I’m thinking about mounting a small box next to the Shapeoko Pro 5 E-Stop box that has just the VFD Enable Button. Primarily because I want to mount the VFD next to the Controller, but the Enable button won’t be accessible then. Apart from the Enable button, the VFD spindle cable is only just long enough for the Shapeoko Pro 5 4x4, but this only works if I can mount the VFD near the back of the machine, but that then puts the VFD Enable button in a bad spot.
So, I’d like to move the VFD enable button and mount it in a different box closer to the spindle. Is there anything that lists out what the 22mm push button part number is? Or even the black connector that’s plugged into the small Carbide circuit board below the VFD? Or even the small E-Stop push button box that came with the Shapeoko?
So, for anyone else that goes down this road. I found these buttons that are very similar in measurement/connector/aesthetics. 5V/250VAC 24V all seem to match what is printed on the button on the VFD.
That vendor also has a push button enclosure that is nearly identical to the 2 button pendant that came with the Shapeoko Pro 5.
I my case, I found the push button enclosure on Amazon and will just relocate the push button with a short cable and then plug the existing 19mm hole. This way I can mount the VFD underneath the machine away from the chips and still have the spindle enable/disable within reach during a bit change.
I haven’t done it yet but I think you can remote the little front panel on the VFD Controller using some CAT-5 network cable. I believe this would give you control of turning the spindle off for tool changes. I also have the 4x4 SPro 5 and the length of the cables that come with the VFD definitely restrict where you can place things.
Another forum member has a picture of their setup in the following thread:
I looked at that. Most VFDs do have options to remote mount the HIM unit, but from what I noticed it doesn’t turn off or disable the VFD. Only the 19mm maintained push button does the enable.
The enable push button actually plugs into a small Carbide3D circuit board that has spindlerella and VFD controller 1.2 printed on the silkscreen of the PCB. This board is then wired to the VFD. The PCB also has 2 other connectors. One appears to be un-used and the other is the connection to the Shapeoko controller. One thing that’s not listed anywhere, with the Shapeoko Pro 5, mine came with a short spindle adapter cable that you need to connect to the VFD. The adapter came with my machine and not with the VFD spindle. I was glad I remembered it from when I built the machine last year.
If you read that post you included closely, they put the entire VFD on a remote controlled outlet so they could turn off the entire VFD for tool changes and then used the HIM from the VFD as the reminder to turn the VFD back on. That would work, but long term isn’t going to be good for the VFD. VFDs don’t like to be turned off and on constantly charging and discharging their power circuit capacitors.