Machine-control pinout survey

The request

ok I want to study a new project, that project is a "box" in which there is a smoothieboard v2-core (without the stepper drivers), and it's a metal box with screw terminals all arund it, and people can wire it into their cnc mill or cnc lathe or other types of machines, wiring it to their stepper motor drivers or servo drivers, and spindle driver, etc etc. now the big thing I need to know to prepare this, is the "pinout" the name and types of connections inside those machines people would be rewiring using our stuff, like a tormarch, or an old mach3 machine, or other controllers/machine types we'd be a drop-in replacement for. so what I need you to find for me is as many (if possible MANY) different machines (let's concentrate on cnc mills, lathes, pen plotters, and lasers, for now), and for each find the name of their connecitons/wires, their "pinout" essentially, so we could contruct for each machine a big "sticker" we'd stick on top of our metal box (that contains the smoothieboard v2-core) so it's trivial for people to "wire into" their machine. please for now just find MANY different machines and their pinouts, and save those to src/docs/ in a html doc, with diagrams and any images you found from your source, and links, and visual elements and tables and anything else you think would be useful to document or figure out the wiring and to prepare the creation of our stickers and our "boxes".

Request transcript: /home/arthur/.codex/sessions/2026/09/23/rollout-2026-09-23T02-58-07-01a0cbc5-19d8-7d00-a737-6725e9cab16f.jsonl

What the sources support

Machine-side connector maps found

Tormach 770M / 1100M · internal J6 map is a restricted-source lead

The official machine-control-board pages identify separate drawings for 770M and 1100M, each with a “Stepper Control Cable Pin Assignments” chart at J6. The 1100M drawing is 37158 Rev I, sheet 5 of 12; the 770M drawing is 37361 Rev J, sheet 5 of 12. Both title blocks mark the drawings proprietary/confidential and state that the drawings and information may not be copied, used, or disclosed without prior written permission. This survey links the source pages but does not reproduce or transcribe their internal pin assignments. Obtain written permission or a separately authorized source before adding those maps.

Sources: Tormach 1100M Machine Control Board and 770M Machine Control Board. The linked pages show machine-specific internal ribbon/board connections, not a universal retrofit port.

Tormach PCNC 440 · DB25 J4/J10 to IDC26

The official article separates the PCNC 440 from the PCNC 770/1100 and 15L tables. It says the machine-side DB25 connects through a ribbon cable to IDC26 at the machine control board or MX3660. The table preserves published function labels; missing electrical characteristics stay unknown.

Source: Tormach, “DB25 Cable J4 and J10(440) Pinout”, PCNC 440 section. Its same page calls the link “serial communication” while documenting step/dir and I/O functions; confirm the installed cabinet and controller. A separate PCNC 440 electrical schematic is also available.

Older Tormach PCNC 770 and PCNC 1100 · shared published DB25 table

Tormach publishes a separate PCNC 1100/770 section. Several voltage observations appear, but the labels do not establish a conventional step/direction interpretation for pins 2–9. Record them literally until the exact controller revision and electrical interface are verified.

Source: PCNC 770 and PCNC 1100 sections of the Tormach DB25 pinout page. Keep the 770 and 1100 as separate records even though the article groups them; confirm serial, control board, and connector revision.

Tormach 15L Slant-PRO · separate lathe DB25 map with explicit uncertainty

Sources: Tormach DB25 page, “15L Slant Pro” section and 15L electrical schematic index. The schematic is internal; the DB25 article leaves some claims explicitly uncertain.

Sherline 8760 4-axis driver box · DB25 control interface

Sherline publishes the driver-box DB25 map and timing/logic statements. It is the PC-to-driver-box control connector, not a motor-phase connector. The 5-pin DIN motor ports are separate; the retrieved product page does not define the full pin-to-winding table.

Source: Sherline 4-Axis CNC Driver Box product page, DB25 and parameters sections. It also states 24 VDC/4 A for the driver-box power system; this is not a DB25 signal rating.

Sherline Acorn 9400 → 8760 mill/lathe configurations

The 8760 has the documented DB25 pin roles; Acorn H6 output pins must be remapped in CNC12 to those DB25 roles. The pin column below is the resulting cable/8760-side DB25 assignment, while the axis column is the software configuration. These are paired controller profiles, not additional machine-side connector families.

Sherline’s lathe guide explicitly says pins 4 and 5 of the 8760 mapping are not used in this application, yet its later axis instructions assign the lathe’s Axis 2 (X) to pins 4 and 5. Preserve that apparent document inconsistency and confirm the exact setup before wiring.

Sources: Sherline/Acorn controller, Acorn-to-8760 DB25 diagram, and Configure Acorn for Sherline. Read the active CNC12 remap before using these roles.

Controller interfaces useful as reference profiles

GeckoDrive G540 Rev 8 · DB25, screw terminal block, motor DB9

The G540 combines a motion interface with four stepper drives. Its map helps identify a G540 retrofit but is not the machine’s OEM wiring. Motor DB9 connectors carry motor-phase outputs and stay separate from the DB25 logic connector.

Sources: Geckodrive G540 Manual Rev 8 and Geckodrive manual index. Rev 8 also maps the main terminal block and motor DB9 connectors. It describes opto-isolation for LPT signals; verify the external driver’s actual interface requirements.

Mesa 7I96S · pluggable screw-terminal motion interface

The Mesa manual names step and direction pairs on screw terminals. This is a controller-side connector map, not evidence that a target machine uses those electrical conventions.

Source: Mesa 7I96S manual, connector pages 8–11. It describes +5VP field pins as PTC short-circuit protected 5 V outputs.

Mach3 / parallel-port installs · configurable pin roles

Mach3 is software, not a machine wiring standard. A machine with a DB25 may use a PC port, external motion controller, breakout board, G540, or another controller. LinuxCNC’s official parallel-port guide likewise makes pin direction depend on port mode and permits output inversion; its stepper example is one configurable assignment.

• LinuxCNC Parallel Port Driver, signal direction and inversion behavior.
• LinuxCNC stepper example, sample X/Y/Z step and direction assignments.
• Mach3 Mill Setup Guide, sample configuration; not a universal machine map.

Other controller references

• CNC4PC C11G Rev 9.3: DB25 pins 1–9 buffered outputs; 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 dedicated inputs; 14, 16, 17 outputs with assignments dependent on use/jumpers. Published input range 2–5 V; output maximum +5.5 V and typical current 24 mA. C11G I/O specifications and pinout.
• Warp9 Ethernet SmoothStepper Rev 2: three 26-pin parallel-style headers using DB25-style numbering; direct interface maximum 5 V and the vendor expects a breakout board for machine wiring. ESS documentation.
• Centroid Acorn Rev 3/4: vendor connector schematics and revision-specific maps are available; machine assignments depend on hookup schematic and setup. The quick-start document says DIY hookup examples are incomplete educational examples. Acorn Start Here, Centroid schematic browser, and Acorn Rev 3 specification manual.

Laser controller and machine-side findings

Ruida RDC6445G / RDC6445S · controller map, not universal machine wiring

The Ruida manual publishes a useful control-card map and distinguishes glass-tube and RF laser uses for the same pins. It does not prove which PSU, door circuit, water protection, or safety-chain arrangement is installed in a particular cutter.

Axis connectors label pin 1 DIR (open-collector output), pin 2 PUL (open-collector output), and pin 3 +5V output. The manual says direction polarity and pulse edge are configurable and that pulse/direction require common-anode connection at the motor driver. It does not make the rest of the cabinet wiring universal.

Source: Ruida RDC6445G Control System V1.2 Manual, axis connector description and §4.10 CN5/CN6. Confirm controller suffix/revision and actual PSU model.

K40-style blue-box laser · MYJG40W PSU example, older community wiring record

The repository’s SmoothK40 guide describes one MYJG40W example and explicitly says PSU models and terminal labels vary; the author could not find a manual for that particular supply. It records labels including L−, FG, AC, G, P/WP, L/TL, IN, 5V, and +24V, plus one X/Y/limit harness variant. This is secondary, model-variable evidence, not a manufacturer pinout.

Repository sources: SmoothK40 guide and Blue-box PSU guide. They describe more than one laser-fire arrangement and warn about 3.3 V control outputs requiring a suitable interface for 5 V input hardware. Treat these labels as leads until the exact PSU diagram and machine revision are found.

Makerbase MKS DLC32 V2.1 · desktop diode-laser controller

Makerbase documents a configurable engraving controller and firmware profile. Its official wiki labels an air/cold-water-assist control SCL and describes 3.3 V/0 V high/low states; it also says higher-power laser PSUs require a separate supply, common ground, and TTL signal. The project README points to a wiring manual that returns 404 at the audited URL, so a complete connector map remains unavailable.

• Makerbase MKS-DLC32 repository, board family and currently broken manual location.
• Makerbase Hardware Wiring wiki, SCL and external laser-supply notes.
• Makerbase firmware repository, default environment identifies DLC32 V2.1.

Ortur Laser Master 3 · closed machine harness

Ortur identifies the OLM-ESP-PRO-V2.4 motherboard, NEMA 17 motors, 24 V power system, and safety features including key lock, E-stop, exposure timer, tilt detection, USB monitoring, and position protection. Public support material found here does not provide external motor-driver connector pinouts. Treat it as an internal-rewire case; preserve the machine interlocks.

Source: Ortur Laser Master 3 support page. No external step/dir or PSU terminal map was found there.

Plotters

• AxiDraw CLI/API reference, model list, USB port, and B1/B2 servo assignment; AxiDraw product page.
• Makeblock-official XY Plotter 2.0 repository, hardware/firmware setup and USB connection.

Candidate inventory · 25 assessed configurations

“Configuration” is intentional: some of the strongest public maps describe a control board rather than an OEM cabinet. This survey does not claim each row can be converted safely or that every row has a useful machine sticker.

Open the full inventory and evidence status

Category	Exact scope	Evidence found	Classification	Sticker readiness
CNC mill	Tormach PCNC 440, DB25 J4/J10	Machine pins 1–17; inside cabinet IDC26 to machine board/MX3660	Direct DB25 map	Functions known; ratings/serial applicability required
CNC mill	Tormach PCNC 770 legacy	Shared 770/1100 DB25 observations, some labels unclear	Direct but ambiguous	Not ready
CNC mill	Tormach PCNC 1100 legacy	Same source table; keep separate machine record	Direct but ambiguous	Not ready
CNC mill	Tormach 770M	J6 stepper-control assignment chart on 37361 Rev J, sheet 5/12; drawing marked proprietary/confidential	Restricted source lead	No transcription without written permission or another authorized source
CNC mill	Tormach 770MX, MF/MH serial scope	Official subsystem schematics and wire table	Internal schematic	Cabinet-specific; source drawing marked proprietary
CNC mill	Tormach 1100M	J6 stepper-control assignment chart on 37158 Rev I, sheet 5/12; drawing marked proprietary/confidential	Restricted source lead	No transcription without written permission or another authorized source
CNC mill	Tormach 1100MX	Official subsystem schematics and wire table	Internal schematic	Cabinet/revision-specific
CNC lathe	Tormach 8L, serial LA10506+	Current official schematics and terminal strips; older serials use TD10829; check drawing rights before transcribing	Internal / serial split	Resolve serial and reuse permission before mapping
CNC lathe	Tormach 15L Slant-PRO	DB25 table plus separate electrical schematic index; “?” labels remain	DB25 with gaps	Verify uncertain pins first
CNC mill	Sherline CNC-ready mill + 8760	Manufacturer DB25 map, logic thresholds and step timing	Driver-box map	8760-specific; motor DIN separate
CNC lathe	Sherline CNC-ready lathe + 8760	Same 8760 connector; lathe axes/spindle use separate config	Driver-box map	Configuration-specific insert
CNC mill	Sherline/Acorn 9400 → 8760 mill	Official crossover/remap diagram and mill config guide	Configurable DB25	Read active CNC12 map
CNC lathe	Sherline/Acorn 9400 → 8760 lathe	Lathe mapping changes axis-channel assignments	Configurable DB25	Read active CNC12 map
Control reference	Generic Mach3 + PC parallel port	Manual provides setup examples; software pin roles configurable	Configurable	No machine profile without BOB and active config
Driver/controller	GeckoDrive G540, Rev 8 manual	DB25, terminal block, DB9 motor connector maps	Controller map	Only if exact integrated driver is present
Breakout board	CNC4PC C11G, Rev 9.3	DB25 I/O groups, TTL levels, pull direction and jumpers	Board map	Record jumper state
Motion controller	Warp9 ESS, Rev 2	Three 26-pin parallel-style ports; DB25 numbering and 5 V limit	Host interface	Machine map is BOB/config dependent
Motion controller	Mesa Electronics 7I96S	TB1/TB2 step-dir/encoder; TB3 isolated 5–36 V input range	Controller terminal map	Not OEM machine wiring
Motion controller	Centroid Acorn Rev 3/4	Vendor connector schematics and revision-specific maps	Revision/config dependent	Use exact manual and hookup schematic
CO₂ laser	K40-style blue box + MYJG40W example	Repo guide records PSU labels and one harness variant	Secondary / variable	Need exact PSU manufacturer sheet
CO₂ laser control	Ruida RDC6445G/S, V1.2	Axis OC output and CN5/CN6 control pins; tube-type differences	Controller map	Machine PSU and safety remain specific
Diode laser control	Makerbase MKS DLC32 V2.1	Wiki/firmware evidence; linked wiring PDF currently 404	Partial / source gap	Need board schematic and manual
Diode laser	Ortur Laser Master 3, OLM-ESP-PRO-V2.4	Board, motor class, supply family, safety functions	Closed/internal	No public external terminal map found
Pen plotter	AxiDraw model family, EBB controller	USB serial and B1/B2 servo control	Internal / USB serial	No external step/dir map
Pen plotter	Makeblock XY Plotter V2.0	Official firmware/USB instructions, no external driver map	Internal only	Need exact board-level evidence

V2-Core label gate

The machine source may provide a function name, but a printable adapter sticker must also describe what the V2-Core screw terminal accepts or drives. The required Core-side contract is not established by the checked-in sources reviewed for this survey.

Repository starting points: V2 Prime documentation, V2 schematic, STM32H7 pin usage, and historical V2 Kickstarter updates. Prime docs and schematic disagree on some header/probe details; the production Core map remains unverified. The pin-usage document identifies unbuffered ADC inputs with a 3.3 V ceiling; do not generalize that to every other Core I/O.

Sticker record template

Require these fields before promoting a candidate to a printable adapter label. “Unknown” is an explicit value; blank cells are not evidence.

Next research order

1. Obtain the released V2-Core production schematic and derive every connector’s electrical limits.
2. For restricted Tormach drawings, obtain written permission or an independently authorized source before transcribing internal maps; obtain the 8L TD10829 serial-specific document and verify uncertain 15L pins.
3. Find primary schematics/service docs for more mill and lathe controller generations. Record gated OEM interfaces as evidence gaps rather than importing unrelated legacy maps.
4. For lasers, add exact PSU/controller/machine combinations and keep machine, controller, PSU, tube/module, and safety options separate.
5. For plotters, prioritize products with documented external-driver or accessory connectors. Keep USB-only products with no board map classified as internal/closed.
6. Promote no sticker to production until source and machine harness agree pin-by-pin and Core-side ratings have been reviewed.

Scope, evidence rules, and exclusions

• Manufacturer/controller manuals, support pages, schematics, and repositories were preferred. K40 MYJG40W notes are older repository-authored secondary material.
• Configuration examples are not machine standards. DB25/26 numbering does not determine axis, limit, spindle, or E-stop roles.
• Internal cabinet wiring does not imply a plug-compatible retrofit port.
• No mains, spindle output power, laser high-voltage, or motor-phase wiring recipe is provided.
• Some Tormach drawing pages contain a proprietary/confidential notice restricting reproduction and use of the contained information without prior written permission. This page links to those sources but does not copy their images or transcribe their restricted maps.
• The source page is stored in src/docs as requested. The separate research preview at smoothie-box-pinout-research.pages.dev republishes edits automatically; this is not part of the Jekyll documentation site.

Source register

• Tormach: PCNC 440/770/1100/15L DB25 pinout; PCNC 440 schematic; 770M schematic index and machine-control-board page; 770MX; 1100M schematic index and machine-control-board page; 1100MX; 8L serial split; 15L schematic index.
• Sherline: 8760 driver box; 9400 Acorn controller; DB25 crossover diagram; Acorn mill/lathe configuration; mill back-panel config.
• Controller vendors: Gecko G540 Rev 8; CNC4PC C11G Rev 9.3; Warp9 ESS; Mesa 7I96S manual; Centroid Acorn Start Here, schematic browser, and Rev 3 spec manual; LinuxCNC parallel-port driver.
• Laser/plotter vendors: Ruida RDC6445G V1.2; Makerbase DLC32 wiring wiki; Ortur LM3 support; AxiDraw API; Makeblock XY Plotter 2.0 repository.

External sources were accessed 2026-09-23. Links are reference citations; HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SVG diagrams have no remote loading dependencies.

Six additional scoped configurations

This chapter adds six configurations to the initial 25-row inventory. A configuration is a machine paired with the documented controller generation; it is not a claim that six unrelated connector designs exist. These four source families add substantial contact or terminal evidence. Controller replacement still requires identifying the installed machine harness and measuring the electrical interface.

Taig Microproto mill + TurboTaig 2.2

TurboTaig is a documented third-party board fitted inside a Taig Microproto controller. It converts step/direction commands from a single PC parallel port to the Microproto controller's motor-phase interface. The manual says the DB25-to-IDC26 ribbon uses J9 for Mach1/Master5/TurboCNC/EMC-style step/direction software and J10 for SuperCam User 1 mode. J11 feeds the XYZ controller board and J22 feeds the optional A-axis board. This is a mapped retrofit variant, not the factory pinout of every Taig mill or lathe.

Board-side field names are also documented: J1/J2/J29/J30 are three-contact limit inputs, with contact 1 ground and the middle contact the switch signal; the remaining contact can supply 5 V for an optical switch. J3 is the emergency input and J4 the enable-switch input. J5 selects PC versus switch enable ownership; in PC mode the relay-4 input becomes enable. The manual reuses some J numbers for jumper references in its later prose, so locate a connector from its illustrated board overlay and actual silk screen before labeling hardware.

Primary source: Homan Designs, TurboTaig Instruction Manual v2.2, pp. 3–12. The manual's input/output wording for DB25 contact 14 is reproduced only as a short disputed fragment. No electrical rating for the PC port or machine-side stepper phases is inferred.

Avid CNC Plug and Play controller · separate 17.4 and 22.2 revisions

Avid publishes a 14-contact external control cable for CRP800 Plug and Play systems and a 42-terminal map for the internal CRP850-00E breakout board. Both checked manuals have the contact functions summarized below. This is a router/plasma controller family; spindle contacts on a plasma controller and plasma contacts on a routing controller may be populated without being connected. The 22.2 manual also says some CRP860-00E M12 input contacts are not populated, so a connector's nominal standard is not enough to infer its live contacts.

The same manuals map the separate DB9 motor connector: contacts 1 and 5 are the current-setting resistor circuit; 2–4 are unconnected; 6/7 are B+/B− motor phase outputs (yellow/blue wires); 8/9 are A+/A− outputs (red/green wires). These are driver-to-motor conductors and cannot be landed on V2-Core step/direction terminals. The connector is useful for identifying an existing motor harness only after its installed driver and current-setting resistor have been checked.

Primary sources: Avid Plug and Play Controller Manual 2020Q3.1, marked 17.4 electronics revision, “3rd Party Spindle/VFD”, “Schematics”, and “Common Connector Pinouts”; Technical Manual 2025Q1.1, 22.2 model revision, corresponding sections. Avid's manual index ties revision numbers to purchase periods. The 2020Q3.1 PDF's filename contains “20.1”, but the actual pages identify the electronics as 17.4; this survey uses the printed revision.

Sienci AltMill / closed-loop LongMill · SLB-EXT board

Sienci says the SLB-EXT controller is used with AltMill generations and LongMills equipped with closed-loop steppers. Its official one-page pinout drawing, whose PCB image bears 2024-04-08, identifies ports by printed label. The drawing has contact labels but does not publish a numbered pin-1 orientation for the 2×4 motor-header positions. Preserve its literal terminal names and identify an actual mating harness before assigning physical positions.

LongMill generation check: Sienci's LongMill MK2 open-source page describes the older LongBoard controller and says MK2.5 introduced the SuperLongBoard. Their LongBoard details page lists X, Y1, Y2, and Z motor plugs plus SpinPWM, SpinDirection, limits, probe, and coolant interfaces for that different controller. None of the SLB-EXT contact labels below should be assigned to a LongBoard or SuperLongBoard by model name alone.

Primary sources: Sienci SLB-EXT product and machine applicability page, SLB-EXT Pinout List PDF, and Connector List PDF. These PDF diagrams are linked, not embedded or redrawn. The connector list specifies multiple pitches and form factors; it does not by itself determine a wire's function.

Original EggBot plotter · conditional EBB v2.4 board profile

The board designer says the EiBotBoard (EBB) was created for the Original EggBot; EBB revisions vary. The freely licensed v2.4 schematic makes a useful plotter-board pin profile when the installed EggBot actually has that revision. It shows two on-board A4988 stepper drivers, so the screw terminals carry motor winding outputs, not external step/direction control. The pen-arm servo uses RB1. Its optional external step/direction and 0.1-inch motor headers are marked “Do Not Insert” on the schematic; their existence in a drawing does not establish a populated retrofit connector.

Primary sources: Brian Schmalz's EBB project documentation and EBB v2.4 schematic, licensed CC BY 3.0 US. The table names nets and connector contacts from that schematic; it does not reproduce the drawing or make a claim about other EBB revisions.

Coverage after expansion

31 assessed configurations: 25 in Chapter 1 plus the six scoped pairings above. Of these, 18 have at least one explicit source-supported contact/function assignment: 12 of the initial records and all six additions. The other 13 are leads or connection records without an in-page numbered contact map. This is a record count, not 18 distinct pinout designs or 18 drop-in machines: several configurations share a controller map, and some assignments are ambiguous, partial, or board-only. There are still no production-ready V2-Core labels because the released Core screw-terminal contract, installed machine revisions, signal ratings, and safety circuits have not been reconciled. For a usable sticker program, make one record per actual machine/control combination and attach the source revision, connector view, wire identity, and measured or published electrical limits.

How the 18 assignment records and 13 leads were counted

Chapter 1 assignments (12): PCNC 440 (1), legacy PCNC 770/1100 (2, shared ambiguous table), 15L (1, ambiguous), Sherline mill/lathe with 8760 (2, shared driver), Sherline Acorn remaps for mill/lathe (2), G540 (1), C11G (1, partial I/O groups), Mesa 7I96S (1), and Ruida RDC6445G/S (1). Chapter 2 assignments (6): TurboTaig mill (1), Avid 17.4/22.2 (2, shared functions), SLB-EXT AltMill/closed-loop LongMill (2, shared board), and EggBot with verified EBB v2.4 (1). “Assignment” requires at least one explicit connector contact number or signal-to-terminal group in this page; it does not mean a complete pin map.

Chapter 1 leads (13): Tormach 770M, 770MX, 1100M, 1100MX, 8L (5); generic Mach3, Warp9 ESS, Centroid Acorn (3); K40/MYJG40W, MKS DLC32, Ortur Laser Master 3, AxiDraw family, and Makeblock XY Plotter 2.0 (5). These rows identify relevant hardware or source material but do not have an in-page numbered connector map. No additional lead rows were added in Chapter 2.