Re: Gecho 210 step multiplier, was Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Stepper Math

Maybe I just talk to myself too much ;-). The Gecko 201 doc doesn't say what
ratio it microsteps at. Is this a standard (10x)? So if I use a 201, would I
need to step ten times to get 1/200 of a rotation of a 200 step motor? THEN
I could see the usefulness of the 210 since I could get back my step rate.
I'm used to PMACs and servos. Stepper controllers are a different can 'o'
worms. Am I on the right track yet? The Gecko products do seem to give one a
lot of bang for the buck.

Regards,

Paul R. Hvidston, N6MGN
ACKSYS Engineering
Upland, CA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul R. Hvidston" <paul_hvidston@...>
To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 12:34 PM
Subject: Gecho 210 step multiplier, was Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Stepper Math


> Guy,
>
> I think there's some confusion about the Gecho210's step multiplier. The
> manual says:
>
> "The G210 has a built in STEP PULSE MULTIPLIER. This circuit puts out 1,
2,
> 5 or 10 pulses for every input STEP pulse."
>
> This is the opposite from microstepping. It seems like the only use for a
> step multiplier is if your system cannot spit out step pulses fast enough
to
> keep you happy, and or your "gearing" is way off and you need to speed it
> up. To me, the multiplier feature of the 210 doesn't seem all that useful.
> Am I missing something?
>
> Regards,
>
> Paul R. Hvidston, N6MGN
> ACKSYS Engineering
> Upland, CA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Guy Sirois" <guys@...>
> To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 2:05 PM
> Subject: RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Stepper Math
>
>
> > Yes, Sean.
> >
> > the drives can change the number of steps it takes for one revolution of
> > the motor.
> >
> > The common motor is a 200 step/revolution as a base value. When it is
> being
> > driven by a drive that runs in "Full step mode", it will take 200 pulses
> to
> > make it turn one rev. This is rarely seen/used.
> >
> > You are most likely to encounter a drive that runs in "Half-step mode",
> > meaning it will take 400 pulses to make one rev. The motor just follows
> that
> > and stops at every half-step instead of every full-step of its 200
steps.
> >
> > Likewise, there are drives that run in quarter-step, eight-step, or
tenth
> > step like the Gecko G201. You are now at 2000 pulses per revolution.
Your
> > motor runs 10 times slower than on a full-step drive but it is 10 times
> more
> > precise (theoretically) and most importantly, much more than 10 times
> > smoother.
> >
> > The speed versus resolution is a compromise you have to make, but the
> > smoothness factor of fractional step drives is maybe more important,
> > depending on your application.
> >
> > Hope this helps,
> > Guy
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: audiomaker2000 [mailto:audiomaker@...]
> > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 10:22 AM
> > To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Stepper Math
> >
> >
> > Hey all,
> >
> > I must say that I thought I had this down, but after learning more,
> > I think I know less again (funny how that works eh?)
> >
> > My question is in the relationship between the computer's pulses,
> > the drive's pulses, and the step motor's steps...
> >
> > Let me start with my point of reference so we can see where I'm
> > screwing this up....
> > The older Nema 42 steppers could be jogged in tenths in the original
> > configuration. The lead screws are solidly shrouded on the machine
> > so I'd rather not tear it down to get to them to count TPI, but
> > based on any realistic thread pitch, I'd say that the motors
> > probably had to do more than 200 steps per revolution to advance in
> > tenths.
> > The first thing I don't get is if the drive can change the amount of
> > steps a motor takes in a revolution, or if that is limited by the
> > stepper itself? It seems like it should be the drives making this
> > decision (universal bipolar motor having it's fields arranged for
> > microsteps by the drive), and if this is the case, how does the
> > drive know how fine a step the motor is capable of, or doesn't it
> > matter because it's all about the drive?
> > Or does the Stepper have a finite set amount of steps per revolution
> > and the drives simply send generic pulses as fast as they can, with
> > the drives that can send them reeeeeally fast being
> > called "microstepper drives?"
> > Without rewiring, what is the constant here? It seems to me like
> > both the stepper and the drive are constant and only the speed of
> > the stream of steps from the controller is the variable... is this
> > correct? If the drive could be programmable for the size of the step
> > (rotation angle), I would understand that because it would shift the
> > fields in just the correct way to acheive that advance on the
> > stepper, and you would set it to the maximum advance (or step
> > resolution) that your stepper could accomplish.
> > What I'm missing here is what is fixed and what is variable. Do the
> > drives have a set number of field configurations or advances and the
> > steppers just follow along so now you have to program your steps per
> > revolution based on the drive?
> >
> > Yikes... I'm lost again.
> >
> > Sean (I know...just hook the darned thing up)
> >
> > P.S. By the time you respond to this, I will have visited 5 more web
> > page tutorials on steppers, figured it out in 3 conflicting ways and
> > started at zero again.
> >
> >
> > Addresses:
> > FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
> > FILES: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/files/
> >
> > OFF Topic POSTS: General Machining
> > http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> > http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> >
> > Post messages: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> > Subscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > Unsubscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > List owner: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com, wanliker@...
> > Moderator: jmelson@... timg@... [Moderator]
> > URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
> > bill,
> > List Mom
> > List Owner
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Addresses:
> > FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
> > FILES: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/files/
> >
> > OFF Topic POSTS: General Machining
> > http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> > http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> >
> > Post messages: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> > Subscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > Unsubscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > List owner: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com, wanliker@...
> > Moderator: jmelson@... timg@... [Moderator]
> > URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
> > bill,
> > List Mom
> > List Owner
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
>
>
> Addresses:
> FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
> FILES: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/files/
>
> OFF Topic POSTS: General Machining
> http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
> http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
>
> Post messages: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> Subscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> Unsubscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> List owner: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com, wanliker@...
> Moderator: jmelson@... timg@... [Moderator]
> URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
> bill,
> List Mom
> List Owner
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>