Quick Disconnect for Rotary

[Brian Book]

Hello Everyone ... I have a question about using a quick disconnect on my Rotary .... I was informed by the Vendor I couldn't do it on my Machine ?

I have 644XG Controller and a Microstepper Driver M542-05 .... I was thinking about using Microphone Din Coupler ... can anyone come up with a reason not to be able to do this ?

At present I have to disconnect the Y axis at the M542-05 and plug the Rotary in the same place .... it's a real pain and eventually I'm afraid of wearing the pins on the M542-05?

Also I've heard of people having Switches in conjunction with the Quick Disconnects .... would I need to add one and how and why ?

Sorry for all the questions .... I'm still learning :(

Thank You in Advance for any and all input :)

Brian

[Bill George]

Hello Everyone ... I have a question about using a quick disconnect on my Rotary .... I was informed by the Vendor I couldn't do it on my Machine ?

I have 644XG Controller and a Microstepper Driver M542-05 .... I was thinking about using Microphone Din Coupler ... can anyone come up with a reason not to be able to do this ?

At present I have to disconnect the Y axis at the M542-05 and plug the Rotary in the same place .... it's a real pain and eventually I'm afraid of wearing the pins on the M542-05?

Also I've heard of people having Switches in conjunction with the Quick Disconnects .... would I need to add one and how and why ?

Sorry for all the questions .... I'm still learning :(

Thank You in Advance for any and all input :)

Brian

How good are you at wiring and soldering? And since you need to ask how to do this, I would assume your not?

[Brian Book]

Hello Bill .... Wiring isn't so much an issue ... but why would I need to Solder ?

Brian

[John Lifer]

Brian, I've been meaning to post this upgrade (at least that's what I think it is) that Ray Fine put on my machine.
Let me take a few pictures and I'll try and get it done.
Quick notes right now is that my rotary is three wires. (I think some are 4 and this should work it would just take a 4 pole switch.
I have a connector on side, Yes, looks like a din coupler.

Wired from that to one side of a three pole double pole switch that is next to coupler.

Center poles are wired to the y axis output.

I've a different controller, but it is marked U, V and W.

Then the other side runs from switch to the Y stepper motor.

All you really need to add is switch, and connector, wire from connector to the switch, 4"-6" maybe and if not long enough from switch to your controller as you can get to that easily.

I'll add picts later.

[John Lifer]

Here are some pictures.357583
Connection and switch outside
357584Three wires, you might need a four...

357585Inside, the switch, three pole, double throw.center to controller, side to y stepper, and to plug for rotary.
357586Close-up of wiring.
Good luck!

Oh, I guess if you do 4 wires you could use a pair of switches that are 2 pole double throw. Would be easier to source. And yes I ALWAYS switch with power off! Might not have to, but I do!

[Bill George]

Hello Bill .... Wiring isn't so much an issue ... but why would I need to Solder ?

Brian

You said DIN connector for microphone. Your going to need to use either 3 or 4 wires for the stepper motor and it should also have a ground or shield wire. The chassis end you might be able to get with screw terminals. but the cable end I do not think so.

[Rich Harman]

I used Molex connectors. I cut the wires leading to the Y axis motor near the motor at the back of the machine and installed the Molex connectors. When I need to use the rotary I unplug it and then plug in the rotary's stepper. Power off, of course. Otherwise it sits on a shelf.

I'm wondering, how is a switch useful? Are you leaving the rotary in place even when it is not in use?

[Rich Harman]

...need to use either 3 or 4 wires for the stepper motor and it should also have a ground or shield wire.

Why? I've got dozens of stepper motors. Zero of them use shielding or ground wires.

[Lyle Cheredaryk]

Brian
If you are looking for a supplier for switches here is a couple of choices for you:
http://canada.newark.com/eaton/7692k13/switch-toggle-4pdt-15a-250v/dp/04M4787
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/e-switch/1004P3T1B1M1QEH/EG2429-ND/378898

[John Lifer]

Unplugging the rotary is irrelevant. I actually leave mine plugged up most of the time. The switch eliminates opening the base of the machine and unplugging the connector in the stepper controller and plugging in the rotary or vice versa when you go back to standard use. At some point you are going to damage one of those connectors/wires as they are not made to plug and unplug often. And the less I open the base, the less likely to screw something else up....

You just change setting in rdworks, cut off machine, flip switch, turn on machine and go. Easy peasy.

[John Lifer]

Bill, none of mine have shielded wire, I have noticed that at least on my machine, Ray Fine used multiple wire cables rather than individual wires with plastic coil around them as needed (where exposed). This is way better as you can much easier trace and they are more protected.

[Bill George]

Well if you just want to git er done, just put a 4 wire flat trailer female plug on the controller end and use a male ends on the unit stepper motor wiring and rotary wiring. The plugs and wiring can be purchased as a trailer kit, and just use crimp on splices. You don't need a switch, just plug and un-plug as the case would be, with the power off of course. Not the way I would do it, but I was taught at a different school.

[John Lifer]

Love it Bill! Looking at the inside of a few chinese machines, Git'erDone would be a step up!

[Brian Book]

Hi Everyone and Thank You for the replies .... John thanx a bunch for the Pictures .... but what I was thinking if I have my 4 wires from the Stepper Controller and put a Male Din Plug on the end of those and feed it through an opening at the side of my Machine .... and on the Rotary and Stepper Motor put Female Din Plugs .... that way I don't need the Rotary Plugged in when not in use ... also only one can be plugged in at a time.

Make sense ??

Now if I change the Rotary out ( power down of course ) .... and I have the Y axis plugged in and start the machine up and forget to change the program for no Rotary .... is there any possibility of Major damage ?

Thank You

Brian

[Rich Harman]

Now if I change the Rotary out ( power down of course ) .... and I have the Y axis plugged in and start the machine up and forget to change the program for no Rotary .... is there any possibility of Major damage ?

The only things I change in the program for rotary usage is the step value and disabling homing for the Y axis. If I forget to return the settings to normal values the Y axis will remain motionless until commanded to move - then it will move without "knowing" where it is and could possibly crash into the end stops, which is unlikely to result in damage. The lack of homing at startup is a dead giveaway that the settings are not right - pretty hard to miss that.

[Bill George]

Hi Everyone and Thank You for the replies .... John thanx a bunch for the Pictures .... but what I was thinking if I have my 4 wires from the Stepper Controller and put a Male Din Plug on the end of those and feed it through an opening at the side of my Machine .... and on the Rotary and Stepper Motor put Female Din Plugs .... that way I don't need the Rotary Plugged in when not in use ... also only one can be plugged in at a time.

Make sense ??

Now if I change the Rotary out ( power down of course ) .... and I have the Y axis plugged in and start the machine up and forget to change the program for no Rotary .... is there any possibility of Major damage ?

Thank You

Brian

You've got it backwards. The female end should allays be the hot end, (sorry ladies present) as the outlets in your walls are. Things you plug in should be the male end. Either way you can have just one at a time powered and it just won't work right if you forget.

[John Lifer]

No, I don't understand Brian. Where are you putting the connector? Inside where you reach it ?Or on the outside? If outside are just going to run the cable from the stepper motor outside too? (Obviously, the rotary would be outside.) Switch is there to keep y axis cable inside machine.

[Brian Book]

Hi John .... I was going to put the Connector on the inside .... that way when I want to use the Rotary I just unplug the Y axis and plug in the Rotary

Hard to picture I know but in Theory it should work.

Brian

[David Somers]

Brian,

Did Blanca ever say why it can't be wired with a plug?

[Brian Book]

Hi David .... no she didn't ... when I asked why the Rotary didn't have the quick disconnect she said my machine can not be done with them ? .... I just don't understand why it can't?

Brian

[Rich Harman]

Hi David .... no she didn't ... when I asked why the Rotary didn't have the quick disconnect she said my machine can not be done with them ? .... I just don't understand why it can't?


I don't understand either. Maybe they don't want to introduce a potentially driver-destroying feature. If you forget to power down I think you have like a 50-50 chance of blowing up the driver. If the user has to unscrew terminals to change over the wiring it is much more likely that they will have the power off.

[John Lifer]

But Rich, why put on larger machine? Sound like they don't want to change up features or add more complexity to their process.

I did search on the driver and it is a 4 wire driver, no reason not to be able to do it. Motor and controller doesn't care which way they are connected, as long as nothing is changed with power on.

[Lyle Cheredaryk]

John,
This (attached) was a reply to an Email I sent Bryant at Ray Fine about the subject. Seems they class that machine as an economic model. It would be nice if they clearly stated that fact somewhere. If they class it as such, that would explain the lack of plugs in my mind.357793

[Bill George]

;) I doubt its an environmental issue with the machine not being done. Not putting plugs on is a cheap way out for them.

[Lyle Cheredaryk]

Bill
If you are referring to the mention of an environmental problem in my attachment, that is in reference to the NPC and CPPCC sessions their government was holding. It was explaining the delays in making my machine.

[Bill George]

Bill
If you are referring to the mention of an environmental problem in my attachment, that is in reference to the NPC and CPPCC sessions their government was holding. It was explaining the delays in making my machine.

Since there was a period after CPPCC. I read the next sentence as saying environmental issues were the problem. I hope it gets shipped soon regardless!

[Lyle Cheredaryk]

Actually it was just shipped this past weekend and is now on the slow boat to Canada.

[John Lifer]

Let me translate the Chinglish. They can't put connectors on the machine of this size as it will cost them money for machining the cabinet, purchasing and installing the switch and connectors and their margin is already small because they are competing with the other Chinese laser companies for those 'economy' models. Now where RF is failing is to offer ADD-ONS! They don't understand us western folks and that we would probably pay decent money for specific changes. Who has ever bought a car without 50 options? And I know I'd have paid twice or maybe 10 times their cost for the switch and connector to be installed. And for that matter the remote that RDworks offers. Took me 10 minutes and that was including taking off and replacing covers.

[Lyle Cheredaryk]

John,
I would say a perfect translation.

Lyle