Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Introduction & request for help

Hey Jerry -

From: "Carol & Jerry Jankura" <jerry.jankura@...>

> First, of course, you need a stepper motor for each axis that you want to
> control.

Right...

> Next, you need some way of mounting the motors on each axis and coupling

the

> motor shaft to the leadscrew of that shaft.

Not a prob.
I'll make anything I need to, and have acme screws laying around or
available to me that I can use.

> You'll also need a driver for each motor. This is an electronic circuit

tha

> converts the "step and direction" information coming from your computer
> motor into the appropriate sequential current pulses to move the motors.

Ahhhh....okay, kewl.
So the "driver" converts what's coming from the PC to useable signals for
the steppers.
Gotcha.

> If
> you're into kit building, you can buy one of a couple of drivers that
> Camtronics sells. These kits are easy to build (I'm in the process of

doing

> that now), but require some know-how and willingness to buy the "extra"
> items, such as power supply, switches, fuses, cabinet, etc. that a

complete

> system requires. Camtronic's kits handle three axes, plus something like a
> fifty dollar bill gets you a fourth axis)

Yes~!
Kits are better for me.
Very good, thank you~!
I have enough electronic know-how to be able to assemble a kit.
I just can't design a circuit by my lonesome.
The rest of it, from what I gather could easily be ordered from
Radio Shack, Vance Baldwin, or the such.
The cabinet I can easily make out of sheet metal.

> If you're not into kits, then you
> can buy something like a Gecko driver. I have no experience with these
> drives, but people on this list seem to think that they're guite good. The
> guy who designs them is active on the board and provides quite a bit of
> support, both for his own units and for providing general information.

With

> the Geckos, you'll still have to complete the package (power supply,
> switches, etc.) but won't have to assemble any circuit boards. Gecko

drives

> supply one motor each, so you'll need three of them.

Okay, is it me or does $130 on average seem a little high?
I'm by no means criticizing the product *or* their pricing policy,
it just seems like a lotta dough-ray-mee for this po' boy when multiplied by
three?
What does the Camtronics kit go for?
If it's somewhat close in range at least I'll be able to buy in pieces,
yet still see progress as I go...

> After that, you'll need a parallel port on your computer (printer port

will

> do) and a 25 pin printer cable (with all 25 pins connected) to go between
> the computer and the driver.

Not a prob, here.

> If you want to add limit and home switches, you'll also need them. These
> would be connected to the driver boards, not to the computer.
>
> Your third alternative here is to purchase a packaged "retro" system that
> has all of the goodies prepackaged and you simply mount the motors and
> install the cables between. This route is probably 25% to 50% higher than
> the cost of piecing everything together. I'll know for sure once I get

mine

> to make chips.

Having seen the prices, I'd have to pass on the retro kits.
If I had the funds available, I might consider it, but then I wouldn't
learn as much as I would this way either. (:>)
Besides, time I have, money I don't... (:>)

> That would take care of the hardware.
>
> Then, there's software. When you're running a part, you'll need a G-Code
> interpreter to convert commands from the computer into a series of step

and

> direction pulses and levels in the correct timing. These can either be
> purchased, or had for free. TurboCNC is the freebie while most of the

others

> cost anywhere between $20 and out of sight, with $100-$200 being the

typical

> price.

Ahhhhh, okay, a G code interpeter...gotcha.
So *this* is the part that actually "talks" to the "driver"?

> I'd like to comment further, but not having used any of these
> programs other than to plot something on the CRT screen leaves me walking

on

> thinner ice than I am comfortable doing.

No prob, I can respect that.

> Now that you have a system that can accept G-Code programs and convert

them

> into a part, you need some way to generate the programs.
> One way is to do everything yourself. If that's the case, a simple text
> editor (Notepad for windows, for example) is all that you need. That, plus

a

> good knowledge of G-Code programming. Or, you can purchase a system that
> allows you to draw the part in a CAD program and let the program convert
> everything into G-Codes as necessary. You can use either a fully

integrated

> program such as VectorCAD, or get a no-cost Autocad workalike such as
> Intellicad-2001 (From Atlas or CMS, the web sites have been posted in the
> past few days) and use a DXF file to G-Code converter to get your G-Code.
> Yeager Automation offers ACE Converter for free. They also make a DOS

based

> G-Code interpreter that some folks here seem to like.

Kewl.
I've written code before, so it is possible, but I have access to programs
that
will spit it out for me right now, in just about any form I want.
Which brings up another good point.
Do the "drivers" we have been talking about recognize any one specific
group of codes?
I ask, because in my experience with "bigger" CNC's you get one that
will recognize some codes, and another that won't recognize all of the same
ones
as the first. Then a third will be totally different from the previous two.

> I think that I've covered all of the items that you need. Sorry that I

can't

> be specific on capability and robustness of any of the items other than

tell

> you what I've purchased, but I know only enough to be dangerous enough to
> thin out my wallet. Right now, I'm happy with the quality of the boards

that

> Camtronics produces.

You've been most helpful, Jerry, and I thank you.

> So many toys, so little time

Tell me about it.
Hmmmm...waddabout a robot fer my Tig...? <scratching beard>

Weyland