not need nor use the parallel port on the used dell that I found. I hate that computer and recently purchase a new, small machine but have yet to fire it up with the Mach3 and the and Win10 OS. In concept with the old 32 bit Mach3 parallel printer port one can interface directly to the stepper drivers. But all of this looks like a lot of work that others have already beaten into the ground for you.

I still like the integrated motors (several manufacturers sell these, I mentioned the ClearPath) so that one does not have to interface to a power driver and then connect that to a stepper via multiple individual wires etc.

Also Acorn will sell you a pendant that is meant to work with their controller etc., but there are lots of pendants out there. I just do not know much about the interface between them and the controllers etc.
Yep will switch to the other thread
 
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