Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Stepper Motor steps and other questions

Thanks to Alan, Mike and Jan.

I just got back in town and had to catch up on the emails. I will be
removing all of the gearing, latitude and longitude motors and gears and
also the integrators. The main object of the modification is to make the
things simple to maintain. I guess a stepper motor and controller is about
as simple as you can get. As far as speed is concerned the fastest I need
for movement in one axis would be (worst case) a ship speed of about 35kts
due north. I m guessing that would come out to be about 5 ipm. I get that
from approxmate numbers:

60 mph = 88ft/s
30 mph=44ft/s =14yds/s
14yds/s * 60sec = 840 yds/min
200yds/in max scale of bug.
(840yds/min)/(200yds/in)= 4.2 ipm at 30 mph.
10tpi leadscrew with 200 step/rev
2000 steps/in

I will have a switch to tell the computer whether to calculate at 2000
yds/in. (normal) or 200yds/in. (high definition).

Since I need about 35 mph I guess about 5ipm as an absolute maximum speed.
I hope I'm not too far out in left field with this.

Do I understand correctly that the Gecko 201 that I see mentioned takes the
output from the computer and generates the pulses to the motor to make it
move the required steps? If I run a 28vdc supply to the motor thru the
Gecko how much more circuitry would I need to make this run reliably? I
anticipate putting 200+ oz-in motors on the leadscrews. Since I don't
require position feedback information do I need any other stuff to make this
work? I understand that the software would have to calculate the
positioning information and generate the correct steps. It does that now
with the stepping motors, just at a different rate. Is there a PCI
interface card available to drive the gecko driver?

Thanks again,

Russ N4FT