Intel NUC mini PC for small CNC build

[scuzyboy]

Hi All,
Just putting together my first small cnc build and looking at getting a Mini PC Intel (intel NUC) to use as a dedicated computor to use Mach3, Vetric Aspire and CorelCAD. Does any one have expirience with these. Specs wise it it all adds up 2.1Ghz cpu, intel HD 5500 Graphics intergrated, 19V 65watt ac/dc power adapter. I really like the small foot print these have and the can be mounted in the Case I am making for all components.
My Setup as follows
Geko G540 kit 4 269oz Steppers,
1.5Kw Spindel, 1.5 Kw 220v Delta VFD
SmoothStepper Ethernet Card
15.6 monitor with VGA to mini display port cable

Cheers for any advice
Peter


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[epineh]

That is a cool little PC, I guess it would come down to how well it plays with Mach and the Smoothstepper, I haven't used either of those but worst case it would make a neat media centre if it didn't work out for CNC.

Cheers.

Russell.

[foobillious]

no parallel port for the gecko. You'll need usb stepper drivers. there are a few mach3 compatible ones available these days.

[HeadScratcher]

I use the UC100 http://cncdrive.com/UC100.html for USB to parallel conversion, which is compatible with Mach 3 but not Mach 4.

Are those motors big enough? how big is your cutting area?

[Greolt]

Not quite as small, but I presently have this Mini-ITX MoBo running Win7 with an SSD

Mach3 via the LPT. Does a great job on my router

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Q1900B-ITX/

[scuzyboy]

Hey all thanks for replies, Russell I have ordered the Ethernet smooth stepper board to talk with a PC and yes a media centre while machining would be neat [emoji6].
Greolt that's a pretty powerful board there will check that out, how do you find Mach4 any problems.
HeadScratcher I hope the motors are big enough, the finished cutting area is 950mm x 850mm and was going off the open builds site and as starting point can always upgrade them if needs be and turn the 269oz steppers into get me beer machine [emoji6]


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[HeadScratcher]

The reason I mention it is because everything is fine I theory until you actually do it. I am using the biggest NEMA 23 there is (about 540 oz) and I am currently wondering if even they are big enough. Guess it depends on how big you go but that's a fair sized table.

[scuzyboy]

Hey HeadScratcher
What type of CNC do you have ? Is your belt or rod driven.
At this stage of being newby to everything CNC I could only go off what others have done before me. It will take several months to even get the stage of knowing if they big enough. I really hope they are but might have to sell and upgrade. The other thing was the weight of the larger motors on the x and Z with my build. Can't buy experience I guess [emoji22] was a cabinet maker for 8 years and a luthier now 16 years CNC operator 0 days.
Thanks mate
Peter


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[Greolt]

Greolt that's a pretty powerful board there will check that out, how do you find Mach4 any problems.

That is a very petinent question but the fact is that I don't know.

Part of the reason I upgraded from the less powerful Mini-ITX MoBo, I used previously, was it would not run Mach4 via LPT.

However I have not tested this one with Mach4 yet. It is on the to do list.

It does handle Mach3 via LPT faultlessly.

[HeadScratcher]

Hey HeadScratcher
What type of CNC do you have ? Is your belt or rod driven.
At this stage of being newby to everything CNC I could only go off what others have done before me. It will take several months to even get the stage of knowing if they big enough. I really hope they are but might have to sell and upgrade. The other thing was the weight of the larger motors on the x and Z with my build. Can't buy experience I guess [emoji22] was a cabinet maker for 8 years and a luthier now 16 years CNC operator 0 days.
Thanks mate
Peter

Hey Peter, like you I started off making best guesses because I had never even seen a CNC in real life before I decided to make mine. I met a guy who built one using a rack and pinion system and I bought all that gear following his recommendation.

Three quarters of the way through the build I lost faith in rack and pinion idea because of the high tolerance (.25mm) and that is if it is tight and perfect. I decided to spend a few more thousand and go with the better quality Taiwanese TBI double ballscrews.

For the X axis I am using 2 x 3210 (32mm thick 10mm pitch), for the Y axis a 2510 and for the Z axis 2005. I am not finished yet but it is completed enough to make parts for itself. Today I am working on the ballscrew Z axis to replace the rack and pinion Z axis I currently have.

The major problem with rack and pinion on the Z axis is that when the power is taken away the spindle will fall, so I countered this by putting a gas strut on it equal to the weight of the spindle. Here is a pic of my nearly complete CNC.

BTW the frame needs to be super rigid to stop flex (biggest threat to quality work). My CNC probably weighs in the vicinity of 250kgs.The NEMA 23s nearly look small now.

The thing you cant know until you actually do it is how hot the motors are going to get. Obviously the heavier you make it the more they are going to work, and the more they work, the more torque you are going to need to move them effectively.

[scuzyboy]

Wow thats a beast I can see why you need the extra grunt in the steppers, and yes the frame is a big part of good accurate milling, My setup is much low scale than your cnc. This guys video shows a small version of what I am putting together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i8itueAd3E
And all but the stepper drives is the same setup were as I am using the Geko G540 with a Ethernet Smoothstepper board. My electrics arrived today from Peter Homann Designs, so a little closer to getting it together, I must say Peter has been a wealth of help in putting this project together.
Cheers,
Peter

[HeadScratcher]

Hey Peter, if your just using a scaled up version of what he is using you should be fine with the NEMA23, although not sure about the sizing. The Gecko 540 are supposed to be fairly decent motor controller and the ESS a decent motion controller / BOB. So it sound like you are off to a good start.

[phomann]

Hi Peter,

I purchased an Intel NUC around Christmas time. Looks similar but different model number. Is a DN2820FYKH
http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/...n2820fykh.html

I've loaded Mach3 on it and run a smoothstepper through it but have not connected it to a machine yet. I don't see why it wouldn't work though.

The one I have only has a HDMI video port and I haven't found an affordable touchscreen to use with it yet. Yours has a mini display port which gives you more options.
What I like about this form factor is that it comes with a VESA mount bracket so it can be mounted to the back of a monitor and then there is just an ethernet cable from it to the controller box where the Smoothstepper can be located.

Cheers,

Peter

[scuzyboy]

Hi Peter,
I ended up getting the the linked model on Friday and spent the weekend loading it up with windows and and the Mach3 trial to get familiar with the lay out. I must say for an i3 with 6GB of ram it is very fast and the Intel 5500 graphics has handled anything thrown at it, even rendering 3D seems to run smooth with just a few browsers open in the back ground. I only have an old 15.6 sync master led but would like to get a 19" touch screen for the lack of mouse and to a degree keyboard. I really like the vesa mount and have it fitted to the back of the monitor and even made a make shift dust shield out of an 1 litre ice-cream container as this NUC has the fan, should of got fan less. I received the smooth stepper today, thank you and started to lay all the components out, will still need to ask some newly questions as to wiring. As soon as I get it wired up and running will report back with results of NUC for any one else scouring the web.
Cheers
Peter