External drivers

Most CNC machines need the power that only external stepper drivers can deliver. We recommend using closed loop stepper drivers whenever possible. We also strongly recommend using a professional vendor for stepper drivers.

Basic configuration

After setting the amps of your stepper driver accordingly, you can configure the driver in the configuration file. Make note that some drivers have a setting for 5v or 24v output; make sure to set this to 5v.

The first two axis of the FluidBoard are always configured as external drivers. A typical configuration for a motor is as follows:

standard_stepper:
  disable_pin: i2so.25
  direction_pin: i2so.26
  step_pin: i2so.27

Troubleshooting

Once configured, check if the stepper driver is moving. If not, your disable pin might need to be inverted. This can easily be done in the configuration file:

  disable_pin: i2so.25:low

If your stepper still doesn't move, check the wiring. You can check the GND and Disable and Direction pins with a multimeter by doing small moves (typically 1mm). If the voltage changes, the wiring is correct. You can also set the feed rate to some small value like 100 to get a better view of the voltage changes.

Pinout

To drive external stepper drivers, you should set the jumper for the corresponding stepper drivers to 5V output. You also need external driver converters, which can be purchased separately.

The 5v position should only be used for external drivers and can destroy your FluidBoard when used with TMC stepsticks.

The pinout for the 2 external stepper axes are as follows:

The pinout for the 4 stepsticks is as follows: