I got little bit lost here. I am building plasma cutter. Actually by definition it is even 2.5 axes. But ok, let's say it is 3 axes because i have only X, Y and Z. But on X (or Y whichever is longer) I have 2 motors. One on each side. So literally I have 4 motors. What board do I need? 3 Axis or 4 Axis. I am thinking about these bords 3 Axis 4 Axis i mean there is no problem not a big difference in the price I can simply by 4 Axis to be sure. But my point is to understand. Can I connect 2 motors to one axis and somehow let it spin to opposite directions or I have to use separate axis for that? Another words how second motor is connected?
You are confusing several concepts here. Your machine will have 3 axis, 4 motors, and 2.5D motion. The stated number of axis a board can control should really be thought of as how many different motors the board can drive. And as you have 4 motors, you should be using a 4 axis board. While you can often get away with connecting 4 motors to a 3 axis board, this can lead to poor results as 2 motors connected to a single driver port can overload the circuit.
I see. The boards have to be names like 3-motor or 4-motor control board. I was confused by terminology that this is 4-AXIS board and I was not sure if I can connect to different board axis outputs to physically the same axis. Not it is clear. I need at least 4-axis board. Another question is how do I tell controller that those motors are the same axis and have to spin oposite directions? Is it done on the level of PC controller software like Mach3?
@Serhioormano one of the motors will be "slaved" to the other in your controll software so you will have a x y and z with an additional motor mapped to the y axis. I think it will all become clear once setup you controller in mach 3. Also take some time to study wiring diagrams for your selected controller as well as looking at other builds using the same controller it really round out your understanding of what your dealing with.
always liked the prices of those OMC controllers but im leaning more towards xpro or tinyg with there usb interfaces.
I will be having the same problem in a week or so. I want to use Mach 3 but machine came with XPro board. I'll be watching this thread for more info. thanks guys!
