Hi all,
I received my Smoothieboard 5xC yesterday and I want to start playing with it for a future integration in my HBOT dual extruder 3D printer.
In the present design I’m using DRV8825 drivers with Wantai Motors 42BYGHW609 set to a 1.5A phase current; the drivers are very hot when running and manufacturer of the driver suggest to use a dedicated heatsink and possibly a cooling fan when going over 1A.
I see that the smoothieboard uses the A4982 rated for a max of 2A; I think i will maintain the 1.5A configuration for motors, but I am a little bit worried about heat dissipation.
Do you think I need additional heatsink on each driver chip and the same approach with a cooling fan?
Someone is running the smoothie with a similar configuration without heatsinks? if yes, how is it going?
Thank you.
Stefano
Imported from wikidot
Hey there !
Those drivers are pretty badly designed, they can heatsink very little, because they want to be very small.
Smoothieboard has much more heatsinking surface so it will be fine at 1.5A.
If you want to go over 1.5A, you will probably want to aim a fan at your Smoothieboard, but at 1.5A it’s most likely fine.
Cheers.
Thank you very much Arthur for the quick reply.
This is a good news; it is what I expect (if I remember well, the heatsink portion of the IC is underside the chip, so you use the mass of the board as heatsink, right?)
the stepper motor has a nominal value of 1.7A but in my experience is not needed all the torque (considering that with 1.5A the motor itself run cooler than with 1.7A).
Probably I will make some testing, with 1.5A and with nominal 1.7A with a single fan directed to the board.
Thank you.
1.5A with no fan, and 1.7A with a fan, are both very reasonable uses.
1.7A with no fan may work depending on your ambiant temperature.