We use cookies to personalize content, interact with our analytics companies, advertising networks and cooperatives, and demographic companies, provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. Our social media, advertising and analytics partners may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Learn more.
I am assuming that the stock power supply, 400W, for the X-Carve was designed to also run their spindle. Since that is no longer available, what is the minimum current needed to just run Nema 23’s ? I’m trying to see if any of the others offered would work as well.
I’m not worried about using Power Supply Interface PCB since I’m happy to connect directly to the power supply, and a lot of the functionality of that PCB seems to be for their spindle as well,
If you have NEMA23 motors, how much power you need and how much your gShield can get out of them depends on their impedance and rated current. You need 150-200 W for four small (50 mm) NEMA23 motors rated 1.5 to 2 A. With lower impedance motors (such as the 2.8 A motors sold by Inventables as of July 2014), the gShield won’t be able to achieve the rated current, so a smaller supply will do (say, 120-150 W). It may be a good idea to connect the Y motors in series in this case, or to use a four-driver shield.
I don’t know the exact minimum, but I’m personally using a 200W supply at 19.5 volts and seems to be working fine. If I was going to upgrade, I’d really want to step up to a 30V supply for the theoretical additional torque.
The gShield allows 1.75 - 2.5A per channel (average to peak current draw) at 24V, so you will be able to power it with a 24V power supply between 126 - 180W. I would personally use a power supply that allows for the maximum current (180W +), in cases where your stepper motors require a large current surge to move from a stationary position.
