DWC MK3/4 Controller Reference

Used On DWC Machines

Current and legacy MK3/4 controller platform assignments.

Machine / Platform	Controller	Status
DWC2440	PlanetCNC MK3/4	Current production controller platform
Legacy DWC2636	PlanetCNC MK3/4	Older legacy commercial units
Legacy DWC3648	PlanetCNC MK3/4	Older legacy commercial units
Legacy DWC4848	PlanetCNC MK3/4	Older legacy commercial units
Legacy DWC5100	PlanetCNC MK3/4	Older legacy commercial units

DWC Controller Matrix: DWC1824 uses MK3DRV. DWC2440 uses MK3/4. Current DWC2636, DWC3648, DWC4848, and DWC5100 systems use MK3. Some older legacy commercial machines used MK3/4.

MK3/4 Controller Board Overview

Connector locations and board identification.

MK3/4 26-Pin IDC Header

Dedicated reference for the IDC26 header and core motion/control signals.

Signal Group	Signals	Use
Axis 1	STEP1, DIR1	Motion output to external driver
Axis 2	STEP2, DIR2	Motion output to external driver
Axis 3	STEP3, DIR3	Motion output to external driver
Axis 4	STEP4, DIR4	Motion output to external driver
Enable	ENA	External driver enable reference
Limits	LIM1, LIM2, LIM3	Limit/home input references
Safety	E-STOP	Emergency stop reference
I/O	IN1, OUT1, OUT2, OUT6	Machine input/output references
Power/Common	GND, NC/+5V	Logic reference / common

DWC Note: The 26-pin IDC header is important on MK3/4-based DWC machines because it can carry step/direction, enable, limit, E-stop, input, and output signals through one connector.

MK3/4 Axis Connector

Axis output connector for external stepper drivers.

Signal	Function	Notes
+5V	Logic power reference	Axis output IDC header
ERROR	Driver error input reference	External driver feedback
STEP	Step pulse signal	To DM556 / external stepper driver
DIR	Direction signal	To DM556 / external stepper driver
ENABLE	Driver enable signal	External driver enable
GND	Ground reference	Signal common

DWC2440: Axis outputs are used with external DM556 stepper drivers.

MK3/4 Input Connector

Screw terminal input connector.

Signal	Function	Notes
IN1	Machine input 1	Machine-specific input
IN2	Machine input 2	Machine-specific input
IN3	Machine input 3	Machine-specific input
IN4	Machine input 4	Machine-specific input
GND	Ground reference	Input common

MK3/4 Output Connector

Screw terminal output connector.

Signal	Function	Notes
OUT1	Machine output 1	Common spindle/router control reference
OUT2	Machine output 2	Machine-specific output
OUT6	Output / speed reference	Machine-specific use
GND	Ground reference	Output common
+5V	Logic power reference	Output connector

MK3/4 Limit Connector

Limit/home switch screw terminal connector.

Signal	Function	Notes
LIMIT 1	Limit input 1	Machine-specific assignment
LIMIT 2	Limit input 2	Machine-specific assignment
LIMIT 3	Limit input 3	Machine-specific assignment
LIMIT 4	Limit input 4	Machine-specific assignment
GND	Ground reference	Limit common

MK3/4 CTRL Connector

Control connector for E-stop, index, and encoder references.

Signal	Function	Notes
E-STOP	Emergency stop input	Control/safety reference
IDX	Index input	Spindle/encoder/index reference
ENC A	Encoder A channel	Encoder reference
ENC B	Encoder B channel	Encoder reference
GND	Ground reference	CTRL common

MK3/4 JOG Connector

Jog header for pendants, MPG controls, and external operator stations.

Signal	Function	Notes
JOG 1–8	Jog input references	Pendant / operator control
POT	Potentiometer input reference	Jog/feed control use
+3.3V	Logic reference voltage	JOG header
ALT1 / ALT2	Alternate function inputs	JOG header
SHIFT	Shift input reference	JOG header
GND	Ground reference	JOG common

DWC2440 Jog Pendant Wiring

Membrane jog buttons and 5kΩ potentiometer wiring to the MK3/4 JOG header.

Pendant Cable & Function Overview

10-conductor pendant cable reference.

Wire Color	Function	MK3/4 JOG Header
Orange	Y+ Jog	JOG3
Red	Potentiometer Ground	GND
Black	X+ Jog	JOG1
Purple	Z+ Jog	JOG5
Yellow	Z− Jog	JOG6
Blue	Potentiometer Reference	+3.3V
Gray	Y− Jog	JOG4
Brown	X− Jog	JOG2
White	Potentiometer Signal	POT
Green	Common Ground	GND

DWC Standard: JOG7 and JOG8 are not used on the DWC2440 jog pendant.

MK3/4 JOG Header Mapping

DWC2440 pendant implementation.

MK3/4 Pin	DWC2440 Function	Wire Color
JOG1	X+	Black
JOG2	X−	Brown
JOG3	Y+	Orange
JOG4	Y−	Gray
JOG5	Z+	Purple
JOG6	Z−	Yellow
JOG7	Not Used	—
JOG8	Not Used	—
POT	Feed Override Signal	White
+3.3V	Potentiometer Reference	Blue
GND	Common / Pot Ground	Green / Red

DWC2440 Pendant Membrane & 5kΩ Potentiometer

Jog membrane and feed override reference.

DWC2440 pendant membrane and potentiometer wiring

Device	Connection	Purpose
Membrane	JOG1–JOG6 + GND	X+, X−, Y+, Y−, Z+, Z− jog controls
5kΩ POT	Red → GND	Potentiometer ground
5kΩ POT	White → POT	Feed override signal
5kΩ POT	Blue → +3.3V	Potentiometer reference voltage

Service Note: If a jog direction does not respond, check the matching JOG wire and membrane continuity. If feed override does not respond, verify Red to GND, White to POT, Blue to +3.3V, and confirm the 5kΩ potentiometer operation.

DWC2440 Motion Control Architecture

How the MK3/4 controller fits into the DWC2440 motion system.

MK3/4 Controller
Motion command source

Axis / IDC Output
Step, direction, enable

DM556 Driver
External stepper driver

Axis Motor
X, Y, Z, A

DWC2440: The MK3/4 controller is paired with external DM556 stepper drivers for the X, Y, Z, and A axes. Driver DIP switch settings are machine-specific and should be documented in the DWC2440 Control Box Reference.

DM556 Stepper Driver Overview

DWC2440 external motor driver reference.

Item	Reference	Notes
Driver	DM556 Microstep Driver	Used with DWC2440 external driver architecture
Control	PUL+, PUL−, DIR+, DIR−, ENA+, ENA−	Step, direction, and enable control signals
Motor	A+, A−, B+, B−	Stepper motor phase outputs
Power	+V, GND	Driver DC power input
DIP Switches	SW1–SW8	Current and microstep settings

Important: DWC2440 driver DIP switch settings are production data and should be documented in the DWC2440 Control Box Reference.

Expansion Interfaces

CAN and EXT connector references.

CAN Connector

Signal	Function	Notes
CANH	CAN bus high	Expansion communication
CANL	CAN bus low	Expansion communication
+5V	Logic power reference	CAN connector
GND	Ground reference	CAN connector

EXT Connector

Signal	Function	Notes
CLK	Clock	Expansion header
MISO	SPI MISO	Expansion header
SCL	I2C clock	Expansion header
TX	Serial transmit	Expansion header
+5V	Logic power reference	Expansion header
SSEL	SPI select	Expansion header
MOSI	SPI MOSI	Expansion header
SDA	I2C data	Expansion header
RX	Serial receive	Expansion header
GND	Ground reference	Expansion header

Official Documentation & Resources

Manufacturer resources and DWC support references.

PlanetCNC Hardware & Software

MK3 Controller MK3/4 Controller MK3DRV Controller TNG Manual Scripting Resources

DWC / OmniControl / CAD-CAM

DWC Support Hub OmniControl Documentation Vectric Documentation Huanyang VFD Manual Pending

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Disconnect power before working on controller wiring. Verify board orientation, terminal labeling, and machine-specific documentation before making wiring changes.