The Relay Board Kit v1.0 has Arrived!
The MakerBot Relay Board Kit v1.0
In response to the growing power-needs of the CupCake CNC community, we have released the MakerBot Relay Board Kit v1.0. This kit allows you to use relays for power control. This super-easy-to-build kit is two mechanical relays that allow a 12v ATX power supply to run power to anything. We’ve been using it to power the Heated Build Platform! We have had some cases where the HBP’s power draw causes the MOSFETS of the Extruder Controller to burn out- this fixes that issue, and gives you lots more power to spare! Basically with this baby attached, you could power your HBP, and a Christmas tree of LED’s or a giant 12v motor, practically anything that needs 12 volts of juice!
We’ve been joking around with what to call it, because it clicks when the power is on, -rather satisfying feedback- but all the names we came up with were awful, so we stuck with the Relay Board.
http://store.makerbot.com/electronics/electronics-kits/relay-board-kit-v1-0.html
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8 Comments so far
Dave Durant
w00t!
Bernhard Slawik
I built the HBP relay myself (using one old telephone relay I got in spare). It’s actually VERY satisfying hearing the HBP click on and off! Unfortunately I had to rip one of the ATX connectors to get the 12V. The jack on that Relay Kit is sooo sexy! So go for that kit everyone!
VDX
… be carefully when using ‘clicking’ relays on bang-bang-temperature controllers – with higher currents and fast switching cycles i had some issues with ‘self-soldering’ the relay contacts, so the power won’t go off when the relay is released!
For heater controllers i’ll use SSR’s …
Viktor
versonova
I am wondering ow do you control it from the motherboard?
Can this be connected to the motherboard and controlled in the control panel or in the g code? thanks
thomas
so if i dont use this with the HBP (no mention of needing a relay when i got them) i will destroy the extruder board?
why is there still no mention of needing relays on the HBP page in the store?
Fernando
This is a great solution to an annoying problem for anyone with the hbp. Too bad I had just fished with mine. I do really like the diodes in this circuit to prevent a power spike from damaging the controller and will be implementing something similar with mine, or maybe I just might get lazy and buy this kit…
Zach Hoeken
@versonova – you wire the input of one channel to one of the outputs from the extruder controller. in order to turn on the relay, it still requires a moderate amount of current which you need a transistor to control
@thomas – the mosfets we use are protected. it is pretty difficult to completely destroy them. some people have overheating problems, but that is just the mosfet shutting down when it gets too hot. the relay board is a fix for that problem. some people will need it, and some people will not. we’ll add a warning to the HBP page so that people aren’t caught off guard.
kristianpaul
@Zach Hoeken is that diode enoguth to protect the mosfet for burning out?