In some videos on the internet, I have seen people with Ruida controllers and to the side, there are two buttons, one for moving the table up and the other down. I would really like to do this on my machine but not sure how I would connect them. Is it on the stepper motor driver or is it on the Ruida controller, I have RDC6442S-B(EC).
By looking at the pinout printed on the equipment I feel it’s likely to be on the stepper motor driver.
Has anybody done this?
I assume these are for beds that are mechanized but not controlled by the Ruida. So the buttons are just activating a motor in one direction or the other.
I could see it being theoretically possible to try to rig up a parallel connection to the driver to alternatively drive this but I wouldn’t recommend it.
If your machine already has a motorized platform and you can control it using the Ruida’s awkward Z/U → Z Move → X+/X- sequence, then you’re pretty much stuck with their buttons.
Wresting control away from the Ruida means you must replace the controller’s platform motor outputs with your own, along these lines:
One of these could probably power the motor directly (replacing the already installed motor driver), but I don’t have any experience with it:
https://www.amazon.com/Stepper-Controller-Integrated-Forward-Communication/dp/B0B1HNS9L2/
Now, if your laser doesn’t already have a platform motor, then installing one is a whole 'nother project!
Yes, exactly. I hate how awkward the Ruida control is for the Z move so wanted to have dedicated buttons for it. I thought this could be a problem as it is already connected with the Ruida controller but the Arduino way might work but could conflict.
Maybe I should just have it as is, it is at least “working” 
I had a NEMA 17 and mount laying around and ordered a $19 M542 stepper driver and a GT2 20-80 tooth timing gear set. For about $30 I had a motorized bed. After a short period of time getting used to the process, I could switch between Z height and normal operation easy as you please. It makes doing fine focus pretty simple. Best $30 I’ve ever spent. This is on a MF1220-50.
Because you’d disconnect the Ruida controller from the motor driver and replace it with a single-axis controller, there would be no conflict. You could still poke the Ruida buttons, but nothing would happen because those wires no longer connect to the driver.
I suppose you could gimmick up a switch to select which controller was active, but that way (probably) lies madness.
On the ones I have seen with a Ruida Controller the bed is not controlled by the Ruida unit at all, its just a simple motorised up and down bed using a motor and pulleys on a up down switch.
Its a whole new game to add a proper motorised bed controlled by a stepper, you would also then bring in a autofocus unit to control and home the machine properly.
I have one on my Laser with a 1 metre square bed, it uses GRBL on a VMS Controller LX4S runs a 100 watt laser just fine. You can build one with 4 steppers if the bed is steel mesh or with one planetary stepper and 4 pulleys with a tensioner. Easy to do and retro fit if necessary.
good solution, those little controllers are quite useful. I have a SMC02 unit that I use to test out steppers with, 20 usd…perfect for these situations.
I got the OMTech red-and-black laser with autofocus, so the Ruida / Ryxon controller runs the platform motor. Fortunately, the KT332 control panel has both an Autofocus button and up-down buttons, so it’s less horrible than diving into the menus.
Why they favor “U” instead of “Z” remains a mystery …
I couldn’t quite tell from your post, is the driver connected to the Ruida? If so, you may need to change the model number to AF1220-50. 
Well, the box said MF1220-50. From what I hear the auto-focus is a PIA, all I wanted to do was save my wrist by not having to crank on that black knob a million times. This arrangement works out pretty well for moving the bed up and down, and the resolution with the 20-80 gearing makes fine focusing pretty easy once I get into the Z axis menu. It’s worked out quite nicely.
The install would be a pain and in reality I find there’s marginal value in at least the commonly available pen type sensors. I think there’s room for some innovation there.
Looks like a good addition… I’d have to put it at the bottom of the cabinet since my head travels where you mounted it…
I’ll admit it gets very close, but I did do a perimeter check before I bolted everything down. I did have to loosen the air assist nozzle and rotate it a few degrees CCW, but other than that, it went together without much hassle.
I’ve got a different head on mine and what limits the size is where the screws for the table are. I can manually run the head around between the screws…
Mine stock was a 500x300 bed and it’s now running at 508x342 with the different head.
“running at 508x342” every little bit helps! There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t kick myself for not spending a couple hundred more to get the MF1624-55. BTW, slick setup you have there .
Laser engravers (and AR-15’s) are basically just Barbies for men (and women too, I don’t want to be sexist).
Hello, can you show me how you wired your stepper motor to the stepper driver, the stepper driver to the power supply (?) and then to RuiDa controller please? Thank you
I’m not ignoring you, give me a day or two to put something together. While not hard, it took a bit of research and scrounging for parts.
