Introduction

Hello everyone! I'd like to send a thank you to Bill for starting
this list, and for dropping me a note to check it out. Looks like
there's a *ton* of talent here, and some real potential for a good
new source of info on this topic.

A little bit about me: I'm the guy who setup the DRO+ page at
http://www.mcs.net/~kulaga/dro.html. It's a homebuilt encoder
interface that's very similar to the US Digital interface card
that some members of this list own. It's very much a work in
progress, but I'm happy to note that at least one user has had
success in building it. There may be more, but they haven't said
anything to me yet.

By trade I'm a mechanical engineer, but my hobbies range all over
the map. I've got a good amount of experience with motion control
and robotics, and built one semi-autonomous robot and one fully
autonomous, both while in college. I also did a ground-up CNC
conversion of a 10" South Bend lathe, including the software and
G-code interpreter. Got me an easy 'A' in my Senior Design class :)

Past projects have found me working with automation and control
schemes ranging from small, self-contained microcontrollers and PLCs
up to multiple-CPU, PC-based designs incorporating machine vision,
radar, and laser rangefinding systems. The mobile robot I entered
in the 1998 AUVS competition was probably the coolest thing I ever
did, and took 6th place overall. If it wasn't built around a huge
industrial style golf cart, it woulda taken first I bet. <G>

I don't have a home shop set up yet, since I just moved into this
house 4 months ago, and there's a list of honey-do's a mile long.
So, until the wife is out of chores (never will be, it seems) and I
get the time, I'm just an idea guy. I'll try to chime in where I
can be helpful, and I'll keep polishing the DRO page so even total
beginners can make use of it.

I have plans to expand the web page to include primers on steppers
and servos, instructions to build a 4-axis motion controller,
servo amplifiers and power supplies, and more. I'm really stuck
on PC control of machines. Robots, machine tools, whatever. As I
get brilliant and not-so-brilliant ideas for homebuilt control
hardware, I'm just going to add them to the webpage. At the rate
I'm going it might take me forever, but I hope not. :)

One last note to those of you who own the US Digital encoder
interface board: The DRO software at my webpage should work great
with it. My card and the USD card are both based on the LS7266R1
interface chip. Right now the software is a little lame, but I can
add backlash compensation, 3rd and 4th axis support, and feedrate
displays if you want them. Not much work involved either. If you
want something more, drop me an email and we'll talk it over.

I'm really looking forward to participating in this list. Looks
like you brought together one heck of a bunch here, Bill.

-Tom Kulaga