Posted on by Robin

Build Your Own CNC Controller

Introduction

In this article I will go through the entire build process for an offline CNC controller that I have made for my 6040 CNC router. Although it is made specifically for my router, most items covered should be applicable for any CNC machine for personal use. The preparation of the enclosure is covered in detail, as well as why I used certain electrical components and I will include any errors I made along the way to hopefully prevent other people from making the same mistakes.

Article last updated: 08 July 2022 (Added 24v LED to Bill Of Materials)

Please Note:
– If you decide to use information from this article or video series, make sure to check your own work. You are responsible for your build, even if you use the components or wiring methods as described in this article. Make sure to have your equipment verified by a licensed electrician before plugging it in.
– Shielded cable going though metal (GX16) plugs: it is preferred to wrap the shielding back around the cable so it comes in contact with the (GX16) connector. No extra pin needed. In that case the connector can be grounded through a metal mounting plate or complete metal housing.
– Consider using a metal enclosure and placing the VFD in a separate metal enclosure, for EMI containment and easier grounding.
– Check power rating for your specific components (VFD and power supply) to see which type of mains connector and fuse you should use. C14 connectors are rated to a maximum of 10amps at 250VAC. One of the possible alternatives is to not use a connector but instead a cable gland and an appropriately rated fuse inside the box or panel mounted fuse holder. Also consider CEE type wall plug if the rating of your wall outlet is not sufficient for your components.
– Using shielded cables for the stepper motors also on the outside of the cabinet reduces the chance EMI issues.

This build is also covered in 3 videos, linked below. In addition to the build instructions in these videos, this article also provides additional information such as software parameters and settings for the DDCS controller and VFD.

Part 1
Part 2

Around 5 years ago I bought a 6040 router from the Chinese company YooCNC, who now go by the name OmioCNC. The machine is controlled by MACH3 over a USB connection.

The internal interface board only takes care of the communication with the PC and passes the commands from MACH3 on to the steppers and other components. Although this works fine, I have a preference for using an offline CNC controller. It eliminates the need to have a PC connected to your CNC all the times. Also if the USB connection fails at any point you might be in trouble. I experienced lost steps on the X-axis from time to time, which I hope will also be mitigated with a new controller. Lastly, the wireless controller has some nice functionalities, but there is a significant delay between the input on the MPG and the movements of the axes.

The existing setup: laptop with MACH3 and a controller with a USB interface

After some searching on Aliexpress I decided to go for the DDCSV3.1 controller. I purchased the 4-axis version since I also wanted to upgrade my router with a rotary axis. Although there are plenty alternatives, I opted for this controller since it appeared simple to use, has all of the functions I need and perhaps most importantly, there is a good manual available for it in English.

Enclosure

The DDCS controller does not fit in the original control box, so I also had to purchase a new enclosure. At first I purchased a plastic one that was only slightly larger than the original controller. However, after trying to fit the components in the new box it quickly became apparent that it is better not to skimp on the size of the enclosure for a DYI controller. A larger enclosure makes your life a lot easier when assembling everything. So I bought yet another enclosure (Famatel) measuring 400 by 500 by 175mm for only €85,-


I prefer a plastic enclosure because it is cheaper and easier to work on than a sheet metal housing.

Salvaging parts from the old Controller

Caution:
Working with mains voltage is dangerous. It can kill you.
Always unplug the device before opening the enclosure.

Since I would not be using the old controller any longer, I took it apart to salvage any parts I could use in the new setup. The original plan was to reuse the Power supply, stepper drivers and VFD and hook all of these up to the new DDCSV controller. This would be a big cost saver and would only require me to buy new buttons and parts for the safety circuit. In the end I also ended up replacing the stepper drivers, but more on that later.

Disassembling the old controller…

While taking the old controller apart I marked all of the wires and constructed a wiring diagram, to help me understand how everything was connected, so it would be easier to wire the new controller.

Linked below is a PDF file, containing additional information for this build including wiring instructions and software parameters:

Attachment-Post-DYI-CNC-controller-Rev02-1Download

The PDF includes:

  • Wiring diagram for old YooCNC controller
  • Wiring diagram for the new controller as described in this article
  • MPG wiring
  • Parameter settings for the VFD
  • Parameter settings for the DDCS Controller
  • GX16 connector wiring (stepper motors)

From the mains plug one of the leads is going to the main power switch. This is connected in series with the E-stop, so you can kill the power to the entire system in case of an emergency. Behind this is a separate power switch for the VFD, so you can choose to leave that off even when the controller is running. The mains power to the VFD goes through an EMI filter to reduce electromagnetic interference. In case you are not familiar with the term VFD: it stands for Variable Frequency Drive. It drives the spindle motor and allows you to control the RPM of the spindle. The Mach3 interface board sends signals to the VDF for both ON/OFF as well as the desired RPM. The Wires connected to U/V/W terminals are going out to the spindle motor. The Mach3 interface board is also providing signals to the stepper drivers. The drivers themselves turn these signals into high current signals that drive the actual stepper motors. The stepper drivers are powered by the 40V power supply. I will go into more detail on how to connect the VFD and stepper drivers further down.

I took out the VFD with the mains cable. Besides the EMI filter, this also includes a ferrite ring a for reducing electromagnetic interference. All of this will be transferred to the new controller. The VFD comes with its own control panel, which can be plugged into the VFD itself or mounted on the outside of the control box to have access while the machine is running.

The drivers are placed between the CNC controller and the stepper motors to drive the motors at the specified current and number of pulses per revolution. More details on the settings for these stepper drivers further down. The only thing left in the old control box is the MACH3 interface card which is no longer needed.

Wiring diagram for the new controller

Refer to the PDF file linked in the section above for the graphical layout. The wiring schematic for the new controller is slightly different compared to the old one. This is mostly due to the addition of a safety circuit. What I did not like on the old controller were the flimsy E-stop button and the switches for the mains power and VFD. These 2 switches were placed directly in line with mains power. This means that if the machine is on and you have a power failure you might end up in a dangerous situation if you forget to turn the machine off before the power comes back on. A more common solution on industrial machines is to use a contactor to switch the mains power. The contactor acts like a sticky relay.

Siemens 3RT2016-1BB41 Contactor (for example purpose only. size contactor to your specific system)

The contactor is engaged by pressing the ON button and disengaged by pressing the OFF button. Both buttons are momentary contacts. The clever bit in this circuit is that the contactor keeps the desired state even after releasing either of these buttons. This is achieved through the use of auxiliary contacts. When the ON button is pressed the contactor closes not only the main contacts for the high power circuit, but it also closes the auxiliary contact. When this happens the contactor is held in place by a current going through the auxiliary contact that it just connected itself. So even after releasing the ON button, the contactor stays engaged. The OFF button is a normally closed contact. When this button is pressed, the circuit is broken and the contactor disengages and also here, stays in that position even after the button is released.

An E-stop button could be wired in series with the OFF button and would act in the same way. If the E-stop is pressed, the contactor disengages and will stay off even if the E-stop is released. You then have to press the ON button as an additional action to turn the machine back on. This is a typical safety feature as releasing the E-stop alone should not be the only action required to turn a machine back on. For my new controller I have an E-stop integrated into the MPG that will make the controller stop all motors and the spindle and will go into E-stop mode, where you cannot do anything until you release the E-stop and then press the reset button. I will wire the separate E-stop in series with the OFF button for the contactor, so this E-stop will actually cut power to the stepper drivers and the VFD. The result is the same as with the software E-stop triggered by the MPG, but in this case the mains power is cut from the components, which is a bit more crude solution, but I believe this adds an additional level of safety. Since the CNC controller is not in the circuit switched by the contactor, the CNC controller will remain on when the E-stop is pressed.

If there is a power failure, the contactor disengages, so when the power comes back on, the machine stays off. If the machine would come back on when the power is restored, this would be a major safety hazard.

Components for new controller

Bill of materials: (Items in bold were added later, in video part 3)

I used the power supply that was salvaged from the old controller. It has an output voltage of 40V at a maximum of 10A. This should be sufficient for the 3 NEMA 23 stepper motors which are rated at 3A each. Since I am now also adding a 4th axis to the system it is a bit tighter. But the motors will not all draw their maximum current at the same time. Also, as I understood there is a rule of thumb that states you can use a power supply that is rated to 2/3 of the steppers phase current. So for having 4 motors rated at 3Amps it would require an 8Amp power supply. Unless I run into any stability issues I will keep this power supply. 

Two new DIN rail power supplies are used for the DDCS controller and other components. The DDCS requires 2 separate power supplies, one to power the unit and the other for the IO. This reduces the chance of electrical interference.

The new E-stop to replace the flimsy E-stop from the original controller is shown below. It is a standalone unit, so it can be mounted close to the machine. The E-stop contains 2 normally-closed contacts wired in series for redundancy.

External E-Stop: EATON M22-PV/KC02/IY

The mains switch I bought specifically for this project is ridiculously oversized both in physical dimensions as well as for the specifications. It is rated at 32A, which far more than this little CNC router will ever draw from the grid. So it is a bit over the top, but since I already ordered it and being too heavy and oversized doesn’t matter I decided to use it anyway.

Switch Disconnector; Siemens 3LD2203-1TL53

The switches I selected for the new controller are part of the EATON M22 series. The reason I selected these is because they are not very expensive, they have a modular design and there are many different switches available in this series. I used a dual ON/OFF switch with integrated LED and an illuminated Selector switch to turn on the VFD separately. Under the buttons or switches you can place normally open contacts, normally closed contacts, an LED or any combination of these. A separate tool is used to mount the switches to the panel, but you could also tighten them by hand.

The VFD from the old controller is a Nowforever E100 unit. As mentioned earlier this will be reused. For the time being I will leave the panel in the VFD itself instead of placing it on the outside. There is always an option to do that later if needed. This VFD is an older model that is no longer sold.

The most important component for this build is the DDCS V3.1 offline CNC controller. It has a compact form factor and a relatively small 5 inch display, which I think is adequate for the application.

DDCS4 V3.1 CNC Controller

This controller is still available, but by the time I completed the build a newer model, the DDCS Expert, is now also available. This unit has some more advanced features, a larger screen and also a larger price tag. It depends whether or not you need the additional features to justify the increase in price. For now, I am happy with the DDCS V3.1.

A number of the buttons have multiple functions based on the menu you are in. On the back there is sort of a break out board that directly mounts to the large sub-D connector. This is where you provide power to the unit and have all of the inputs and outputs. On the bottom there is a separate connector for external start, pause and Estop buttons. These are optional. In the center we have a 15 pin sub-D connector for an MPG.

The final port on the CNC controller is a USB port. A wire is provided with a panel mount USB plug. You can place this in a convenient location and load programs into the controller with a regular USB stick.

This is the MPG for the controller:

In case you are unfamiliar with this term; an MPG is a manual pulse generator. These are used to manually move axes on the machine and typically contain a handwheel and selectors for the axis and step multiplier. This model is very basic, but has all of the necessary functionality for manual jogging of the machine. Since the pulses are directly sent to the CNC controller, the response of the machine to your input on the handwheel feels very direct. With the wireless MPG from the old system with the MACH3 controller and USB break out board, I always felt like there was quite some delay. If you buy this type of controller from Aliexpress you typically have to solder it to a connector yourself.

Stepper drivers

The stepper drivers I salvaged from the old controller have a YOOCNC brand name on them, but there are similar to stepper drivers from many other brands with the same specifications and form factor, so these are likely OEM parts and could be similar to stepper drivers that are just branded differently.

The great thing about these type of drivers is that the settings are printed on the side of the unit, so you don’t have to look for the manual to see how they are configured. The stepper drivers are rated for 5.6Amps, but they are actually set to 2.7Amps, which suits the 3Amp stepper motors used in my CNC router.

Micro stepping is set to 2000 pulses per revolution. A typical stepper motor has 200 steps per revolution. If we divide 2000 by 200, we get 10 microsteps per full step. Microstepping is used to make steppers motors run smoother.

The connections on the driver from left to right:

  • 4-pin connector which provides the steps at high current to drive the motor.
  • Power input connector: provides power to the stepper driver. The unit can run on anything between 24V and 50V. In this case it is powered by a 40V power supply, which is nicely in between these upper and lower limits.
  • Dip switch for configuring the various settings as mentioned earlier.
  • Connector to enable or disable the stepper driver. This can be used for example to shut down the unit in case of a failure or an alarm. I will not use this feature. If the pins of the connector are left open, the unit is enabled.
  • 4-pin connector. Provides a signal to the stepper driver, which tells the stepper driver how many steps to move the motor and in which direction. This is connected to an output port on the CNC controller, which generates the step signal.

I bought stepper drivers online from Amazon, but you can get them from many online stores including the well-known Chinese sources. Make sure that the drivers you get have screw terminals to avoid having to crimp connectors. I had many issues with the connectors on the other units, so I decided to replace all of them for new ones with the screw terminals.

Layout

Now it was time to figure out a layout for the new controller cabinet, which was harder than I thought. There are many different ways to arrange  the components inside the cabinet, each with their own pros and cons. I finally settled on this layout:

It has the stepper drivers at the top of the cabinet, close to the plugs to connect the motors. I placed the VFD on the opposite end of the cabinet since this is the largest source of electromagnetic interference and therefore I would have the lowest chance of it messing up signals to and from the stepper drivers. On the side of the cabinet I placed the power switch , the mains connection plug and 2 inlet ports for air. The inlet ports are located on the opposite side of where the fan is located in an attempt to maximize air flow over the electronic components.

The buttons are placed on the left side of the controller as this felt like the most natural location to me. For example Haas also has their buttons on this side and I am sure there is a good ergonomic reason for it.

A step drill was used to drill out most of the holes. These step drills work very well in thin material.

For the line filter I used self tapping screws. Initially I wanted to use these for most components, since they are easy to install and you can remove them without needing access to the back end such as with a nut and bolt. However, I have less than 10mm of space behind the panel and these screws are too long. In this case I just added some washers to take care of that issue.

For the stepper drives I used regular M4 screws and tapped thread directly into the panel. The panel is quite thin, but since the drivers are not very heavy I think I can get away with this solution.

Since I experienced lost steps with the old controller I decided to use shielded cable wherever possible. For the cables to the stepper motor connectors I used shielded cable with 4 wires of 0.75 mm^2. This should be equivalent to American Wire Gauge Standard (AWG) size 18.

Soldering the GX16 connectors to the shielded wire

The Mains power connector will be placed on the left side. It will be near the bottom when the cabinet is in its upright orientation. I am planning to hang the controller vertically underneath the table for the CNC router.

For the Air inlets and fan I needed to cut 80mm holes. I used a hole saw for this purpose. The RPM should be low enough to prevent the material from melting. I had stalling issues, so I resorted to applying alternating pressure to make sure the plastic did not get too warm from cutting.

The hole for the DDCSV controller is made primarily with a mini hacksaw. This looks like a lot of work, but in real time it took only around 10 minutes to cut out the hole. Some filing was needed to remove the round corners created by the step drill.

The same approach was used with the rectangular hole for the mains power connector. I was a bit on the safe side with the dimensions when cutting the hole with the hacksaw. It is easier to do some additional filing to increase the size of the pocket then it is to make it smaller.

The Mains Connector is fixed using M3 screws. I am using nylon insert lock nuts everywhere in the controller cabinet, to prevent a metal nut from coming loose and possible cause a short circuit somewhere. The mains connector has an integrated fuse holder. The old CNC controller had an 8A fast acting fuse. I am using the same thing here. 8 Amps at 230V would translate to around 1800 watts. This might seem a bit tight since the spindle is rated at 1500 watts and the power supply at 400 watts, but is has been running without issues with an 8A fuse in the old controller, so I will use that. I would rather have a fuse that blows too soon than one that blows too late

There are ventilation holes in the cabinet: 2 for the inlet and 1 for the outlet of air. Behind the outlet a fan is mounted that will push out warm from the cabinet and at over the inlet ports air vent covers are placed with a basic dust filter. This is a very coarse filter, but at least it will keep out larger dust particles.

Connecting the fan

The fan on the old controller was very loud, and I like to keep the noise level down as much as possible when the router is not in operation. So I went for an 80 mm Noctua fan (this needs a 12V power supply or 24V to 12V step down converter). It has all kinds of features to reduce the noise level, including rubber mounts and specially designed fan blades to prevent turbulent air flow. It comes with 3 different cables. Depending on which cable you select you can run the fan on low, medium or high speed. With of course the highest speed delivering the highest air flow, but also being the least quiet. I ended up going for the low setting. It seems to generate enough air flow for this application. I am going with gut feeling for now. If I find out later that the air exhausted from the cabinet is too hot I can always go to a higher setting.

I am not using the rubber fan mounts in this case, because where the fan is located they would be hard to install. The use of screws does not add any significant vibrations or noise from what I can tell.

I am connecting the fan to the small 24V power supply. Since I cut one of the adaptor cables that I would not need in half and placed some connectors onto the ends, so I could hook it up to the power supply. With this setup I can connect the fan directly for full power or insert one of the low noise adaptor cables in between, just by unplugging the connector. The fan has 3 wires coming out of it: red and black for power and the yellow wire for RPM control. I am not using this feature, so I cut off the yellow wire.

For each adaptor the sound level is reduced by roughly 2 decibels, for a total of 4 decibels when using the lowest speed adaptor. Since a doubling of sound energy is 3 decibels, the sound reduction by using the adaptors is very significant.

Pictured below is the small 24V power supply I bought specifically for the safety circuit. It is low power, since it is only used to activate the contactor. This will be powered on directly by the mains switch, so it can actually be used to power the contactor.

The form factor of this is much nicer in my opinion than that of the other small power supply. It is smaller, you can’t touch the contacts and it mounts to a DIN-rail. In hindsight I also should have bought a DIN-rail version for the other small power supply, but since that was already fixed in place I decided to leave it the way it was. The DDCS is on a separate power supply since I want to prevent any voltage surge when disengaging the contactor to impact the electronics in the DDCS. Another (probably better) solution is to add surge protection to the contactor. I found a video dedicated to this topic, which explains the phenomenon and different mitigations in detail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij0B-2gxH7w

I wanted to use flexible wire for the connections between the various high voltage components. This is probably not best practice, but I salvaged wire from a used 230V volts power cord. This means I am using brown and blue wires for the high voltage connections. This is not according to EN standards, but keep in mind this is a hobby project and not intended for commercial use. As far as I know you should be using black for mains voltage, but since I am already using black as the neutral wire for the low power circuits I did not want to get the two mixed up. So please don’t use this article to try and figure out what color of wire you should be using for you project, as what you are seeing here is not according to any standard.

I used the appropriate crimp connectors to be able to connect the wires to the mains connector and other components.

I have tried to crimp connectors to the wires for the stepper drives that I salvaged from the old controllers. Unfortunately they did not have screw terminals for the wires, which is far easier when you are making your own controller. I made several attempts to make connectors that had reliable connections, but had one failure after another. It might be that I am using the wrong pliers of just lack of skill, but I could not get the connectors to firmly grip the wires. Before realizing this, I actually completed all of the wires and even started installing them in the cabinet. I was able to pull the wires manually from the connectors fairly easily. Therefore I decided to go for another solution. Since you can buy stepper drivers for less than 20 euros I ordered some new ones and started the wiring process again. The new stepper drivers have screw terminal blocks which can also be removed if necessary. In the picture below the stepper drivers are shown after connecting all wires, with from left to right: stepper signal cable, 40V power and the wires leading to the stepper motors.

USB cable

The USB plug will be placed in the top left of the front panel. The cable gives you the freedom to place the USB connector anywhere you like. Since the connector is rectangular in shape this again required some cutting and filing.

MPG cable

For the MPG a cable is needed that runs from the back of the controller to a connector on the outside of the cabinet. In this case the top panel. Unfortunately this does not come supplied with the controller. I opted for a 15 pin sub-D connector, that I manually soldered to the cable. And of course some more cutting and filing. I would have liked to have mounted the connector to the panel from the inside, but the plastic housing is quite thick, so it had to be mounted on the outside. Less pretty, but it works.

For the flat cable I printed out some cable clamp, which I designed in Fusion 360. It’s based on a design I found on Thingiverse, but now that I want to reference it I can’t find it anymore between the many designs people have posted. I have uploaded my own version of this clip on grabCAD. It can be downloaded using the following link:

https://grabcad.com/library/flat-cable-clip-1

Flat cable clamp, mounted to the inside of the cabinet with double sided tape

In a local electronics store I also bought a nice connector that makes a connection with each wire lead by cutting into it. Unfortunately it turned out not to be so simple. It just did not seem to close properly. At closer inspection it turned out that the connector had a different pitch than the flat cable I was using. Here you can see it compared to some old flat cable I had laying around. To prevent another trip into town just for a new connector, I ended up soldering this side as well.

In the old situation my VFD is controlled through the MACH3 breakout board. I will be controlling the VFD in the same way , using the 0-10V signal input to control spindle speed. On both the DDCS controller and the VFD I am indicating that at 0V the spindle should stop and at 10V the spindle speed should be at the maximum RPM for the spindle, in this case 24.000RPM. Any other voltage in between will set the spindle to the corresponding spindle speed. For example, if my NC program has a spindle speed command for 12.000 RPM, the DDCS controller will output 5V and the VFD will then know it has to control the spindle speed to be 12.000RPM.

There is also a start-stop signal connected to the VFD, so you can start the spindle from within your NC program with the M03 command. The controller also offers the possibility to change spindle direction, but since I only use the clockwise spindle direction, just being able to turn it on or off is fine.

The connections are as follows:

  • R,S: 230V
  • U,V,W: Spindle
  • COM: this is connected to the negative common terminal on the DDSCV controller. This is to make sure the negative common connection is at the same voltage level between the controller and the VFD instead of being a “floating” voltage.
  • AIN1: 0-10V input for controlling spindle speed. Make sure the AIN1 jumper to the left of the terminal block is set to 10V, NOT the 20mA setting.
  • X1: turn spindle on or off. Open is off, connected to ground is on.

I also went through all of the parameter settings on the VFD but did not change any of them. In the PDF file linked in the top of the article all of the parameter settings are listed, for anyone that is interested.

PTFIX distribution blocks

When all of the wiring was completed I was not quite happy with the combination of  cheap terminal blocks and separate wire connectors. Therefore I replaced these with 2 sets of PTFIX distribution blocks. 1 set connected to the main power switch and the other set that is only live when the contactor in engaged. I chose the PTFIX series because they are compact and very easy to use. The individual blocks can be snapped together. The set of blocks can then be mounted onto a DIN rail fixture by just sliding them in.

PTFIX distribution blocks mounted to DIN rail fixture

There are also individual DIN rail fixtures available if you want to have the blocks mounted in parallel to the DIN rail but these take up more space and require the use of conductors as well as end caps.

It is good to use cable ducts between the components, to get the cleanest look and easiest installation of the wires, but this would require an even larger enclosure, so I just bundled the wires wherever possible.

Probe

A tool probe to measure the tool length can also be used with the DDCS controller. I am using the probe that came with my router.

The probe is connected to pins 1 and 4 on the DDCS controller. There is a separate screen available on the DDCS controller to monitor the status of the inputs and outputs. I used this to verify if the probe was connected properly.

Testing the probe with the I/O menu on the DDCS controller

The tool probe has a clamp that attaches to the end mill. When the tool comes down and touches the base of the probe, it makes an electrical connection. The DDCS controller has a built in probe function to measure tool length. This routine lowers the Z-axis until the tool makes contact and then sets the top of your stock material to zero. You can enter the thickness of your sensor into the controller, so it automatically adds this value to the measurement. Refer to the attached PDF for the probe settings.

4th Axis

Since I have had the router, I have always wanted to upgrade it with a 4th axis, so I included that as well into this project. So I added a 4th stepper driver and connected this to the DDCS controller. The wiring is exactly the same as for the X,Y and Z axes.  The software parameter settings are included in the PDF file.

4th axis

I bought a typical 4th axis set from aliexpress. The cheap kind with a belt drive. I hope this provides enough rigidity for cutting wood and plastics, but I have not actually used it yet since Fusion360 recently disabled multi axis machining for the free license. My plan is to program this with FreeCAD. To be continued.

I made a cable for the 4th axis out of the same shielded wire that I used to connect the stepper drivers. To transfer to cable through the enclosure I used the same GX16 connectors as for the other axes.

Spindle RPM check

To verify if the spindle RPM is in line with the programmed speed I measured the spindle speed at various settings across the range between 1.000 and 24.000 RPM. As you can see in the graph the spindle speed behaves very nicely and is perfectly lineair except in the lower range. This can be tweaked with VFD parameters, but for my purpose this is definitely acceptable.

E-stop

I mounted an external E-stop to the controller. It is a very sturdy E-stop, with 2 normally closed switches, which are connected in series for redundancy. So only one of the switches has to function for the E-stop to work. It is wired in such a way that it will disengage the contactor and thereby cut power to the motors and VFD.

When the E-stop is pressed the stepper motors stop almost instantly and the spindle slowly coasts to a stop as it is no longer powered.

The E-stop button on the MPG works a bit different. This puts the controller in E-stop mode. The response is faster in this case. The steppers stop immediately and the spindle is actively ramped down by the VFD, so this also stops faster. As a third benefit, the controller actually knows there is an E-stop condition, so it pauses the program, whereas the program keeps running with the external E-stop even though the machine itself stops.

I think both solutions have their benefits, but my preference is for the software E-stop. It is possible to re-wire the external E-stop to an input on the controller. This should give similar results to the E-stop on the MPG.

Wiring terminal for external E-stop on the DDCS controller

So far, I have ran a few test programs and everything seems to work.

If you have any questions on this build, please let me know in the comments section below.

Robin

78 Replies to “Build Your Own CNC Controller”

  1. Hello Robin, I am so glad I stumbled across your site. I spent the last three years building a high end CNC machine and I have to say Im pleased with the results. I have some electrical interference with the controller and working on fixing it. I think copying your enclosure would be a great upgrade to my machine. Just wanted to say thanks for posting your tutorial. Really looking forward to going thru them all.

    Reply

    1. Hi Hamid, sorry for the late reply. Thank you for leaving a message and great to see the information was helpful for you. Best of luck with your build! Robin

      Reply

  2. Hello
    I own a 5’ x 10’ router table with 4 stepper motor axis. I am looking to get a full assembly like yours.
    Would you consider selling one fully assembly control system.?
    I apologize if you covered this in your notes, I did not read all of it.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jesus, I am honored that you would buy a controller from me but I am not selling them. It is just a hobby for me. I hope you can find a commercially available controller.
      Robin

      Reply

  3. I can see what the open loop drivers are controlling, but I’m not sure what the HBS57 closed loop is supposed to control. Is it in the diagram as an example of how it should be connected? I’m building a 3-axis with master/slave on the y-axis. Cannot discern what a 5th controller would accomplish or why it’s the only closed loop in the diagram.

    Thank you very much for the time you’ve put into this guide. It has helped me answer a multitude of little questions I would have probably spent hours researching in a vacuum.

    Reply

    1. Hi, I used a closed loop driver for the 4th axis since I thought this had the highest change of missing steps. Having all axes with closed loop steppers is best, but I already had bought open loop drivers, so I used these and they work fine. If I would do it again I would use closed loop ones but everyone can decide for themselves. They do cost a bit more, so if one is trying to drive cost down, that is a thing to consider. If you are using a master slave, the newer V4.1 might be interesting. It supports this. With the V3.1 it works but you can’t home the motors independently as you connect them to the same driver.

      Reply

  4. Hey
    Quick question.
    Is there a reason the neutral going to the VFD can’t come from the contactor, the same neutral that goes to the 40v power supply?

    Reply

    1. Hi, good question. Looking back at this it does seem to be inconsistent to use a different approach for the VFD than for the 40V power supply. I can’t think of a reason why I did not take the same approach for both components. Taking the neutral line from the contactor should work as well. Both options work, which one is best practice, I do not know.

      Reply

      1. Thanks Robin
        You guide has been a massive help to me and I couldn’t have taken on this project without you.
        Huge appreciation.
        jmac

        Reply

        1. Thank you! Just had a look I side the actual controller and saw that I did run the neutral line from the contactor, so the same as the 40v power supply. But again the other option should also work.

          Reply

          1. I may have missed it somewhere.

            The eaton led for the on/off switch , the led is 24v yes?

            And the led for the vfd switch is 230v yes?

            I just didn’t see any mention of 24v led on the build material list, so bought 2 x 230 led switches lol.

            Do you have any wiring example for the vfd switch also, the way you did it.

            Thanks
            jmac

          2. Another god find, did not realize I didn’t add the LED to the schematic. The 24V LED is in the drawing however, so that should be ok. Indeed that has to be 24V of you are also using a 24V contactor. The LED for the VFD is the 230VAC type. It is connected on one end to the neutral line and on the other end to the wire between the switch and the filter. I just split that wire with a wagon connector and looped back a short wire after the switch and connected that to the LED. Also a note on the switch, I believe these are max 6 amps. If you are using a heavier spindle, like 2000 watts or above you should get a different switch altogether. I have a small 1500w spindle.

          3. Ah yes good spot, I will either need to get a larger switch for the spindle, Or I may just not bother with the switch at all.
            I don’t think it is critical?

            Cheers jmac

          4. No not really necessary, I copied this functionality from the old design. Useful if you have your router on for a long time while not cutting. Some VFDs are a bit loud. This would enable you to only turn on when about to start a cutbut you could perfectly do without

  5. Hello Robin,

    First of all your video series was very inspiring, so I decided to retrofit my old CNC mill with DDCS v3.1 controller.
    It took me two months, but I finally did it! Now everything works as expected except one thing and that is the only problem I got.
    Problem occurs when tool change (M6) command is issued. My machine does not have automatic tool changer so I have to do this manually but machine won’t pause for tool change. It goes to Z home, “change” the tool and starts again.
    When I put M1 pause command in the code, DDCS ignore it, and when I put M0 pause command in the code machine goes to Z 0.001 and triggers soft limit reset.
    Allegedly T.nc file on the controller is there for tool change routine, but with latest firmware version T.nc does not exist on the controller.
    I also changed standard Mach 3 postprocessor so now I can activate M8/M9 and M10/M11.
    Does you or anyone else have the same problem with manual tool change?

    Best Regards,
    Igor

    Reply

    1. Hi Igor, I do not use programs with tool change commands, so I have not seen this issue. Maybe someone else reading this. Have you tried the Facebook group?

      Reply

  6. Looks good, I did not realize (or forgot) they also had a 16A model in the same form factor. Nice small unit. Good luck with the build!

    Reply

  7. Hello and thanks so much for this amazing guide.
    I’m building the exact same system as you. I’m just ordering the parts now but can you tell me is this the contactor i need? It seems to be the only one in stock I can find in the UK.

    Many Thanks

    https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/7061122/

    uk based with 220-240v, exact same build as yours 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi James, this seems to be the exact same type I am using, so it should work if you have a similar system. If you are using much heavier loads (spindle etc) you might need a different type, I can’t give advice on the specifications for other systems (everything is your own responsibility) but for a similar spec router it should work.

      Reply

      1. Many Thanks Robin
        yes all my own responsibility 🙂
        I do have the same steppers and a spindle that is also 2.2kw, what confused me is the whole system is 10a fuses, power connector etc, but the contactor states 9a which is a little lower than 2.2kw, But I think the contactor is not connected to the spindle via the ac3 9a ports? its the 20a ac port?

        lol I no doubt have that wrong.
        thanks

        Reply

        1. Hi James, my spindle is only 1500 watts and I am using an 8 amp fuse. As mentioned in the article I think an 8 amp fuse seems underdimensioned for the overall power of the system since there is also the 400 watt power supply, bit I just stuck to the same value that was already in use in the old controller. For a 2.2 kW spindle this will be too light. Also might be better to get a different contactor. Also the G 14 connector will be too light. Cable gland and heavier fuse inside could work.

          Reply

        2. As far as I understand AC1 is only for resistive loads, so I am sticking with the lower AC3 rating, which is used for various motor applications. However don’t quote me on that, this is just my understanding from online resources.

          Reply

  8. Hello there Robin hope things are well! I am slowly accumulating all the items to build my controller setup. My plan is to use 2 separate enclosures, one for the 120V so the VFD, main contactor, etc and then one for the stepper drivers and transformers. My idea is to run 1 DIN mount transformer for each stepper. Now I have 2 steppers on my Y axis so should I run them off the same PSU? Will it matter if they each have their own supply? Next question is what ferrules do you use on the ends of wires? I need them to fit in those PTFIX connectors. I ended up going for the DDCS Expert with the M3K keyboard and Im a bit confused. I ordered the 4 axis kit but the controller they sent me has 5 axis on it. Do you think that they made a mistake and gave me the wrong one by accident? Has anyone else ordered an Expert and gotten more axis than they ordered? So I am sticking pretty close to what you did Robin as its an excellent design! Oh and I am having a nightmare getting some enclosures!!! I tried ordering them from the place in the USA but they wont ship to Canada so I went through another company that will forward it to me (for a nice sized markup of course) so I paid them and a week later they cancelled the order and I have no clue why! So I still am looking for enclosures. Thanks so much for the assistance you provide! Jason.

    Reply

    1. Hi, thanks for the compliments. The new expert controller seems very nice, I hope it works for you. You should be able to combine 2 or more drives on a single power supply, works fine for me as well. For practical reasons you might want to choose several smaller ones, might even be cheaper, but if you can find a larger one for a good price that should work. I bought an assortment box of ferrules. Quite cheap and you will then see which ones you use most and get them separately. The ptfix blocks I used go up to 2.5mm squared, even with ferrule. There is also a smaller size which I believe goes up to 1.5mm2 but these are less common. An extra axis on your controller should not be an issue even if you don’t need it. Odd they made this mistake or they maybe ran out of 4 axes models. Have you looked on Amazon for enclosures? At least in my country they have a good selection of cheap enclosures. Cheers, Robin

      Reply

  9. Robin
    I have a Pacer Comet CNC which I want to upgrade to a more up to date controller.
    As I am not at all electronically minded, your videos are first class but above my knowledge of electronics.
    Can I ask if you build this controller for sale?

    Reply

    1. Hi David, thank you for your compliments on the controller. I am unfortunately not planning to sell any controllers. For me this is just a hobby where I like to share some of my projects. Hope you can find something that is commercially available.

      Reply

  10. Hey Robin so you said you used a Dymo label printer for labelling the enclosures. Man there are quite a few to chose from! I got the Dymo Rhino 5200 as it says that it works with those shrink wrap connectors that you fit on the wires inside the boxes. Is this the model that you are using as well? I wonder how long once removed from the plastic packaging will these label cartridges last? Thanks for all the help! Jason.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jason,

      I have a simple label printer that does not support shrink wrap labels unfortunately. (I think it is the label manager 280). Now I kind of regret not getting a model that also does shrink wrap labels, which is a very nice option to keep wires organized and prevent mistakes. Thanks for the tip, will put that on my whish list. About the shelf life of the labels, I have not had any issues with older Cartridges, they should last for many years.

      Robin

      Reply

  11. Hey Robin thanks for help with the labelling issue! I will buy one soon. I have another question and I just want to be sure I get this right so I dont have a safety issue. Where I am I have no 240V power. So I am going to operate my machine with 2 separate 120V circuits. My box will have 2 power connections 1 will power the spindle and 1 will operate everything else. I will just put the spindle on a relay and I will wire that into the safety circuit. My question is about the Siemens main contactor and surge suppressor. Would I use the same parts if on a 120v circuit? Thanks, Jason.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jason, you can use this type of contactor also at lower voltages, but for lower voltages the current goed up for any given power required by the components like the spindle. Make sure to stay within the current limits of the contactor. The spec sheet can be found on the Siemens site. Sorry I cannot give specific advice for different voltages in combination with your components as I don’t want to be held accountable for other machines. If in doubt please ask a licenced electrician in your area. Sorry, but I am not a licenced electrician and as such can’t recommend specific components to people for their situation.

      Reply

  12. Hello Robin I love your work! Top Notch! One question is what did you use to label things on the outside of your enclosure?

    Reply

  13. Hello Robin,
    thanks for sharing your experience.
    I’m starting to build my own CNC router
    Your videos and descriptions are very helpful.
    I have question:
    In the video (Part 3 -Power socket and relay for coolant pump) you speak about a Phoenix Contact relay, may you give the reference of it?
    Thanks in advance for you answer

    Reply

  14. Hallo Robin,

    Dankzij jouw testfile ben ik weer een stuk verder gekomen.
    De brandende rode leds op de drivers waren het gevolg van een te lage spanning 12V ipv 48V.
    Per abuis de verkeerde voeding gekocht op AliExpress.
    Eén driver geeft nog een aarzelend rood en of groen brandende led, ik vrees dat deze driver defect is.

    Ik ben nu aan het testen met 1 stappenmotor.
    Zonder belasting werkt deze goed, maar met de schroefspindel er aangekoppeld, gaat de motor slippen. Draait dus te snel.
    Vraag: Hoe staan bij jou de dipswiches van de drivers?

    Het aansluiten van de MPG lukt (nog) niet.
    Hoe kan ik zien of de MPG voeding heeft? Moet het lampje op MPG branden?
    Nadat ik wat had veranderd aan de settings van de MPG in de DDCS ging er een alarm af. Deze hoge pieptoon was zo ondragelijk dat ik een gehoorbeschermer moest pakken om de MPG op inactief te zetten.
    Enig idee wat hier fout gaat?
    Wat zijn de belangrijkste settings voor de MPG?
    Hoop niet dat ik het soldeerwerk van de MPG connector moet overdoen, dit is een van de lastigste klussen uit jouw filmpjes.

    Ik heb de machine van Boo Tec nagebouwd (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMcblAB_fe0).
    Deze heeft 2 stappenmotoren op de X-as.
    Ik wil deze aansluiten op een extra driver en dan de signalen van de DDCS 1 op 1 doorlussen van de eerste X-as driver.
    Kan dit zonder problemen?
    Ik lees ook ergens op Internet dat je ook 2 motoren op 1 driver kan aansluiten zolang er genoeg stroom is.
    Hoe denk jij daarover?

    Reply

    1. Hoi Ben,

      Het loopt dus niet helemaal gesmeerd helaas. Ik hoop dat je eruit komt. Gewoon doorgaan met Trouble Shooten dan moet het uiteindelijk lukken. Ik heb even naar de dip switches gekeken in mijn opstelling. Voor de open loop drivers staan de switches op: 1aan, 2uit, 3aan, (2.7A peak) 4aan, (full current) 5uit, 6aan, 7aan, 8uit. (2000 steps per revolution).
      Voor de blauwe HBS57 stepper driver staan ze als volgt: 1uit, 2aan, 3aan, 4uit, (2000 steps per revolution) 5uit (Counter Clockwise Direction)

      Te lage spanning kan ervoor zorgen dat electronica Defect raakt, dat lijkt er in jouw geval op. Mogelijk ook voor degene die wel gewoon een groene led laat zien. Maar misschien heb je wel succesey bovengenoemde settings. Zorg er wel voor delat DDCS controller ook goed ingesteld staat, zie motor parameters 34, 35 en 36, uitleg in PdF op mijn site.

      Voor de MPG kan je het best alle connecties opnieuw controleren met een voltmeter om te zien of je daadwerkelijk de juiste pins hebt gesoldeerd. Bij mij brandt de LED op de MPG ook niet maar werkt wel gewoon. Verder geen aandacht besteed aan het werkend krijgen van de LED. Ik weet ook. Iets of alle MPGs op AliExpress op dezelfde manier bedraad zijn, dus is ook goed de handleiding van jouw MPG nog even pin voor pin door te lopen.

      2 drivers op 1 as van de DDCS aansluiten kan denk ik wel, echter ik heb het zelf niet geprobeerd. Proberen op eigen risico.

      Hopelijk kan je hier wat mee. Groeten,

      Robin

      Reply

  15. Hallo Robin,
    Als “absolute beginner” is het me gelukt om alle electronica aangesloten te krijgen. Elke onderdeel is nieuw voor mij, dus dat was een super leerzaam traject, dat naar meer smaakt.
    Maar nu hoe verder?
    Hoe maak ik een test file, laden testfile, testen X,Y,Z as Instellen/ gebruik remote conrol? Instellen/gebruik van touch probe? Hoe werkt de DDCS 3.1? Informatie op internet is karig. Kortom ik denk dat er nog behoefte is bij jouw volgers voor een 4de film waarin bovenstaande vragen worden beantwoord. Heb je hier nog tijd en energie voor? m.v.gr. Ben

    Reply

    1. Hoi Ben, bedankt! leuk om te zien dat het nuttig is geweest om je eigen project werkend te krijgen. Je hebt helemaal gelijk, er is nog veel meer te vertellen over de werking van de DDCS en accessoires. Ik heb er tot nu toe niet de tijd voor genomen er nog een video van te maken. Dit was een vrij tijdrovend project, dus wilde even met wat andere dingen bezig om op de site/YouTube te zetten. Ik ben de afgelopen maanden in de vrije tijd bezig geweest om een draaibank om te bouwen naar een andere besturing en zit daar nog volop in, dus ik verwacht niet dat ik binnenkort een nieuwe video maak over de DDCS, maar ik vind het wel een goed plan dus ik houd het in gedachten (no promises). Als je in de tussentijd ergens mee vastloopt dan kan ik wel proberen je te helpen. Groeten! Robin

      Reply

    2. Nu alles aangesloten is komt er nog geen beweging in de stappenmotoren, dus nu alles zorgvuldig nalopen.
      Per abuis heb ik de parameter 33 Motor Start Speed aangepast.
      Op welke waarde moet deze staan?

      Op de drivers branden zowel de groene als de rode led continue. Is dit correct? of hoort de rode led niet te branden?

      Is het inladen van G-code verplicht of of kan ik met de functie “Manual step the X axis” ook al de X-as stappenmotor in werking zetten. (manual 3.3.3.1)

      Is het mogelijk dat je mij 1 van jouw testbestanden kan mailen

      Alvast bedankt.

      Reply

      1. Hoi Ben,

        Bij mij staat parameter 33 op “50.000” unit/min (waarbij unit bij mij “mm” is, ingesteld via parameter 115). Ik heb deze niet aangepast dus dit is als het goed is ook de factory default.
        Op de stepper drivers hoort alleen de groene LED continu te branden als deze aan staan, ook zonder beweging. De rode LED brandt alleen bij een alarm.
        Je kunt de machine vrij bewegen als alles goed werkt. Dit kan in “STEP”, “MPG” of “CONT”, step en MPG kunnen gewoon met de knoppen op dde besturing zelf voor elke as.
        Belangrijk is wel dat in het 2e vakje linksboven “Ready” staat. Ik stuur je straks het testbestand met de vierkant en cirkels die te zien is in een van de video’s.
        Als ik je verhaal lees lijkt er iets niet goed met de aansluiting van de stepper drivers. Heb je ze wel aan DC spanning hangen die valt binnen de range die op de stepper driver staat aangegeven? Verder moet de “enable” terminal NIET worden doorverbonden. Als je hier dus niets op aansluit dan werkt de driver. Verder is het misschien goed alle bedrading nog eens langs te lopen of alleen DC ingangsspanning aansluiten en de rest loshalen, dan zou de driver ook gewoon alleen een groene LED moeten laten zien. Ik hoop dat het hiermee lukt. Groeten, Robin

        Reply

  16. Hi, I watched your videos on Youtube, its very well made! Thank you that you did them.

    Would you be please so kind and share the links where you bouhjt DDCS, drivers and stepper motors (the hybrid ones)?

    Thanks a lot!
    Vojtech

    Reply

    1. Hi, I bought both from AliExpress: the DDCS from NEWCARVE, but they no longer have it available. Other vendors on AliExpress still sell it. The closed loop stepper came from MASTER JIANG 3SMT Store, but it there are many similar (same?) Steppers available from other vendors. It is the NEMA 23 servo stepper motor 57HSE3N+HBS57 closed loop hybrid stepper set. Hesitant to share links as I am not sure if they can be linked back to my account but you should be able to find it. I think many other steppers also work but I read good things about the HBS57 driver so I looked for a set with this driver.

      Reply

  17. Dear,

    can you tell me is it possible to connect mechanical switcher (NC) on DDCSV3.1. so that homing switcher is also works as limit switcher.

    Thanks a lot.

    Reply

    1. Hi, I believe you can use the limit switches as homing switch but have not tested this myself. Try parameters #116 to #119. The manual indicates that you can select which input is used to set zero (which should be home the same as the home position but I am not sure). You can test this by setting the desired parameter and manually picking the limit switch in the middle of the slide travel so you still have time to press e-stops in case the machine does not stop with the new setting. Hope this helps.

      Reply

  18. Awesome job! I learned a lot! Just to clarify a point – does the e-stop on your mpg disengage the contactor? Or is it just a soft stop that you reset in software? If you decid in the future to go back to a wireless pendant would your answer still be the same? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Thanks! The e-stop on the pendant is indeed the software type, where the position is still held by the machine. You can press reset and then restart the program from where you left off if needed. The contactor is still on when this e-stop is pressed, because you would loose position of it turned off. The separate e-stop in the yellow box does open the contactor. The mpg e-stop is my preferred option, but could technically be less safe, however with my cheap stepper drives I have no way to cut the power and still maintain position. Note that my approach does not necessarily conform to any machine safety standard, so as a disclaimer I cannot recommend either, this is just how I use the e-stops. For a wireless pendant it should still work, but I am not sure if it looses connection if that would trigger the e-stop. This would be needed as a minimum to keep it safe. I have never tested that with my old wireless mpg.

      Reply

    1. For now, I am just using the standard Mach3 post processor that comes with Fusion 360. Works fine for the basics (motion, spindle and coolant).

      Reply

      1. Lots of good into on this site and videos, thanks. I just converted my OpenBuilds machine to DDCSv3.1, however wondered if you put any mechanism to pause execution when starting up spindle?

        ie. I used to have a delay in g-code, “G4 P3000” after M3 command, but can’t see an option in Mach3Mill for this in post processor.

        Reply

        1. Hi, I did not have such an option either but did some digging and found a solution on an Autodesk forum that works great. Also tested it and it does output a dwell right after spindle start. Works as follows: Edit your post processor in the post library. Insert the following code above the line “// wcs”:
          pVal = (spindleSpeed/2);
          onDwell(pVal);
          In this case if your program uses 5000rpm, the delay will be 2.5 seconds. In my test program this code will add “G4 P2500.” after the S5000 M3 command.
          You can tweak the formula to any value you like, if you want a shorter or langer delay.
          Link to solution by boopathi.sivakumar below:
          https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-manufacture/spindle-not-up-to-speed-before-cutting-starts/td-p/9851591

          Reply

  21. Your controller is beautiful! Thank you for putting the time into describing it so well and sharing all the details.

    I am making a controller for a MPCNC now, a portable version. Instead of the contactor scheme you describe, I am using an inline RCD (residual current device, or GFCI) as my on/off mains switch, and its TEST button serves as the emergency stop. The RESET must be pushed every time I power up, whether it went off because of hitting the TEST button, or by unplugging or power failure (or ground fault). I think it serves all the purposes yours does; please let me know if you feel I have missed something. (I do plan to also have a “pause” button that is like the e-stop on your MPG) Thanks again!

    Reply

    1. Looks like a great project to make a MPCNC. As for the rccb as main switch: the simple answer is I don’t know if this is possible or a good idea. Technically it should work and you also have added protection against earth leaks, but I am not sure if this allowed to be used as an on/off switch or what possible downsides are. If I am not sure about something I can’t say whether or not it is a good idea. Sorry that I can’t help here, Robin

      Reply

  22. Dear Sir

    On this controller are there any parameters to manage the errors caused by the inversion of the X axis for example (same questions for the other axes)

    Thank you four your answer

    Thierry

    Reply

  24. Dir Sir

    thank you for all of these videos
    can you please send the full detailed wiring diagram?
    thank you in advance

    Thierry Gréau

    Reply

  25. Hi, Robin…

    I sent a message on your contact page, then discovered that you had a comment section, so my question is probably better here.

    I’m getting ready to build a CNC router, and want to use an offline control unit like something in the DDCS series (probably the v3.1, or the Expert model). My big concern is about getting g-code from the CAM software to the DDCS, and having it run reliably. From what I have read, there are a handful of g-codes that do not work well with the DDCS, so one must be a bit careful about post-processing.

    I hope to use EstlCAM and DeskProto for most of my CAM work, but will also consider Fusion 360, since it is (for the time being) free. None of these CAM programs have post-processors for the DDCS controllers, so can you recommend any of their listed post-processors that will work reliably with the DDCS?

    By the way, your English is quite good, but practice always makes it better. I lived in Belgium (Wallony, not Flanders) for several years, and my French eventually became passable… but still managed the occasional misuse of the language, like the day I was in the hardware store, and was asking for an “executioner” when what I really wanted was a “wheelbarrow” (“bourreau” vs. “brouette”). We all had a good laugh about that!

    Reply

    1. Hi Dave, thanks for sharing you project plans. The ddcs works fine for me and is nicely compact. The newer models do seem very nice though, it all depends on your budget, available size, etc. I bought mine well over a year ago when the new models were not available, so that made the choice easy. If I had the choice I would probably have gone with one of the newer models but that is just my preference, I think all work fine for a simple cnc router. I am using fusion with a mach3 post processor, works fine, but I have not tested many different G and M codes yet to see if they are compatible, so not sure if it works 100%. If not the post can be modified (another nice adventure).
      Robin

      Reply

  26. Hello Robin,
    thanks for sharing your experience with building your new enclosure that works standalone.
    I have started building my own 3D cnc router beginning of 2020 .
    I have been busy for a long time thinking that the trimming of stepper motors was not okay.
    However, now I know that the problem is due to EMI that my stepper motors moved badly at a certain moment. Your info on building the CNC controler is very helpful.
    I have at this stage 2 questions :
    How did you know precisely that you had lost steps on your X-as stepper motor?
    Are your problems solved with lost steps?

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your feedback. I could sometimes actually hear that missed a step, in my case on the X axis, but could have been on another as well. Apparently this was the most critical in terms of wiring / noise. I have not used the router a lot since the conversion, but with the programs I ran I did not notice any issues anymore with the new controller. Note that my stepper cables outside the housing are unshielded, so if I do have any issues these will also be replaced, but so far so good.

      Reply

  27. I really need your help on this. I’ve been reading all your posted files and your videos and I can’t find how you were able to use your A-axis in conjunction with your y-axis to both works simultaneously to move the gantry? It appears to me that the A is on this system is only to be used as a rotary attachment for a CNC table.

    Reply

    1. Hi Julio, I think there is some misunderstanding. I have not used the A axis as a second motor for the Y-axis. In some controllers the A-axis can be remapped to act as a second Y motor for the gantry, but with the DDCS V3.1 this is not possible and I don’t think it will be. I read a comment on the DDCS forum that they were thinking of a firmware upgrade for one of the other models, bit I have not seen that for this controller. So it might happen, but I don’t expect it.

      Reply

      1. From everything I have read, the Y-axis output power from the DDCS is quite capable of controlling two stepper-drivers in parallel. As long as you are not pushing the stepper-motors so hard that they miss steps, there should be no problem doing this. It does mean that you need to make sure the build is really squared and level, and you might need to do some tweaking to make sure that both Y-axis steppers are “synchronized” to the same full step (if they are “off” a bit, they can end up fighting one another).

        Reply

  28. Hi! I really enjoyed watching you build your electronics enclosure and learned a few things along the way.
    I have a question though. What is the reason you use a 24v power supply to control the contractor instead of just using the mains voltage?

    Reply

    1. This would mean all switches in the circuit would be wired with 230V including the external e-stop. I don’t want to use this kind of voltage in an external e-stop. Maybe it is possible (I don’t know what the standards say on this) but it is just additional risk. If you use only buttons inside the enclosure I think having a 230v contactor would be ok. But also here I am trying to use low voltage as much as possible. These are just my thoughts on this, not sure if others would follow the same approach. Hope this helps,
      Robin

      Reply

      1. Okay, makes sense! That leads me to a follow up question. Why not use the 24v power supply that you use for powering the DDCS to power the contractor? Is there a reason to use a separate power supply just for the contractor?

        Reply

        1. When a contactor disengaged is produces a voltage spike. Short but very high voltage. This is why I did not want it on the same supply as the controller. Meanwhile o have added a surge suppression diode, which eliminates the spike. I now have them on the same power supply. Still have to update article. I am planning to make another video with updates like this one. The surge suppressor is a Siemens 3RT2916-1DG00.
          I am learning as I go along in this project.

          Reply

          1. Okay, that’s nice. Then I will du the same Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! Just like you, I learn along the way

    1. [edited based on your estimate in the youtube comment]
      I did not keep track of the cost, but I would guess less than 1000 euro.
      Estimate:
      DDCS 250,-
      Enclosure 100,-
      4 Stepper drivers 100,-
      Switches, wiring, plugs, fan, contactor, power supplies, etc… Around 300,-
      4th axis 186,-
      Just looked up copied of invoices I could still find and still think/hope it was below 1000 euro. Expensive, but CNC is not a cheap hobby.

      Reply

    1. I got the parts from various sources. If the item is specific to a single web store I mentioned it in the bill of materials. Otherwise you can just Google a part number and go for your preferred supplier.

      Reply

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