However, their CNC machines uses NEMA 23 (3/8" shaft compatible) or NEMA 34 stepper motors (1/2" shaft compatible). Are those motors too powerful for a smoothieboard? What would I need to make this work?
Additionally, what can I use as limit switches?
I’m asking these questions because it would be nice to save money in the controller and software components.
To run the size motors you need for a large CNC router you need to break out the step, direction and enable signals to larger external drivers then what exist on board the smoothie. For the external drivers they aren’t cost prohibitively expensive. For example when I built my larger CNC I used nema 24 closed loop steppers. The stepper and driver together was under $100 a piece.