Skip to content

Changelog

V2 — more control. Easier troubleshooting. Serviceable drivers.

V2 builds on V1’s eight-axis Dragonframe workflow with differential motor signals, replaceable line-driver chips, and a clearer view of what every channel is doing. New relay, logic and pushbutton connections bring more of your rig under Dragonframe control.

This is a hardware upgrade: the changes below describe the October 16, 2026 socketed DIP design, compared with the original V1 board. Physical acceptance testing remains pending; this is a design changelog, not a production-release announcement.

V2 board showing its eight motor ports, replaceable drivers and expanded controls.

V1 → V2 at a glance

Feature V1 V2 What you gain
RJ45 motion signals Single-ended STEP/DIR Differential STEP+/STEP− and DIR+/DIR− on all eight ports Paired signals for compatible differential receivers
Line-driver service Two soldered buffer ICs Four socketed AM26C31 ICs; two axes per chip Replace a damaged driver chip without soldering
Motion activity One shared activity light Eight independent STEP lights See which channel is receiving step activity
External contact trigger No dedicated general-purpose relay LOG1-controlled dry-contact relay Trigger a compatible contact-input device
Logic trigger No dedicated terminal output Buffered LOG2 output Send events to a compatible logic-input controller
External pushbutton No dedicated switch input Conditioned SWITCH input Add a button for a configured Dragonframe action
Control connections Two-pin E-stop connector Seven-position terminal block Relay, logic, switch and E-stop connections in one place
Status lights Power, E-stop and shared motion Power, E-stop, eight STEP, relay, LOG2 and SWITCH More visibility while setting up and diagnosing a rig

Differential outputs on every axis

V1 sends one STEP signal and one DIR signal per RJ45 port. V2 adds an actively driven complementary signal for each, using TI AM26C31 differential line drivers.

With a compatible differential receiver and correctly paired cable, the receiver reads the difference between the two signals. This helps reject noise picked up by both wires—a useful advantage around motor wiring. The benefit depends on the complete cable and receiver setup; no longer-cable distance or higher motion speed is claimed for this prototype. TI driver reference.

The DB37 connection retains single-ended signals for the same eight axes. See motor-output wiring.

Replace the chip, keep the board

V2’s four line-driver ICs sit in sockets. If a driver chip is damaged and the board and socket remain intact, it can be replaced without soldering. Each chip serves two axes, making it straightforward to locate the relevant part.

Use TI AM26C31IN / AM26C31INE4, PDIP-16. Correct the cause of a failure before fitting a replacement. Driver map and replacement steps.

See activity channel by channel

V1’s shared motion light tells you that some step activity is present. V2 gives each axis its own blue STEP light, so you can check the channel you are jogging without guessing which output is active.

New relay, LOG2 and SWITCH indicators also expose local control activity. These lights help troubleshoot signal paths; they do not confirm motor position or successful external-device operation. Indicator guide.

Bring buttons and external devices into the workflow

The new control terminal adds three useful connections:

  • Relay output: LOG1 operates a floating contact pair for devices that accept a dry-contact trigger.
  • LOG2 output: a separate buffered logic signal for compatible trigger inputs, such as an external work-light controller.
  • SWITCH input: a normally open pushbutton can request an action such as shooting a frame, once enabled in firmware and configured in Dragonframe.

E-stop moves to the same seven-position block. The camera’s separate meter/shutter contact outputs remain available at the camera jack. Relay contacts supply no voltage; LOG2 is a signal output, not power for a lamp. Connection examples and configuration.

Under the hood

  • Stock GIGA pin mapping: STEP/DIR, camera and E-stop connections are aligned with the official dmc-lite GIGA assignments, correcting crossed assignments in the original V1 CAD.
  • Defined driver inputs: pull-down resistors define STEP/DIR inputs while the GIGA pins float; they do not replace configured stop controls.
  • Four-layer PCB: dedicated internal ground and +5 V planes replace V1’s two-layer layout.
  • Revised connector layout: a straight/vertical DB37 and revised camera-jack placement, with the original board outline and GIGA header positions retained. Mounting holes have changed; check existing enclosure fit.
  • Conditioned controls: the new switch input includes filtering, protection and a Schmitt-trigger buffer; LOG2 uses a buffered output with series resistance and protection.

What stays familiar

Eight motion axes, Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi, the Dragonframe dmc-lite workflow, eight RJ45 ports, single-ended DB37 output, camera meter/shutter contacts and an E-stop input. External motor drivers still supply motor power. V2 expands the interfaces and serviceability; axis count remains eight.

Moving from V1

Check existing cables before connecting V2

RJ45 pins 2 and 6 change from ground in V1 to active STEP− and DIR− outputs in V2. A V1 adapter that grounds these pins can short V2’s outputs. Verify the full cable and receiver pinout before reuse.

  1. Rewire controls using the V2 pinout. The old two-pin E-stop connector is replaced by J5’s seven-position block. All connector assignments.
  2. Check firmware configuration. V1-specific pin swaps should not be carried forward blindly. SWITCH and E-stop must be explicitly configured; both are disabled in the archived prototype configurations. Firmware setup.
  3. Check enclosure fit. The connector layout and mounting holes differ from V1 even though the board outline is retained.
  4. Verify the complete rig. Check camera cable mapping and receiver compatibility, then follow first-movement setup and E-stop setup.

Comparison basis

V1: original Fusion PCB v150 / schematic v64. V2: October 16, 2026 socketed DIP PCB v5 / schematic v2. Earlier V2 layout proposals and the separate surface-mount variant are excluded. This comparison was checked against native CAD connectivity and component records on October 22, 2026; board-level load limits, cable limits and operating performance still require physical validation. Manual sources and verification status.