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Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits

by Tom McWire on August 26, 2007 Table of Contents Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: The Circuit Board of Appeals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Circuit Cloning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Photo Etching a Driver Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: TESTING..1..2..3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Let's Watch it on TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: Linux Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 7 8

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Intro: Easy to build CNC Mill Stepper Motor and Driver circuits
This is a follow up to the Easy to Build Desk Top 3 Axis CNC Milling Machine Once you get the machine all put together its time to make it go. So it's time to drive the motors. And here I've put together a circuit that I think is the absolute cheapest and easiest way to control stepper motors with step and direction signals. It works with many of the free or low cost softwares that produce step and direction signals through the parallel printer port. I'll explain how it works but for those of you who just want to get on with it... The_Next_Step But I would suggest for those of you who are unfamiliar with circuits to do it on a bread board (see pictures). This way you can easly correct any mistakes and try different things. This schematic is just to control one motor so for the milling machine you need 3 of these circuits and 3 motors. From Left to right and top to bottom. I try to draw schematics so that positive voltages are toward the top and ground or negative volge is toward the bottom. Inputs are to the left and outputs to the right. Fist off the voltage that you are going to use to run the motor needs to be stepped down and regulated for the logic chips. I used a 6.2 volt Zener to do this because it's low enought for the logic chips to receive the signals from your printer port and high enough for the outputs to drive many of the standard power FETs, so you may not have to use logic FETs like the schematic shows. So the resistor R1 drops the voltage, the Zener diode regulates it to 6.2 volts and the capacitor C1 filters out any noise from the motor, and this voltage powers the two IC's. The first IC (CD4516) is called an up/down counter. One signal from the printer port will tell the counter if it will count up or down and the other signal, called step, will increment or decrement the counter by one count. Now were only going to use two outputs from the counter Q1 and Q2. With this binary counting method there are only 4 combinations of output from the counter: 00, 01, 10, and 11. These lines are fed to the A and B inputs of the other IC (CD4028) which decodes these combinations to 4 seprate outputs. I did a trick here using the C input to work as an Enable input. If the Enable(optional) is connected to the parallel port and the computor tells it to shut off all of the outputs to the FETs will go low(Off). So the four outputs of the decoder drive the FET transistors and the FETs drive the four poles of the motor. Now everybody wants to know what the light bulb is for. Its not so much whether you use a bulb or a resistor, its that a bulb comes with a socket. You can get these wedge base light bulbs from 1 watt to 20 watts. Start with may be a 4 watt bulb and if you find you need a little more beef you just pull it out and put in a 10 watt bulb. It's really handy. And I found it's good to have some voltage drop there as kind of a ballast for the motor windings. The diodes catch some of the current that comes out of the motor each time the FET transistors turn off. The diode feeds this current back to the supply. When you get the circuit up and running find a power supply that puts out more voltage than you really need and then change out light bulbs till you get it running smoothly. Some of my stepper motors are 5 or 6 volt and some are 12 volt but it all works out.

File Downloads

C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\StepCheap1.pdf (37 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\StepCheap1.pdf']

C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip (34 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip']

C:\Projects\StepCheapPartsList.rtf (2 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\StepCheapPartsList.rtf']

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Step 1: The Circuit Board of Appeals

OK here's what your all looking for. I made a simple PC board layout that includes 3 motor driver circuits connected to a 25 pin D sub Parallel printer port connector. Here's a picture of the layout. At the top of the picture you see a place for a voltage regulator. You can use that or you can put a resistor and Zener Diode in its place(like the schematic shows). On the right edge is a place for the 25 pin D-sub connector that connects to the parallel printer port. You just jam the PC board between the two rows of pins and solder it. On the left side are places for the lamp sockets. You need to look over the schematic to see where some of the parts go but it's all there.

File Downloads

C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3D.zip (16 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3D.zip']

C:\Documents and Settings\Tom\Desktop\StepCheap3DBOT.pdf (30 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Documents and Settings\Tom\Desktop\StepCheap3DBOT.pdf']

C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip (34 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\StepCheap3D_PCB_GodeC.zip']

Step 2: Circuit Cloning

If you have a time machine you can go to the future and ask yourself to make the circuit board with the finished machine and then bring it back and finish building the machine. After a couple of tries I got the board to come out pretty good. The machine routes what are called isolation paths which means it seperates the copper that is associated with a conductive path from all the other copper around it. This leaves some areas of the board that are not associated with a path still covered with copper. You could leave this extra copper on there but when your soldering it is easy to get solder bridges across the isolation paths and short circuit something. So I take the soldering iron and touch it on the excess copper and peal it up off the board. It makes the board more like what you would get if you chemical etched it or bought it from a board house(see below). Any way look over the schematic and place the parts accordingly. I added a few capacitors along the power lines just for general principals. There were so few traces on the top side of the board I didn't bother milling it. I just used jumper wires. See the pictures below of the populated board. All the little FETs ligned up like marching soldiers.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Step 3: Photo Etching a Driver Board

OK, For all you chemistry majors who want to do something a little more professional here are some .pdf files you can print out and iron on or what ever you do to make an etched PC board. There's a Top Silk (just for reference), Top Copper, and Bottom Copper. If you want to go easy Just do the Bottom Copper. There's not that much on the top and you can just solder jumpers where you need to.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

File Downloads

C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3Dsilk.pdf (9 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3Dsilk.pdf']

C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DTop.pdf (28 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DTop.pdf']

C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DBot.pdf (30 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'C:\Projects\Milling\Mill_Drive\Schem-PCB\StepCheap3DBot.pdf']

Step 4: TESTING..1..2..3
Don't be nervus. It's just a little electricity. First off it would be good to load up the KCAM (or what ever you plan on using) in your computor. Then when you feel comfortable that all the parts are in the right place plug the parallel port connector into the driver board(as shown below) and put a low wattage build in the socket for the motor. In this case I'm using middle, the Y axis driver. For power I like to use one if these universal power adapters with selectable voltage output. They're cheap and they don't put out a lot of current so if something goes wrong it's less likely to damage your circuit. Set the voltage low and see if you have some vlotage on the power pins(16) of the CD4516 and the CD4028. If you don't have a volt meter just take an LED and tie a 10K(BRN,BLK,ORN) resistor to the positive(the long leg) and wire to ground tied to the negative(the short leg). Now you can use this as a probe to see where you have voltage. It will be very dim but we don't want to draw too much current away from the circuit. Now go into the computer program and find the Setup Table. Set the steps per inch to 1000. Then open the CNC control and set the single step for .001 inch and activate the single step mode. Now each time you click the yellow arrows (up and down for the Y axis) the computor will output one pulse to the stepper motor driver circuit. Put your LED probe on pin 10 of the CD4516. This is the up down input. When you click the up arrow the input will be low(LED off) and when you click the down arrow the input will be high(LED on). Pin 15 is the step input you will see a very short blink each time you click a n up or down arrow on this pin. Pin 6 is the Q1 output. It will change state(high/low) each time you click an arrow. And Pin 11 is the Q2 output. It will change state every other time you click an arrow. On the output side of things we should see some activity on the CD4028 chip. Putting your probe on any of the output pins 1,4,6,or 7. These outputs drive the FETs. You should see the output go high every 4th time you click the up or down arrow. If this all makes sense so far it's time to get the motor running. The common wire or wires of the motor which are the center tap of the windings should be connected to the light bulb. The other four wires should go to the four FETs on the circuit. If you are really lucky you will get the combination just right in the first couple of trys. Other wise just keep switching the wires arround until the motor steps in the same direction each time you click the arrows. Watch the video in the next step. It may give you a better idea what to do.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Step 5: Let's Watch it on TV

I just like watching a video better than doing a bunch of reading. Hope this is helpfull. Good luck with your projects. If the movie doesn't show past this link into your browser. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUyqscxLJ4k

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Step 6: Linux Users

I'm not a Linux user yet but I have played with it enough to be dangerous. But for you Linux users Chaddcurtis has contributed some setup files and information to help you use Linux CNC with the parallel port and this circuit board layout. Thanks a lot Chad and more power to you.

File Downloads

Linux_stepper.zip (7 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Linux_stepper.zip']

Related Instructables

Make your own cnc controller by charcoal999

Hobby cnc by mraspotcnc

How to make a mini milling machinemanual or CNC! by Honus

Mostly selfHow to wire an reproducing 3arduino-based axis CNC 3-axis CNC milling machine by machine(SHELVED aggrav8d PROJECT) by ebidk

CNC Driver Board (Multi axis) by samr37l

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 1197 comments

zhr says:
hi...I've just done my board but I need stepper motors...I've found some one but they are with 4 wires...can I use them???

Mar 17, 2011. 7:25 AM REPLY

woodspinner says:
no, this needs unipolar motors with 5,6 or 8 wires

Mar 17, 2011. 6:58 PM REPLY

DOutsider says:

Mar 8, 2011. 6:01 PM REPLY Hello everyone I need some help for the components please, what are C3 C4 C5 and C6? They don't appears on the components list. Somebody can help me please? I solder my circuits today and I see I don't have these components.

woodspinner says:
.1 uf, happy soldering

Mar 9, 2011. 3:04 PM REPLY

DOutsider says:
Thank you very much. I use a 12v power supply but does on this circuit board the tension is about 12v to the motors? If yes, how can I lower the supply voltage of the motors to 4.1v please?

Mar 10, 2011. 11:17 AM REPLY

woodspinner says:

Mar 10, 2011. 12:40 PM REPLY dont reduce the voltage to the motors, their voltage rating means almost nothing, only the amperage matters within reason

DOutsider says:
I don't understand why their voltage means almost nothing? I got 1amp per phase. What is the voltage of the motors when we use a 12v power supply on this card? Too high voltage or too low is bad for the motors,

Mar 11, 2011. 5:31 PM REPLY

woodspinner says:

Mar 11, 2011. 7:09 PM REPLY Stepper motors in particular are given arbitrary voltage ratings, these ratings are not the optimal voltages to run them at which generally is 20-30 times their rated voltage. Its the amperage that has to be accounted for to keep from harming the motors or more exactly the coils in the motors, thats where the bulbs come in to play, they not only limit the amperage flowing to the motors they also handle the flyback current that comes out of the coils when you cut power to that phase. my motors are rated at 3v 1.2 amp, I'm currently running at 36v and about 1amp, my speed and acceleration are great. And my motors get warm but not to hot to handle so their not being overpowered.

DOutsider says:

Mar 12, 2011. 3:52 PM REPLY Ok thank you very much, I got a dc power supply about 12v 20amp with the same circuit board so I can use my 3 stepper motors 4.1volts 1amp with this card? I have one last question I have to use 12v bulbs but how do I choose the wattage of my light bulbs?

woodspinner says:

Mar 13, 2011. 9:31 AM REPLY Ok thank you very much, I got a dc power supply about 12v 20amp with the same circuit board so I can use my 3 stepper motors 4.1volts 1amp with this card? Yes. I have one last question I have to use 12v bulbs but how do I choose the wattage of my light bulbs? One amp at 12 volts = 12 watts, I'd suggest being concervative and shoot with 11 watts.

DOutsider says:
Thank you again ^^.

Mar 13, 2011. 4:44 PM REPLY

James Cavan says:

Mar 16, 2011. 3:49 PM REPLY Sorry to hijack but is the bulb just to force the current through the motors to the value you want? Surely there is a p.d. drop across the bulb which lowers the p.d. across the motor? Or am I way off?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

woodspinner says:
the primary purpose of the bulbs is to limit the current going to the motors.

Mar 16, 2011. 4:51 PM REPLY

ziggalo says:
does anyone know if this machine would work with a cardBus parallel port adapter like this http://www.eforcity.com/pdb25p1pbus1.html?efprcggbadtf110313=sc+gb+pdb25p1pbus1 ? I want to be able to run this from my laptop, which does not have a parallel port

Mar 14, 2011. 1:32 AM REPLY

CMNDR says:
Hello guys,

Nov 21, 2010. 9:45 AM REPLY

I'm in the process of getting the driver board complete as well as the actual machine. While attempting to set up EMC2 for this board, the pin out can't be matched perfectly to the board, as there is no X-enable, Y-enable, or Z-enable in the software config. Is it perfectly necessary to have an enable for the motors to work and I need to find some other software to use or should the control board still function without the computer sending a signal to the enable pins? Thanks.

woodspinner says:
I do know, that not all drivers even use an enable, and tom did mention that the enables were optional at some point.

Nov 23, 2010. 10:18 AM REPLY

Moomba champ says:

Sorry to do this but i really want a reply Can i substitute the mosfets for some kind of transistor

Nov 23, 2010. 10:10 PM REPLY

01santaman says:

Mar 12, 2011. 8:45 AM REPLY Moomba If you haven't gotten the mosfets yet you can get then from Digi-key for under $10.00 and they will ship them through usp for around $3.00 Nov 24, 2010. 11:38 AM REPLY In all honesty I couldn't tell you exactly. While it might be possible to use a transistor in place of the mosfets, you would have to be cautious of the current and the switching speed of the transistor. Like I said I couldn't tell you with 100% certainty that you can or not but those would be the two main things to consider when switching out that component.

CMNDR says:

CMNDR says:

Nov 23, 2010. 2:03 PM REPLY Ok, thanks. So I went to test one of the axis as I'm close to completing all three, and when I hooked up the parallel port, I was unable to get the motor to spin... I have a setup where I moved the drivers receptor parallel port off of the board, and used stranded wire to attach the pins to the correct places... do you know if the fact that stranded wire and data don't play nice would cause the motor not to move, or should I look elsewhere for a different problem?

slayer04 says:
does it matter what kind/brand of stepper motor I use?

Mar 9, 2011. 9:31 PM REPLY

woodspinner says:
use unipolar stepper motors with 5,6 or 8 wires.

Mar 10, 2011. 12:42 PM REPLY

DOutsider says:

Mar 10, 2011. 11:23 AM REPLY Hello the brand of the motor doesn't matter but you can only use unipolar motor with this circuit. Unipolar motors can have 5 or 6 wires, you can wired a unipolar motor with 6 wires like a 5 you've got the 4 extremities of the coils and you put together the two other wires.

zopatch says:
Is there any replacement to RFP12N10L?

Mar 9, 2011. 7:24 AM REPLY

seventhsensestudios says:
I have a Soyo 12V unipolar six wire Stepper Motor and I'm wondering if this circuit would work.

Feb 21, 2011. 2:42 PM REPLY

I'm just learning electronics so, given a 12V power supply, wouldn't the other components drain voltage away from the motor, making it possibly not work? Just wondering as this board doesn't look too complicated even for me. Thanks!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

bilal_dmx says:
More images , breadboard + Logic trainer.

Feb 21, 2011. 8:28 AM REPLY

bilal_dmx says:

Feb 21, 2011. 8:19 AM REPLY Made and done! We isolated the problem causing component. It was the stupid CD4028 Decoder. Apparently the ones I got were chinese and very fake. They only work once or twice and then refuse to work at all. There was no problem with the FETs nor the counter. We have totally reverse engineered this and understand this controller from start to finish. As such we have made our own version of it and we may further refine the electronics on this circuitry to include gate drive circuitry so the FETs may operate in the saturation region. This will allow me to add indicator LEDs. Also I use a fairchild decoder and a motorola counter with my controller and it works superbly. We implemented this on vero and tested it with the computer and as a standalone drive. The problem here is that people try to copy this off without understanding or attempting to understand the electronics. You will not be able to troubleshoot this circuit.

chony420 says:

Sep 3, 2010. 10:17 PM REPLY Here is mine, i have some problem yet, but working on it, it work just to one side, the direction pin aperantly not working, in kcam, and with the paralell port tester. I think the problem is the stepper motor, becouse i take it from an old printer, i will buy a new one on monday to test. Here is my circuit board.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

Serek_1 says:
I think the board is made wrong... Its made as a mirror. I've made today the same, I've noted it after drilling the holes.

Feb 19, 2011. 11:54 AM REPLY

chony420 says:

Sep 3, 2010. 10:27 PM REPLY In the top black image of the tutorial appears the componenets and how they goes. In that image you have all the information to make the circuit board.

chony420 says:

Sep 3, 2010. 10:22 PM REPLY Video Comming soon!!!!! It woks, it give the pulse to the pin and the stepper motor make 1 step every pulse, but cant change direction yet. When i fix that i will upload video.

astrole says:

Feb 3, 2011. 10:51 PM REPLY hello i have constructed this controller with some modifications such as i opto-isolated the logic circuit from power Mosfets and instead of zener diod i am using voltage regulator with resistance in series to limit the current. the circuit is working fine i have checked the step sequence its perfect. the problem arise with motor i am using 2.2V stepper motor with 3A per phase 1.8 degree step. In kally cam i am using 2800 steps per inch as per my requirements i have used 12V to 50V at 3A but not been able to resolve my problems as 1)the motors getting too hot in a 4 min run 2)motor skip steps after 15IPM 3)there is strange noise with the motor and its vibrating too much i tested with different motors but got the same noise every time some how i read some articles and they say there might be a possibility that with the micro-stepping i can increase the speed and get rid of noise any help on this matter would greatly appreciated

woodspinner says:
1-too much current to motors the only other I can help with is that this controller wont do microstepping. John

Feb 17, 2011. 8:17 AM REPLY

erollitse says:

Feb 11, 2011. 2:12 AM REPLY hi guys!! im new here in instructables. actually i utilize the circuit controller for a CNC lathe machine. the circuit performs well until several trials, i found out that my irf630nn gains temperature as my machine operates. what should i do with this? also, i placed a heat sink to the MOSFET's the results made the rectifier diodes in my power supply to burst with heat. can you give me a piece of advice with this problem. your advices will be deeply complemented. Feb 5, 2011. 6:35 PM REPLY

emihackr97 says:
Hi, Can I use a USB to PARALLEL (CENTRONICS) converter?? What are the light bulbd for??? can't i just remove them?? thanks 4 answering.

bilal_dmx says:

Jan 27, 2011. 8:54 AM REPLY We are trying to implement this board for a university project , an industrial automation course basically. We are testing this circuit on the trainer and are currently supplying the CLK pin of the counter with a continuous square wave. We then took the outputs from the decoder and plugged them into LEDs. The sequence was absolutely perfect. The problem came with the MOSFETs , we are using 12N60 in place of 12N10 and they donot seem to switch properly. We connected the gates of the MOSFETs to the output of the logic circuitry and thus each time a 3.25-5.25 V is passed to the gate it should short the drain and source to ground the coil and charge it , hence moving the motor. The issue arises here....12N60 http://www.utc-ic.com/spec/12N60.pdf(datasheet for reference) is not swtiching properly. We connected the MOSFETs independently and simply passed a 15 V to the gate and took a wire from the drain and input it to the motor..the motor just vibrated. Can someone tell me a suitable replacement for 12N60 ? 12N10 is not available here...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

bilal_dmx says:

Jan 28, 2011. 6:07 AM REPLY Ok we replaced the 12N10 with an IRFZ44 and the motor is giving a beautiful response. The problem is that , when I connect the MOSFETS to all the 4 coils (in correct sequence ) the motor gets stuck. However , using the MOSFET switches individually ,giving a 4V gate voltage and then attaching the drain causes it to function properly. The motor shaft jerks towards the charged coil.

bilal_dmx says:

Jan 28, 2011. 8:22 AM REPLY OK , so I managed to move the motor successfully , in a clockwise direction! :) I removed the diode that was connected with the motor source (freewheeling diode). Then I suppose , the MOSFETs were not receiving ground properly! So what I did was , directly ground the MOSFET gates on the logic trainer , then individually move the ground pin to the voltage source (the IRFZ44 's Gate threshold voltage is about 5V impressive). So the gate voltage when applied in the correct sequence moved the motor correctly ! SO far the MOSFET switching mechanism is working flawlessly!! To make it clear i am only driving the motor using the MOSFETs. Directly applying the voltage at the gate while grounding the rest of the gates.. Anyone with knowledge on this PLEASE please comment!

woodspinner says:
are you bread boarding this? any pictures?

Jan 28, 2011. 4:49 PM REPLY

munymuny200 says:
do you think you could use a usb port?

Jan 25, 2011. 6:57 PM REPLY

woodspinner says:
no, a usb port will not work with this driver

Jan 26, 2011. 6:17 PM REPLY

munymuny200 says:
if there are any drivers with a usb schematic please let me know

Jan 27, 2011. 5:30 PM REPLY

munymuny200 says:
my computer dosent have a parrarell port?

Jan 25, 2011. 6:58 PM REPLY

jmrgn693 says:

Dec 18, 2010. 7:56 PM REPLY Hi I am getting the parts together for this board. My question is what are the values of C3-6 and are they needed because I don't see them in the schematic or the parts list but they are shown on the board and all photos I've seen. Thanks Jim

No1Daemon says:
.1 uf or thereabouts

Jan 21, 2011. 10:25 PM REPLY

No1Daemon says:
Hi all

Jan 21, 2011. 8:28 PM REPLY

I wasn't paying due attention when I built this circuit and I have soldered the end of the diodes to the part of the board where the stepper motor wires go. The diodes are supposed to be soldered directly next to them. I can't see it will change anything but can anyone see a problem with soldering the stepper motor wires next to the diodes? I have marked the 2 positions I am referring to under the mosfets. Thanks Steve

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/

woodspinner says:
A salute to tom mcwire and his article for getting me into cnc routers

Jan 17, 2011. 5:36 PM REPLY

phanhuuhoan says:
hey !

Jan 14, 2011. 1:11 AM REPLY

axlrus says:
if i put 24v to input, did i need to change capacitor to 24v too????

Jan 5, 2011. 7:57 PM REPLY

woodspinner says:
John

Jan 8, 2011. 5:06 PM REPLY no, but if you use a voltage regulator instead of the zenier and resistor you wont have problems regulating the voltage to the logic.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-build-CNC-Mill-Stepper-Motor-and-Driver-ci/