RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] stepper motor question

Not much to draw a picture of. A PIC is a single chip 8 bit computer made by
Microchip. They are available in a range of configuration with varying
onboard functions such as ADC (analog to digital converter to read voltage),
multiple hardware timers, capture and compare functions, PWM modules,
digital IO, etc. They are also available in one time program, UV erasable
eprom, and the experimenters favorite electrically erasable flash units. You
program them in assembler (free tools, tight code, but a lot of low level
coding), or high level languages such as C or Basic. The high level
compilers cost money (from affordable to outrageous). I use a compiler from
Micro Engineering Labs ( www.melabs.com )called PICBasic Pro that cost about
$250 with the hardware programmer you need (programmer will work with any of
the languages). Units that would do what you are needing cost less than
$5.00 each. You need to add a crystal or resonator for about a buck and then
start writing your code. Depends upon how big a stepper you need to mover as
to your choice of stepper driver. If you are driving a small stepper I have
had good luck interfacing the PIC directly to a L293D H-bridge. They are
only $3.00 or so. If you have to drive a larger motor I have used a L298N
again driven directly. They are about $5.00. If you have to drive a big
motor you could instead output step and direction signals and use either a 5
amp chopper unit from Camtronics or a stepper driver from Gecko.

Another approach would be to use a Basic Stamp from Parallax (
www.parallaxinc.com/ ) and a serial outboard ADC. Much lower startup cost,
but a far higher unit cost (BS-2 stamps are about $50.00 each) if you start
doing many projects. I started with the Basic Stamp, but quickly decided to
just invest the money in the PICBasic Pro compiler and have the lower unit
cost. If anyone is interested I do have a Basic Stamp BS-2 setup I would
sell for a reasonable price. Contact me off list at timg@...

I would suggest you take a look at
http://www.parallaxinc.com/html_files/getting_started/gettingstarted.htm
Just for reference, a Basic Stamp is a customized PIC that has a Basic
interpreter built in so it does not require an expensive compiler. So, if
you read the documentation on the Stamp products (great free documentation
and training) virtually all of it will transfer to programming a PIC with a
Basic compiler. Hope that helps a little??

Tim
[Denver, CO]

> What is easy for you, is not so simple for me. Could you send me
> a drawing?
> Thanks
> Stan
>
>
> Tim Goldstein wrote:
>
> > This would be a relatively easy task to program in a PIC
> microcontroller.
> > You would read the voltage with the ADC and based on the result
> send out a
> > step and direction signal to a stepper driver. I am sure there
> are plenty of
> > other ways to do it.
> >
> > Tim
> > [Denver, CO]
> FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html