Re: new paradigm 6+3=9 bits: three S&D drives, 8 axes... , 3 bits spare

Hi Doug,

> Sorry Bob, you've completely missed the point.

I was hoping I misunderstood you. Now that I do I am less
enthusiastic. What you are trying to do is exactly how an LED clock
display works. When you look at an LED clock the digits look
like they are on constantly. If you film them you can see they
go on and off in sequence. This design saves wiring and parts.
What make the idea work is the persistance of the human eye. The
numbers look on even when they are off.
Now in your case you will still need large FETs for each motor.
Then you will need a gating circuit to switch between each motor. Now
you have almost as many parts as the circuits you are trying to
eliminate. The first motor and the last motor in your design will
always be running out of sync by the delay of the mulitiplexer. The
circuit will never allow two motors to step at the same time. Switch
between motors is multiplexing, you have now way to work around this.
I don't even want to think about the parts that will have to
be added to compensate for other problems that will show up. Your
idea is feasible but it won't be cheaper.

See it, but don't see it.

Bob