RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] ELS? (long answer)

Hi Ballendo,

>
> >In CCED, John Dammeyer <johnd@...> wrote:
> > And I need to change some software in
> > the ELS to drive it all. Be a good use for prototype #1.
>
> What is ELS? Electronic Lead screw?

Yes. Developed with the input from the folks on the E-Leadscrew group.

>
> A DIY version of the "frog" perhaps?

Sort of. The Frog is a real nice piece of gear but with only LEDs and a
BEEP it's not versatile enough and it failed because it was priced too low
relative to costs and market demand.

>
> I keep seeing this, but don't think I've seen the details yet...

Desk Calculator size which is about 6"x7". Has 20x2 LCD screen, numeric
keypad, function keys under the display, and a bunch of specialty buttons
like jog and slew +/-, Set Start, Set End. Set Turning mode (fine feed) and
Set Threading mode (courser feed). Like a Southbend, the gear box has two
feed rates depending on whether the half nut or apron clutch is used.

Has an optional Z axis 3Amp 55V stepper driver or puts out step/dir for both
Z and X to a standard DB-25 connector that matches the pinout most people
use for MACH2/3. (There's a jumper strip for swapping pins around).

Or instead of an X axis step/dir, it can be populated with a CAN bus
connection.

Oh, and it has a rotary encoder knob to step the Z (and soon X) axis.
Pressing the knob cycles through step intervals of 0.001, 0.005, 0.010,
0.020. (I haven't decided what the metric increments will be).

Because it has an easy to use keypad for numeric input it fits in well with
a back gauge. Want to bend 2.5"? A button will be dedicated to cut/bend
size. Press it, the LCD will prompt for a value. Key it in and press
enter. Press start or set or whatever and the gauge will move.

Try a test bend. If it's out by a bit, tweak the gauge with the encoder
knob.

The plan for the ELS was also to add a simple calculator feature since I can
never find mine under all the other crap.

And the reason I wanted one is I didn't want a full blown MACH2/3 CNC PC for
my small Unimat DB-200 or my homebuilt Gingery lathe; I now have a
SouthBend 10L that can cut most threads and does tapers.

I'm only doing X axis because of multiple requests and there are some
advantages for simple threading. Personally, if you want tapers and tab
stops etc, and a movable X axis, MACH2/3 is a better choice.

Finally, costwise it's almost free. When the final board is done and
tested, Gerbers will be posted as well as schematics. Source code for a
small serial port version has already been released under the GNU license.

The keypad/LCD version does use surface mount and currently has the RJ
connector for programming the processor. Once I'm happy with the firmware,
I'll consider changing the hardware or configuring it to allow programming
from a PC parallel port with an adapter cable.

Future plans for the hardware are to also port the MicroChip CANOpen stack
to it and configure it as a CANOpen user interface module or a CANOpen
MicroStepper Driver. It has an A/D port and I'm thinking the next version
might even have a couple of the outputs configured as optional relay out and
the inputs as opto in. Makes the board even more useful as a CANOpen node.

The original goal, which I've met, was that the board, LCD, keybuttons and
3A driver were all to cost less than $150 but to have all these features
too. Shipping from Canada to the USA is onerous due to NAFTA. Might come
in duty free but that $30 customs brokerage paperwork charge is making
someone wealthy. Therefore I expect, that someone might, with enough of an
incentive, get a batch of 25 to 50 boards made and farm them out to a
automated board stuffing house. Then all a user has to do is install the
through hole parts after buying the base board, programmed and tested for
under $100 or so.

BTW, Paul Kelly built a nice little example of an ELS with an LCD screen,
two encoder knobs and a button; it drove a GECKO I think. But it wasn't
close to the type of product that I wanted although I think he could sell it
assembled and tested for about $50.

>
> Link, description, etc?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/E-LeadScrew/

>
> Thank you in advance,

You're welcome. I work on it in little spurts when there's nothing else to
do. In order to fully test the X axis software I need to install a stepper
on my X. And I'm in home improvement mode at the moment. It's just that
silly bender that followed me home got me thinking about other projects for
the ELS hardware.

I'm donating the software and hardware design under the GNU licensing scheme
which just means that if you use it and like it and make changes to it, you
have to release the source code of your upgrades.

Why?

Because the market isn't large enough for a sophisticated ELS when an X axis
motor and a PC plus MACH2/3 gives you so much more. But that small market
unfortunately means that a small ELS for the few that don't want MACH2/3
would never get built. So I built it.

Now for a sheer/bender like yours and mine, how many labour hours will a
desktop size box save some small shop? Perhaps that's the real market for
the ELS and the side market is the lathe. Don’t know and honestly at the
moment don't care. I'm giving something back to an industry that has been
good to me.

John Dammeyer

>
> Ballendo
>
> P.S. I AM familiar with the ELS at houston metalworkers club. Is
> this project an offshoot? (We've talked about THAT ELS on my
> 9x20Lathe group a few times.)
>
>
>
>
>
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