Hi, as a newbie in electronic, I would like to connect a Ri3B+ to a cnc shield with 4x4988 made for arduino. I intend to move the motors with python, not GRBL, just with dir/step orders. I would use it to control 4 watch winders. Can I do so by connecting only the dir/step for the 4 motors to the numeric outputs of the Ri3, and some 3.3 or 5v? Having external 12V for the motors ?
Do you think it would work ? Some advise for the connection would be great, thanks
Hello.
I moved your post to the “Motor controller/drivers and motors” section of the forum since it seemed more appropriate.
You can find a minimal wiring diagram under the “Using the driver” section of the A4988 carrier’s product page. Your specific connections will probably depend on your CNC shield, but in general the A4988 carrier has a logic supply voltage of 3V to 5.5V, so you should be able to control it from the GPIO pins on your Raspberry Pi. However, please note that it might not be practical to get precise timing (especially for four stepper motor drivers) using the Raspberry Pi since it does not have a real-time operating system. It should be fine to apply motor power to the stepper motor driver separately.
Brandon