I am looking at upgrading to the redline 65 mm spindle to replacing my router. l have the BB controller and would have to remove my brake out board in order to plug in the VFD cable. I have my router and dust collector plugged into a relay and into the back of my controller.
My question is, how is everyone powering and turning on the dust collector so it will come on and off with the spindle?
Thanks in advance for your help on this. It the only thing that’s keeping me from ordering the Redline Spindle.
One of the simplest ways is to use a remote controlled dust collector outlet. Keep the remote handy right at the controller.
I went from a shop vac, which could be plugged into the controller, to a dust collector which drew more current than the controller could handle. I could have went with a relay, but I already had the remote outlet.
I just used a DB25 splitter cable so you can plug the breakout into one side and the vfd into the other. worked for me so that my tabletop e-stops can still be used through the breakout.
I think I’ll just use a current sensor on the spindle cable and hook it into my Io relay. Only 17$ on Amazon and when the spindle gets power from the VFD the current sensor will turn on my relay that powers my dust collector vacuum
I’ll let you know if this works or not. I just ordered the Redline spindle kit tonight so it will be a while before it’s delivered.
I have a Masso controller which has a receptacle for a router and another for a shop vac. Since I have a spindle, the router side isn’t used. The side for the shop vac is powered by another circuit, but is only rated to 10 amps(it has a 10 amp fuse). My dust collector is 11 amps, so it won’t work on that circuit unless a relay is used.
I asked a similar question if the router receptacle could repurposed for something else and it was noted that the active command was M3 on M5 off, same as the spindle…so it would be hot when the spindle was on. If your dust collector did not exceed the amp rating, it would work. I used mine for a spindle light.
Will the M3andM5 commands be set up in the controller settings and will it add it to the G code each time you run one to turn the spindle on and off? Do I have to turn on the VFD each time I use the CNC or just leave turned on and not worry about power usage while setting idle or will the BB controller turn the VFD on and off when the controller is turned off ?
That’s the one I now have with my router and dust collection vacuum. I will be disconnecting it once I receive my redline VFD and plug in my VFD into the BB controller and using this relay with a circuit sensor on the VFD power cable in order to activate the relay that I have my dust collector vacuum plugged into that will power on as soon as power to the spindle I’d detected. I’m thinking this should work??
I don’t have direct experience with the Buildbotics controller, does it not have I/O ports? Hook up VFD to its spot and then use the I/O to control dust collector with Gcode. Sounds like you have everything you need.
Nothing to hook a relay into to except the 24 pin port that the VFD cable will be taking over
I don’t know enough about VFDs to open it up and make a relay connection or if even that would be possible on the Redline VFD. Would most likely void the warranty anyway.
If the circuit sensor doesn’t work, I’ll just run a manual switch beside my controller to turn it on and off before and after I run the G code
I think you need db25 breakout board. I briefly looked in the manual and there is a section for db25 and a 15pin. Maybe that will give you a leg up. Otherwise I would talk to 1F there has to be an easy way to do it with the BB controller.
The problem is the breakout board connects to the same plug as the VFD on the Buildbotics controller, but he could use one of these
and still plug in the VFD. The current sensor will work I use one to trigger my 220v dust collector, but you have to split off one wire to sense the current because multiple wires will cancel out each other in the sensor. I made a short cable to plug in between the cable from the spindle and the VFD and only put one of the wires through the sensor. Works very well.
I have the 1st ones, older controllers (no LED screen and no 15 pin oI port) I ordered a 25 pin breakout board you put a link to from Amazon, it should be here today . I was looking at the manual and thinking pin 6 has 10v, I’m thinking a wire from pin 6 and wrap it through the current sensor a few times and leave it open ended, then 2 wires from the sensor connections to the relay that my dust collector is plugged into shouldn’t close the relay to give the dust collector power?? Or maybe just one wire to pin 6 and one to a ground pin and then to the relay and eliminate the current sensor altogether? Hopefully it doesn’t blow up my controller or VFD.
I put on wire from the spindle (made my own short cable that plugs between factory cable and VFD) through the sensor and ran the two wires from the sensor to trigger on the relay doesn’t need any power just closes the circuit. any time my spindle is running dust collector runs. If running from the breakout you don’t need the sensor as long as your relay has a 10v coil if pin 6 is actually putting out 10v. I would put a meter on it to check and see. The current sensors run on amperage on the wire going through it so if using the sensor, you would have to make sure that the wire going through it has enough amperage to trigger the sensor.
@Eddie This is the box I made for this purpose. Very simple, the top left wire comes from the VFD out to spindle plug (my homemade cable). I then ran one wire (yellow in this picture) through the sensor back to the top right plug. The top right wire is the factory wire that would normally be plugged into the VFD. This goes to the spindle. The bottom left wire goes to my relay that triggers the contactor on my dust collector in another room. This relay has multiple trigger points as I need to be able to run any machine in the shop and have the dust collector turn on as well as a manual switch when needed. Hope this better explains it for you.
