View source for Gecko G540 4-Axis Stepper Motor Drives

[[File:Gecko_G540_Stock_Photo.jpg|thumb|Gecko G540]]

== Overview ==

A 50V 3.5A 4-axis stepper motor driver that is meant to be driven by a PC over a parallel port. The newer version also features an isolated VFD PWM output for speed setting.

NOTE: there are at least two major hardware revisions, and the pinouts are different.

== Specifications ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Input Voltage
| 18 - 50VDC
|-
! Motor Current
| 0 - 3.5A
|-
! Power Dissipation
| 1 - 13W
|-
! Short Circuit Trip
| 14A
|-
! Motor Inductance
| 1 - 30mH
|-
! Step Frequency
| 0 - 200kHz
|-
! Step Low Time
| 2uS
|-
! Step High Time
| 1uS
|-
! Direction Setup Time
| 200nS
|-
! Direction Hold Time
| 200nS
|-
! Signal Voltage
| 3.3 - 5VDC
|-
! Charge Pump Frequency
| 10kHz
|}

== Wiring Diagram ==

=== DB25 ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Pin
! REV-1
! REV-3+
|-
| 1
| Output 1
| Output 2
|-
| 2
| A-Axis Direction
| X-Axis Step
|-
| 3
| A-Axis Step
| X-Axis Direction
|-
| 4
| Z-Axis Direction
| Y-Axis Step
|-
| 5
| Z-Axis Step
| Y-Axis Direction
|-
| 6
| Y-Axis Direction
| Z-Axis Step
|-
| 7
| Y-Axis Step
| Z-Axis Direction
|-
| 8
| X-Axis Step
| A-Axis Step
|-
| 9
| X-Axis Direction
| A-Axis Direction
|-
| 10
| Input 0
| Input 1
|-
| 11
| Input 1
| Input 2
|-
| 12
| Input 2
| Input 3
|-
| 13
| Input 3
| Input 4
|-
| 14
| Output 0
| VFD PWM (50Hz)
|-
| 15
| Fault (out to PC)
| Fault (out to PC)
|-
| 16
| Output 3
| Charge Pump (>10kHz)
|-
| 17
| Output 2
| Output 1
|-
| 18-25
| GND
| GND
|}

=== Screw Terminals ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Pin
! REV-1
! REV-3+
|-
| 1
| +5VDC (from PC)
| Input 1
|-
| 2
| Input 0
| Input 2
|-
| 3
| Input 1
| Input 3
|-
| 4
| Input 2
| Input 4
|-
| 5
| Input 3
| Output 1
|-
| 6
| "Disable" Input
| Output 2
|-
| 7
| Output 0
| VFD GND
|-
| 8
| Output 1
| VFD Output
|-
| 9
| Output 2
| VFD +10VDC
|-
| 10
| Output 3
| "Disable" Input
|-
| 11
| colspan="2" | +18-50VDC (for motors)
|-
| 12
| colspan="2" | GND
|}

=== DE9 ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Pin
! REV-1
! REV-3+
|-
| 1
| colspan="2" | current setting resistor
|-
| 2-4
| GND
| <nowiki>[NC]</nowiki>
|-
| 5
| colspan="2" | current setting resistor
|-
| 6
| colspan="2" | Motor B+
|-
| 7
| colspan="2" | Motor B-
|-
| 8
| colspan="2" | Motor A+
|-
| 9
| colspan="2" | Motor A-
|}

=== Sources ===

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/19/product_id/14/#page=2 Page 2] of the REV-1 manual shows the connector pinouts.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/20/product_id/14/#page=2 Page 2] of the REV-3 manual shows the connector pinouts.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/21/product_id/14/#page=5 Page 5] of the REV-4 manual shows the connector pinouts.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/22/product_id/14/#page=7 Page 7] of the REV-8 manual shows the connector pinouts.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/19/product_id/14/#page=3 Page 3] of the REV-1 manual shows the suggested wiring.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/20/product_id/14/#page=3 Page 3] of the REV-3 manual shows the suggested wiring.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/21/product_id/14/#page=6 Page 6] of the REV-4 manual shows the suggested wiring.

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/22/product_id/14/#page=8 Page 8] of the REV-8 manual shows the suggested wiring.

== Online Resources ==

[https://www.geckodrive.com/g540-4-axis-digital-stepper-drive.html G540 Multi Axis Digital Stepper Drive | Geckodrive]

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/19/product_id/14/ Gecko G540 4-Axis Drive REV-1 (August 5th, 2008)]

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/20/product_id/14/ Gecko G540 4-Axis Drive REV-3 (September 10th, 2008)]

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/21/product_id/14/ Gecko G540 4-Axis Drive REV-4 (August 17th, 2010)]

[https://www.geckodrive.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/22/product_id/14/ Gecko G540 Multiaxis Step Motor Drive REV-8]