Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] home-brew microcontroller kit

Dear DeLesley,
I would potentially like to look at your system and would pay for the
parts. I have a suggestion, Let me redraw the schematic and lay out the
board to your specs.
If you like the layout I will pay for the parts for 1 system (Mine) and give
you the rights for the layout so you can sell your kit. Please call if this
interests you, Mike Carpenter (214)375-9848

----- Original Message -----
From: "ds_hutchins" <hutchins@...>
To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2002 12:51 PM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] home-brew microcontroller kit


>
> I've been looking into what kind of motor control solution I want to
> use, and while the gecko boards are a great product, there's no good
> way to get information like encoder position back into the computer.
> I know camtronics sells a DRO board, but I would like to use a cheap
> laptop for space and programming reasons.
>
> I'm thinking of building my own microcontroller-based system based on
> the ST10F168 microcontroller from STM. It's a 25Mhz chip that mouser
> sells for $30. It has 4 PWM outputs, 5 quadrature input counters, 32
> CAPCOM inputs, 16 A/D inputs, a serial port, and on-board flash.
> There's also a port of the gcc compiler so that I don't need
> multi-thousand dollar compiler tools. (like *cough* TI *cough*)
>
> In other words, everything is on one chip, so the only extra logic I
> would need are a clock and some basic driver and buffer chips to power
> the outputs. The result would be a motor controller with:
>
> - 4 axis PWM servo output
> - 4 axis step-direction parallel-port input
> - 4 axis servo motor feedback
> - 5 axis input from DRO linear encoders and/or jog
> - Serial communications for direct input of g-code or querying of
> current position.
>
> By connecting some latches and 7-segment LEDs to the external address
> bus I could even make the unit into a DRO that works without a
> computer connected to it, using either servo or linear encoder
> feedback. I'd have enough extra inputs to put in emergency stop,
> limit switches, and power feed switches.
>
> The whole project would cost maybe $150 in parts with the connectors
> and custom PCBs. I would still need opto-isolated external driver
> boards for each individual motor, but those are pretty easy to make
> too using a MOSFET H-bridge. The first version would be
> step-direction only, but supporting serial input of the first few
> g-codes wouldn't be that hard.
>
> My question is, if I put together the system, did the programming, and
> released the circuit designs for public review, would anyone on the
> list be interested buying such a system in kit form? I'm thinking a
> good asking price would be about $250 for a board with a 3-axis DRO
> display. I'm trying to determine whether or not I could recoup the
> additional time and effort it would take to do the PCB design and
> programming. (I'm a computer scientist by trade.)
>
> -DeLesley Hutchins
>
> P.S. The ST10F168 does have one disadvantage -- it's surface mount.
> Would that deter anyone from buying a solder-it-yourself kit?
>
>
>
>
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