Setup for Dual Y Steppers?

This is NOT a Lightburn question as such, but you folks know a whole lot…

I’m rebuilding an older 50"x100" Kern table with a Ruida RDC6442S-B controller, using Geckodrive G201 stepper controllers. There are two ballscrews for Y, one at the right, one at the left.

Kern had both steppers driven from one G201 controller. Geckodrive advises against this, so currently I have two sets of Common/Step/Direction wires coming out of the Ruida, one set going to Gecko Y(left) and one to Y(right). Oddly, G201 Y(right) never moves and the G201 never warms up. I’ve checked the wiring to the best of my ability, nothing’s missing or flipped

The Ruida controller provides four axes: X, Y, Z, and U. I’m never going to have a U axis on this machine. I’ve looked for software way to slave the U axis to the Y axis, keeping everything clean electrically

A) Is there a way to do this via setup in the Ruida controller?
B) Is there a better way to accomplish my goal?
C) Has anybody else done a dual-Y setup with the Ruida?

Thanks for your time and advice.

Dual Y steppers without a physical connection between the two sides on a larger machine is asking for trouble. They should physically linked. If the motor is having a problem, put a bigger motor in. Don’t add to your future headaches any more than necessary.

Regardless of the advice against running dual motors on the Y-axis, which is both plentiful and largely valid, I have successfully done this, (not using a Rudia), but only by running both motors from the same driver. To this end you need to have a large enough driver for the loads from both motors. If both motors run from one G201 as it stands, and you’re not trying to increase performance beyond the driver’s capabilities then I’d stick with what you have. Clearly if the driver fails for any reason then you’re not going to get any support from Geckodrive.

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