9 - Electronics Assembly |
|
Electronics are an important part of the overall result you are trying to achieve. The included electronics in the Complete Ilios HD Kit were selected as a good combination for those who want to take advantage of the highly accurate motion the machine provides. Please follow these instructions carefully and you should have Ilios up and running in no time. Additionally, please go through the Motion Assembly and Feet Assembly instructions one more time, since the instructions in this article shall be referencing steps, done in those assemblies.
Important: Before installing the electronics on the Ilios machine, please connect everything as shown in the instructions below, go through the Mach 3 Setup instructions and test the electronics. It shall be difficult to remove components and debug a problem if electronics have an issue, especially if you are assembling a machine like this for the first time.
| Step 1 | |
 |
1 x Enclosure 1 x Power Supply 1 x Electronics Board 1 x LPT Cable 1 x Power Cable 1 x Home Switch 3 x Nema 23 Stepper Motors 3 x Cable Busings |
| Before we proceed with the installation, please make sure you have all the above described parts for your assembly. Some may be inside the enclosure, which is closed for shipping reasons, so make sure to check it. |
| Step 2 | |
 |
 |
|
Install the Enclosure as shown in the image above. There are 2 6mm bolts already installed in the pre-drilled locations on the enclosure. Note that there is a nut on each bolt. These nuts are there only to keep the bolts in place. Remove the nuts and screw the bolts on the 6mm Oval Sliding nuts, described in the Feet Assembly. Note: You might need to unscrew one of the Power Supply bolts, to get access to the mounting bolts for the enclosure. Use the supplied Allen Key to tighten them as shown in the image above. |
Mount and bolt on the motors as shown in the image above. The bolts and washers should be already available from the previous assembly instructions. Note the orientation of each motor and where the wires are facing. You naturally can install them in a different configuration if you wish. The Motor Coupling should already be inside each motor mount and tightened to the Spindle Shaft. Note: Please make sure you note the length of each motor cable before installation. The shortest cable should be for the Left Lift Motor. The longest for the Right Lift Motor. The middle length is for the VAT Tilt motor. |
 |
 |
| Install the VAT motor as shown in the image above. Once again, note the orientation of the wires. | The Motor coupling and the VAT tilt mechanism should be installed as shown in the image above. Consult the VAT Assembly Instructions for more details. |
| Step 3 | Step 4 |
 |
 |
| Tighten the Motor Coupling to the Motor Shaft through the openings in the Motor Mount. The orientation in which you installed the Motor Coupling plays a great role in how easily you are able to tighten these bolts. The orientation is described in each assembly instructions article. | Mount the Home Switch as shown in the image. The part to which we are installing the switch is the Left FRONT Motion Frame (the image shows the Back view but it should be installed on the Front frame support) and it should already have the 5mm Oval Sliding nut in the slot, to accommodate the switch installation as described in the Motion Assembly instructions. |
| Step 5 | |
 |
 |
| Guide the Home Switch connector through the lower wire housing. It is big enough to fit the entire connector through. Remove the Rubber seal for an easier fit. Don't forget to guide it through the wire. | Connect the Home Switch as shown in the image above. Note that the BLACK wire should be connected to the First Pin on the Right, in the orientation shown on the image. |
| Step 6 | Step 7 |
 |
 |
| Guide the motor wires through the wire bushings as shown on the image above. There should be plenty of space to fit them through. In which bushing you fit the wires is up to you, since there should be enough cable length to connect them later on. |
Connect each motor to the corresponding connector as shown. The FARTHEST LEFT connector should be connected to the VAT Tilt motor. The other two motors should be connected to the Second or Third connectors (labeled Y & Z). It doesn't matter to which connector you connect each of the remaining 2 Lift motors since they work together and their signals have been linked together. Note the cable colors when connecting, as shown on the image. (This is important) Starting from the Left, the colors are: Blue, Orange, Green, Brown Note: Although nontraditional, connect both Lift motors in parallel as shown on the image. For the particular board i found that this is the optimal setup and performs beautifully. |
| Step 8 | |
 |
 |
|
If you want to experiment, you can connect the motors as shown, to spread their controller loads. Be warned! This configuration, for the motors that are included in the kit, has shown problems since the signals become out of sync and the Lift platform does not remain level as with the recommended configuration. |
As a final step, use the supplied rubber seal, to cover the cables in the slots on the frame. This is purely a decorative step but it helps keep the motor cables nice and tidy. Use the remaining seal as you wish, to cover whatever parts of the frame you think is appropriate. |
| DIP Settings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The board that you received, if you ordered the Complete Kit, should already have the DIP switches set as they should be. But if you want to test out new things, consult the table on your Right for an explanation. |
|
|
Good news about the controller. I am sure you understand my concerns.
About the build platform releaser, is a fantastic idea, and gives to all kit buyers a chance to obtain an extra accesory free of charge, thanks for that!
Lehoi
OSFlyerWiz
Great project and very robust structure, congratulations!
I have read that this cnc controller has some recurrent problems (missing steps, overheating, etc.).
You have noticed this problems in your tests? If it is so, you have a solution to fix it and prevent future problems with this controller?
Forgive me if i insist, but i am considering to buy the complete kit, but this worries me alot.
2 more questions please:
You have plans to make an accesory for quick releasing of the build platform, per example: the one that use the Formlabs 3D printer, or other similar?
And, how much will cost the shipment to Spain (I saw that you usually use DHL in your photos)?
Thanks!
Jorge
Bilbao, Spain
Lehoi
I didn't have any problems with the board if it is set up as described. As you shall see from the description, i connect 2 motors in parallel to a single channel, which increases the load on each controller and still there are no problems. Didn't have any overheating since the controller board is also supplied with a fan on the controller it self as well as an additional fan that i place inside the enclosure. I did note some step issues but only if each motor is connected separately, however, this is the reason the motors are connected as described. Tested with all configurations and so far had no issues with it.
Some have requested a better solution for releasing the build platform and i am working on it. When it is released, i shall send it to everyone who already has the kit, free of charge.
The shipping is calculated automatically in the shop, based on what products you choose. You should see the total sum once all your items are in the cart. I shipped the initial kits that were ordered through IndieGoGo through DHL, however standard shipping is through EMS DataPost as described in the shipping options in the shop.
If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
OSFlyerWiz
RSS