Key Features
- High-performance, 6 axis external motion controller for Mach3 and Mach4
- Step & Direction signals compatible with nearly all step & direction motor drivers
- Designed to be a parallel port replacement
- Does not require any active cooling
The Ethernet SmoothStepper (ESS) is a high-performance, 6 axis external motion controller for Mach3 and Mach4. Because it has a connector that conforms to the Parallel Port standard, it integrates seamlessly with most devices that the Parallel Port driver of Mach interfaces with. It accepts high-level commands from Mach and produces Step & Direction signals that are compatible with nearly all step & direction motor drivers (it also has a quadrature mode for high-end motor drivers, but those are not common). Because it is a dedicated hardware device, it is capable of producing pulses at very high frequencies and with extremely low jitter compared to the Parallel Port driver and microcontroller-based solutions. In addition, the SmoothStepper is able to run on any flavor of Windows, both 32-bit and 64-bit. Mach will run under 32-bit or 64-bit, but an external controller such as the SmoothStepper is needed for 64-bit editions.
Item Specifics
1 - ESS (Ethernet SmoothStepper) board
4 - small shorting jumpers (preinstalled, not connected)
Current Drive Output: All pins are rated for 0V to 5V
Pulse Output: Up to 4 MHz, Step and Direction, Quadrature, CW/CCW
Required Power: External 5V Power Supply
Will not drive a Stepper Motor directly, and you will need a Motor Driver for each stepper motor
Mach3 or Mach4 not included