Wiring¶

What you need¶

DC supply in the 12–24 VDC range
Step/dir motor driver (open-loop or closed-loop) and a motor already wired together.
Screwdriver for the terminals, and your limit switch or proximity sensor if you plan to use one.

Connect in this order¶

Power (leave the connector plug disconnected until you finish up wiring): connect your DC supply to the power input plug/terminal (observe polarity). Axis powers up from this terminal and provides 5V logic to the STEP/DIR/EN and LIM limit switch headers.

STEP/DIR/EN (driver control):¶

STEP → driver PUL/STEP
DIR → driver DIR,
EN → driver EN/ENA if you use it.
Share ground: GND on Axis → driver signal ground.
Use 5V only as a logic reference for opto-isolated inputs, not to power loads.
See the wiring diagrams for common-anode vs common-cathode options.

Limit switch input:¶

Wire your switch/sensor to LIM+, LIM, and GND, then set the polarity in Settings → Limit Pin according to your sensor type.

(Optional) Fault/Alarm:¶

If your driver exposes an alarm output, connect it to the ALM+, ALM- terminals (open-collector to ground) so Axis can detect alarms.

Note

Double-check connections before applying power. If you plan to change wiring later, power down Axis first.

First power-on and setup¶

Apply DC power. The display will come on and the controller will be in a disabled state.
Press MENU to enable/disable the motor motion. (When disabled, motion commands are ignored.)
Enter the Settings menu with a long press on MENU. Navigate the settings menu with UP/DOWN; change values with B+/B- (long press for faster changes); exit and save settings with pressing MENU again.

Quickstart configuration:¶

First select the units to use (mm, in, or deg).
Configure the spepper motor according to your application (See settings)
Steps per Revolution (include microstepping from your driver).
Units per Revolution (lead screw pitch for linear applications or 360° for rotary).
Max Speed and Acceleration appropriate for your driver/motor.
Pin polarities if your driver or limit switch needs inverted signals.
Exit Settings (press MENU) to save.

Warning

Changing units is hard-resetting to default all setings in the controller. Only switch units when you need to controll a stepper motor in new application.

Make your first move¶

Moving on demand¶

Press B+ / B- to move while held.

Moving continuous¶

Long-press A+ / A- to start continuous motion; tap on any button to stop. Use the speed knob to dial the speed even while moving.

Step mode¶

Tap SHIFT + UP/DOWN to pick the step size that matches your task. Tap on UP/DOWN to move one step at a time.

Homing¶

Homing on a limit switch: Hold SHIFT and press MENU (while enabled) to start homing towards your configured Homing Direction and speed. Homing must see the limit switch in the allowed direction; otherwise it will stop and show an error.
Virtual Home: Tap on MENU while the controller is seeking for home to set a virtual home zero position (quick homing at any position without using a limit switch).
Clear home position: To clear out a previously set home position, initiate homing sequence and tap on any button other then MENU.

Troubleshooting¶

No motion: ensure you pressed MENU to enable, check wiring to STEP/DIR/EN and shared ground, and reduce Max Speed/Acceleration.
Stops immediately with an error: check the limit wiring/polarity and whether the axis thinks it is already homed and at a limit.
Wrong distance per step: re-check Steps per Revolution and Units per Revolution.
Contrast or unreadable screen: adjust Contrast in Settings.
STEP / DIR / EN / FAULT / 5V / GND: 5 V logic signals to your driver. 5V is only a reference for opto-isolated inputs; do not power loads from it. Defaults are active-high; flip polarity in Settings / Settings / Settings if needed.
Limit header (LIM+ / LIM / GND): LIM+ feeds your sensor (12–24 V derived from Axis supply), LIM is the signal, and GND is reference.
Power: DC supply into the main power terminals; observe polarity and stay within 9–27 VDC.

Motor driver wiring¶

Limit/terminal switches¶

LIM+: 12–24 V output from Axis for powering your sensor.
LIM: Sensor signal.
GND: Ground reference.

Warning

NPN sensors need one extra part: add a 4.7K resistor between LIM+ and LIM (pull-up) so the signal can go high.

Wiring and trigger polarity¶

Sensor type	Switch type	Limit pin trigger	Wiring
Mechanical switch	Normally open	Rising edge	Switch shorts `LIM+` to `LIM` when hit. `LIM+`: Switch terminal 1 `LIM`: Switch terminal 2
Mechanical switch	Normally closed	Falling edge	Switch opens `LIM+` to `LIM` when hit. `LIM+`: Switch terminal 1 `LIM`: Switch terminal 2
NPN	Normally open	Rising edge	`LIM+`: Sensor power supply `LIM`: Sensor output `GND`: Sensor ground
NPN	Normally closed	Falling edge	`LIM+`: Sensor power supply `LIM`: Sensor output `GND`: Sensor ground
NPN	Normally Open	Falling edge	`LIM+`: Sensor power supply `LIM`: Sensor output `GND`: Sensor ground Add pull-up: `LIM+` → `LIM` (3K3K–10K)
NPN NC	Normally Closed	Rising edge	`LIM+`: Sensor power supply `LIM`: Sensor output `GND`: Sensor ground Add pull-up: `LIM+` → `LIM` (3K3K–10K)