4th Channel as emergency driver?

[Gerald D]

We have a PRT96 (purchased Sept 2000) with a 4 axis driver board. We only use 3 axes for the motors and so there is a spare driver sitting in the control box.

If we "cooked" a working driver, can we reconfigure the software, or move jumpers, so that the spare driver can be used in an emergency?

[birdsofplay]

Moving the jumper and motor cable to the "spare" board would be the easiest way to go.

My even older SB has "Individual" driver boards
for each channel.
1. Does yours have them "all-on-one-PCboard" ?
2. Why arent you using all 4 boards ?

With the newer higher output motors I would
expect that you'd NEED to use one driver per motor to keep from Toasting the Driver board.
Plus SB has said that the X axis has more power if each motor
has it's OWN individual driverboard and cable,
thus preventing overheating and countering line losses.

If you need a new driver chip, I happen to have a few that I can part with.
Assuming that you are "real good" with a soldering iron and "solder sucker". :-)

[Gerald D]

Thanks for the help and offer Bob.

Our board is all in one with 5 clearly visible drivers (2 for x, 1 for y, 1 for z and 1 for Aux.) We dont have an aux "consumer" at this stage so this section is unused.

My question is hypothetical at the moment, and I really hope that it stays that way. Our problem is that we are based in Cape Town, South Africa, and so Ted's guys are not simply an overnight express call away! I know that we do some silly things at times, and we stand the chance to cook something - I just want some contingency plan for the day it really happens.

My skills with a cutting torch and arc welder are okay, so a soldering iron should be no problem - right? :-) (Have a Weller Magnastat somewhere).

[gerald_d]

Looks like the answer is revealed in this thread. (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/22/455.html?1002608689)

Thanks, subject closed.