Re: Xylotex Indexer

Hi Sam,
As I explained in my e-mail to you (and now to the rest of the
CAD_CAM followers since you also posted it here), although displayed
on my web site, the indexer is not ready for release at the current
time.
Is it possible you are thinking of the Gecko Black box (It think
it is know as Gecko2002 or G2002)?

FYI though, when completed, my indexer will take high level
motion commands (linear, not circular) through either a serial port,
or USB and provide STEP & DIR pulses. The pulse rate can be upwards
in the hundreds of thousand per second. Each axis is independantly
driven (not true multi-axis interpolation, thus the name 'indexer'
rather than full motion profiler). There will be a 'master' with 4
axis capabilities, and a 'slave' that can add another 4 axes of
control. I have controlled up to 8 axes with such a setup through a
simple Visual Basic screen.

There are a couple of things keeping me from finsihing this:
1) Free time to work on this, and
2) Free time to work on this.

I do plan on having a single axis version available for testing in a
few weeks. It has the same footprint at my single axis stepper
driver board, has a VBB (stepper motor power, typically 24V) to VCC
(+5V) switching regulator on it, so to the system, you would just
need to connect a bipolar stepper (up to 2.5A/phase max), stepper
power(VBB), and a serial port connection. It would accept register
load commands (accel/decel, steps to move, start speed, max speed,
etc. parameteres), and other commands (start, stop). Communications
for this single axis version are to be done through a standard serial
port (not USB). I was thinking of writing some code for the Palm
handheld PC to operate this.

If you want to see a picture of the single axis device (which I just
put up because of this post), go to:
http://www.xylotex.com/SIndexer.htm

I will give y'all more info as it presents itself for release.

Thanks,

Jeff
http://www.xylotex.com

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "cinelogic" <cnc@v...> wrote:
> Hi,
> I've been reading the posts here, and I know you guys are just
around
> the corner from being finished with your indexer.
>
> Two questions:
>
> When? :-) and
>
> In one sentence or less, what is the big advantage of using an
indexer
> type of controller as opposed to the direct-to-parallel-port type of
> controller? Is it faster? More accurate? Easier to set up? Does
it
> work with a wider variety or a better quality of windows
software?
>
> Thanks,
> --Sam