As of right now I've got my machine assembled but have run into an issue with the lengths of the cables running from the control box to the steppers. I am using a Gecko G541 on my 1.5 meter on the X-Axis by 1 meter on the Y-Axis machine with 500 millimeters of Z action in a Landscape Orientation. At present my cables for X and Y are in excess of 10 feet long and 7 feet long for the Z- axis. Does anyone here have any ideas as too how I can reduce the length of my cables?
If you have a CNC with a moving gantry you will have a hard time shortening those cables unless your power supply, stepper drivers, and controller are all mounted on the gantry. This would be difficult to do and add a lot of weight. Plus, then you would need a super long power cord. With my 850 mm X 1500 mm Ox derivative, my Z motor cable and Z limit switch cable are easily probably 10-15 feet long because it has to move along the X axis close to a meter in length plus the cabling for the up/down movement. Then the wires have to run in the drag chain along the Y axis another 1.5 meters. Then I wanted enough cable to go through the table surface to the power/driver/controller box stored under the machine in a cabinet with enough extra to easily work with it with out straining connections. The X axis cables are almost as long minus the distance of the actual X axis. The Y Axis motor and limit cables run directly to the controller box so they are much shorter.
I was thinking of replacing the 20 x 40 mm cross support with something more like a 20 x 80 mm piece and using a large piece of 16 gauge sheet steel to mount my G540 and power supplies to this sheet. I will be using a quiet cut spindle until I can afford a water cooled spindle and I intend on mounting the power supply and control dial to a panel hanging from the rafters.
If it is a belt driven Ox type with the X Y and Z motors all moving with the gantry and your power supply and drivers all move with the gantry, then none of the cables should have to be much longer than the gantry.
