Sherline CNC 4-axis Driver Box and Power Supply 8760

When Sherline developed the CNC system for the mill, we installed the drivers and power supply inside the computer box as a complete package. For those who wish to run the stepper motors on their Sherline CNC-ready machines using a computer other than the one supplied as part of Sherline’s lathe and mill CNC systems, we now offer the driver box and power supply as a separate item.

The anodized aluminum box contains four drivers. Each driver outputs to its own cable, labeled X, Y, Z, and A, that plugs directly into Sherline’s stepper motors. These stepper motors are pre-wired with a plug to match that on the end of the driver box cables, making hookup easy and fast. A 25-pin parallel cable (included) runs from the box to the parallel port on a computer, which you supply. Power comes from an external power supply (included) that plugs into the box.

Also included is a DVD that contains the correct version of the Linux operating system and LinuxCNC control program that Sherline uses in its CNC system, should you wish to install them on your own computer. The operating instructions for CNC and a short course in writing G-code by Joe Martin are also included. The driver box has its own power on/off switch and a bright red LED that indicates when power is on. It operates on either 110 or 220 VAC power (switchable).

Included Components

• Driver box with 4 motor cables
• 3.7 amp, 24-volt power supply with cord
• 25-pin parallel cable*
• 2 CD set with Linux/EMC2, utilities, and instructions
• Two spare fuses

*NOTE: A 25-wire parallel port is required because EMC2 is designed to be capable of running up to six axes simultaneously. Even though the Sherline driver box only uses four of those axes at one time, a 2-wire serial USB port cannot transmit data to multiple axes fast enough for glitch-free CNC operation.

Minimum Computer Requirements

In order to install and run a Linux based system from the disc provided it is recommended the computer have at least the following minimum specifications:

• Processor speed: 800 MHz or faster (Pentium III class or equivalent processor)
• RAM: 512 Mb (Sherline provides 1 Gb)
• Hard Drive: 20 Gb or larger
• 25-pin parallel port (printer port)
• (Laptop computers are not recommended.)

Please note, computer and mill are not included