Re: Breakout board or cards - what you pay for

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "John Rouche"
<johnrouche@y...> wrote:

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> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "braidmeister"
> <braidmeister@y...> wrote:
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> > John,
> > You get what you pay for. Bob's board has 3 seperate power
> supplies
> > built in to power the Geckos and other goodies. The other board
> does not.-Brady
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> The O'l sayin, "you gets what you pays for", yep true. If you read
> my post the $104.00 covers the addition of a power supply also, so

I

> am tryin to compare like configurations. JRouche

I make my own and find that anything between the port and the gecko
optos is superfluous. the geckos are isolated so running thru
another device offers more the $$, but why ?

Also, I use the Gecko recomended PC Power supply 5V, again no
additional anything that I am paying for.

The parallel port can drive SSR's directly so having another chip
that supports them offers more stuff at a higher cost.

I'm not saying the board is not worth the $$, nor that the features
on it don't work. What I am saying is that the old saying of more
for the money does not always apply.

Transformers on a board take up space and are not needed in many
situations.

The 5 and 12V from the PC power supply have more than enough amps to
handle the drives and relays.

the 48V from the stepper power supply offers more power and since it
is center tapped with dual transformers, I really have 12, 24 and 48
VAC available for things like relays and end switches and what not.

Aslo, and I ma be mistaken ?? but does the board also offer a manual
means of stepping ? a pulse generator if you will ? Another
something I don't need.

Since there are many other programs than Mach2, the whole charge pump
feature is another item that costs that may be superflous to many
users.

The board has a fine reputation, but it is not a one size fits all.
And just because you pay for something does not mean you need or want
it.

I wish my mini-van had ashtrays ! In NJ it is a $178 ticket for
tossing butts out the window because there are no ashtrays.....

Dave