Post by thread:[EE] 3 AXIS STEPPER CONTROLLER

I am looking for reference designs for a 3 axis stepper controller. Also, I might need some help. This is a contract job I am quoting, and I don't think I can meet the time frame. We do not need to do any curves or other CNC type calculations. They will operate independent. If their is a reference design and software that does support CNC G-CODE, then that would be a great way to start also. Best regards, Giles Offlist: spam_OUTgilesTakeThisOuTonecorpsource.com

>I am looking for reference designs for a 3 axis stepper controller. >Also, I might need some help. This is a contract job I am quoting, >and I don't think I can meet the time frame. Look at the Stepper Driver boards that James Newton (from this list) sells. Sorry I don't have his website link. Anyone step in with it? >If their is a reference design and software that does support CNC >G-CODE, then that would be a great way to start also. I don't know if he also has software, but IIRC there is a fair amount of open source on the web.

On Mar 16, 2009, at 7:20 AM, Alan B. Pearce wrote: >> I am looking for reference designs for a 3 axis stepper controller. >> Also, I might need some help. This is a contract job I am quoting, >> and I don't think I can meet the time frame. > > Look at the Stepper Driver boards that James Newton (from this list) > sells. > Sorry I don't have his website link. Anyone step in with it? http://www.piclist.com/techref/io/stepper/linistep/index.htm BillW

> I am looking for reference designs for a 3 axis stepper controller. > Also, I might need some help. This is a contract job I am quoting, and I > don't think I can meet the time frame. > We do not need to do any curves or other CNC type calculations. They will > operate independent. > If their is a reference design and software that does support CNC G-CODE, > then that would be a great way to start also. Interface? Size? Speed? Why design? There's plenty of turn-key solutions on eBay, (controller & motors). Typically based on single chip stepper drivers. Gecko will sell you a controller for various size motors. See http://www.hobbycnc.com for a DIY approach (kits & motors). Most of these use bipolar motors, unipolar is simpler to design for but less common as the driver chips focus on bipolar. All these driver use Step & Dir for control, and using the parallel port for control is the norm. For software TurboCNC is free, (source code available after licensing), and runs on a DOS PC. Mach3 for Windows, or EMC for Linux (uses a custom kernel for real time control). Tony

Take a look at EMC2 (http://www.linuxcnc.org). That's what I'm going to be using when I (eventually) get my CNC machine up and running. Looks fantastically featured - G-CODE generation, editing and all sorts of eye-candy toolpath stuff too. Also a nice feature is the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) that allows you to interface to pretty much any hardware you want without resorting to writing your own drivers. Free to download and there's also the emc-users mailing list (which I'm on) for support - it's a pretty friendly/knowledgeable bunch, with some incredibly cool kit and impressive expertise between them :) Regards, Pete Restall --- Original Message --- Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:20:36 -0000 From: "Alan B. Pearce" <.....Alan.B.PearceKILLspam@spam@stfc.ac.uk> Subject: Re: [EE] 3 AXIS STEPPER CONTROLLER To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <piclistKILLspammit.edu> >I am looking for reference designs for a 3 axis stepper controller. >Also, I might need some help. This is a contract job I am quoting, >and I don't think I can meet the time frame. Look at the Stepper Driver boards that James Newton (from this list) sells. Sorry I don't have his website link. Anyone step in with it? >If their is a reference design and software that does support CNC >G-CODE, then that would be a great way to start also. I don't know if he also has software, but IIRC there is a fair amount of open source on the web.

> On Mar 16, 2009, at 7:49 AM, Giles Honeycutt wrote: > > I am looking for reference designs for a 3 axis stepper controller. > Also, I might need some help. This is a contract job I am quoting, > and I > don't think I can meet the time frame. > We do not need to do any curves or other CNC type calculations. > They will > operate independent. > If their is a reference design and software that does support CNC G- > CODE, > then that would be a great way to start also. > > Best regards, > Giles > Offlist: .....gilesKILLspam.....onecorpsource.com Check out www.onsemi.com/PowerSolutions/product.do?id=AMIS-30624 www.trinamic.com/tmc/render.php?sess_pid=394 http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/turbocnc/ I would be happy to help. MA WFT Electronics Denver, CO 720 222 1309 " dent the UNIVERSE "

Tony, Why? I have been asked to quote it. Size, ..... Well, the customer is specifying the driver chips & motors he wants incorporated. It also has to replace an existing system, so the interface will be Ethernet, with existing high level commands. Thank you very much for the info and links you provided. I will be checking out both. Perhaps I can adapt the TURBOCNC to my project, but I really need the control to be embedded with only high level commands coming from the Ethernet. Probably will use PIC or ATMEL for onboard control. Best regards, Giles {Original Message removed}

Peter, Thank you for the link. I looked it over (http://www.linuxcnc.org) and it seems to be a very cool project, but I am looking for an embedded system. Perhaps that will be good for a future project of mine. Best regards, Giles -----Original Message----- From: EraseMEpiclist-bouncesspam_OUTTakeThisOuTmit.edu [piclist-bouncesspam_OUTmit.edu]On Behalf Of Peter Restall