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Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2024 6:32 pm
by ShawnM
suntravel wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2024 10:59 am
ShawnM wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2024 10:54 am
EVERY power supply in the system needs to have the ground or 0V tied together.
Jep, GND/PE is common regardless of the input voltage...
Uwe
Jep !!

Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2024 11:41 am
by Onawa220
silver2row I had no issues with the 24v optical sensors on my current controller board. I just had to use the resistor the designer specified and I was good.
When you said "I have not added the laser, i.e. as the support for the controller of the laser is officially gone" I'm assuming that was laser manufacturer not Centroid/Acorn that wasn't supporting it?
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 2:58 pm
by Onawa220
I'm a little confused as well where it comes to my Clearpath servo connections. The thread on adding this servo to an Acorn talks about two different BOBs needed to use the error reporting connection from the servos and also to make them plug and play using another board. If I went with the AcornSix would I need those additional boards? I already made connectors to connect from the servo factor cables to my machine cabinet outside and then from there each wire connects to mu current board.
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 3:30 pm
by cnckeith
Onawa220 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2024 2:58 pm
I'm a little confused as well where it comes to my Clearpath servo connections. The thread on adding this servo to an Acorn talks about two different BOBs needed to use the error reporting connection from the servos and also to make them plug and play using another board. If I went with the AcornSix would I need those additional boards? I already made connectors to connect from the servo factor cables to my machine cabinet outside and then from there each wire connects to mu current board.
no.
see the AcornSix to Clearpath connection schematic on the schematic page.
https://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_di ... ix%20clear
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 3:57 pm
by Onawa220
That's what I thought cnckeith but I wanted to make sure. Thank you again.
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 7:35 pm
by cnckeith
even with regular Acorn, all you need is a $7 relay board (not a BOB and no BOB needed) to combine the clearpath drive ok signals.
here is how.
https://www.centroidcnc.com/dealersuppo ... 972.r6.pdf
$7 dollar relay board
https://amzn.to/3A9hgOq
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 8:00 pm
by Onawa220
I'm going to get the AcornSix so I didn't want to order anything else I didn't need and complicate things.
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 8:20 pm
by cnckeith
Onawa220 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2024 8:00 pm
I'm going to get the AcornSix so I didn't want to order anything else I didn't need and complicate things.
great choice. are you ready to order now?
Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 8:22 pm
by Onawa220
just about. Trying to finish up this rebuild and was going to order today but got distracted. Uploaded a few new pics of it

Re: Retrofit My Build Looking at Switching from Mach4 to Centroid System
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2024 6:30 pm
by Onawa220
My order arrived today and now that I'm about to disconnect everything from the other control board I'm having doubts on what I'm needing to do for the Clearpath servo connections. For a board that can control 6 servos why are so many inputs being combined????? I've gone through 3 different control boards in my 10 years and each one had a separate input for each stepper or servo so this kind of blows my mind.
If I'm reading the drawing right I am combining a lot of wires to go into one connection on the AcornSix. It looks like I combine Enable-, Input A-, Input B- and HLDB- and connect them to the pin marked GND on Connector H14?
Then I'm connecting 3 Enable+?