First, complete the base wiring instructions for the first four drivers. Do not make the connections that go directly from the drivers to the Arduino (the STEP and DIR pins), we will handle those later.
Repeat the instructions (still ignoring the STEP and DIR pins) for the other four drivers. This makes all the needed power connections.
Now we will connect the remaining pins. Due to the number of pins on the Arduino, we have to use the breadboard to combine some of the connections. The DIR pins will still go directly from the driver to the Arduino. Go ahead and make those connections as follows. All of these are for the DIR pin.
Now we will use the breadboard for the step pins. Since we aren’t using just the power rails, first we need to explain more how the breadboard works. If you look at the breadboard with the power rails running vertically (going toward/away from you not from left to right) the rest of the pins are lined up in rows. All pins in a given group of 5 in a row are connected. We will use this to connect the step pins of motors that face each other.
Connect the step pins of the bottom left and bottom right together in one row, the bottom front and bottom back together, the upper left and upper right together, and the upper front and the upper back together. See the image below for those connections.
Now take wires and connect these pairs to the Arduino. The lower right/left goes to pin 11, lower front/back goes to 8, upper right/left goes to 5, and upper front/back goes to 2.
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