RAMPS for external drives?

Newbie here.
I would like to build a 3D this summer and am collecting parts but mostly reading and learning.

A bunch of powerfull stepper motors, Nema 17 and 23 are waiting to be used but the Pololu's won't drive these, 2 - 3 Amp will be needed.

Is there a good RAMPS design somwhere out there for use with external drives?

I'm looking for a board with screw terminals or something else to neatly connect the external drives.

Thanks in advance.

... you can use any stepper drivers, that accept TTL level (=GND to +5V) for the DIR- and CLOCK-pins ... ENABLE is optional for idling the power when pausing, but not necessary.

I'm driving industrial 3-phase motors with 325Volts @2Amps with an old GEN3 or an Arduino with RAMPS 1.2 without any converters or problems

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Ramps for external drives was probably not the best title, I'm looking for an Arduino 2560 shield with good connectors.

I did see that it is possible to use the RAMPS to connect external drives but the wiring looks complex and flimsy with those Pololu pin headers.

Stepper drives are no problem, I have several models: TB6560, Picstep etc. wich should work.

A solution would be using a small adapter PCB with decent terminals which plugs onto the Pololu headers (if this does exist?).
This would still leave the other (flimsy IMHO) RAMPS headers for limit switches etc.

I'm working with profesional CNC machines at work and several DIY routers and a mill at home, the usual 3D printer wiring doesn't look very reliable, that's why I would like to know if there isn't something better for the Arduino.

... look at the attached images in this and the following post for the GEN3- and RAMPS-adapters: [forums.reprap.org]

Here the image of the 'pin-extractors' on the RAMPS:

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

RAMPS is mainly a break out board with a couple of FET's on it.

If you're driving something larger, you could simply use a terminal shield (something like [www.freetronics.com] for example) on an Arduino with a few components for things like the thermistors (there are only 2 components per thermistor normally). A bunch of SSR's instead of FET's (especially if you're driving voltages higher than 12V) and your external stepper drivers. To get it compatible with RAMPS, all you have to do is make sure everything is hooked up to the same pins.

All the end-stops are just directly connected to the Arduino pins, so that's dead easy too.

I've not seen a terminal breakout shield specifically for the Mega though, which is a bit of a shame. Then again, breaking out that many pins to screw headers would mean a rather large board. :/

Everything on screw terminals is indeed a real basic breakout board.
Ramps is a breakout board also but with most of the components on it.
I was looking for something like a RAMPS where all the breakout connectors are similar so that LCD, rotary and whatever options still can be used.
Looks like it doesn't exist, the easiest is a Pololu adapter PCB with screw connector similar to what Viktor posted above.

Then this thread : [forums.reprap.org] has raised more issues with connectors and protection.
Result there is a nice design but still uses low current drivers.

A new shield design could be made wich maintains compatibility with the RAMPS headers, no Pololu stuff and screw or better latching connectors for the endswitches, thermals etc..

I decided to roll my own RAMPS compatible shield after a lot of thinking and mainly reading.
There are some issues, wish lists for improvement, etc.. on the forum.
The result is a shield with:
- components to protect the Arduino thermistor inputs and the limit switches, debounce is also added for the latter.
- on board short circuit protected 5V regulator, miswiring won't kill the Arduino one. This also allows for a higher load on 5V like the LCD backlight.
- 3.5mm pitch screw connectors or .100 latching plugs for thermistor and endstops.
- 10 pin PMinMo compatible flatcable connectors for 5 external drives.
- Commonly available automotive fuses.
- ....

The shield is pin compatible with Ramps, hope it will be as it has not been tested yet
PCB design is done and some prototypes are on order.

Attached is a mockup for checking the header locations to the arduino and component placement.

Thoughts, suggestions for improvement?

Looks good and robust

I think this will be a useful addition, quite often people are looking to add external stepper drivers.

I'd like to sell that board for you in the US if you make it. Fits in nicely with our line of open source stepper driver kits, including the 200 watt THB6064AH driver that will manage the tiny little step pulses from the Marlin and Sprinter firmware. The combination is perfect.

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[www.linistepper.com] Open source stepper motor drivers.