[victorprmt]

Hello
I have a GagetMaster steeper motor controller this controller is designed for 800mAmp steppers motors, please see that at: http://www.lightmachinery.com/motion-control.html my question is what do I need to run bigger steppers motors for example a 2 Amp steppers motors, with the same GagetMaster controller
Thanks
Victor

[Jesse B]

I'd assume that the internal Motor-Driver IC has a limit of 800mA. This means that you won't be able to use these controllers to get you any more amperage; you'll need a different driver board.

[James Newton]

Wow... the GagetMaster is 12 Volt, 800mA, 3 Axis for $200... you could buy 3 Gekkos (3.5A 50VDC) for less... you can buy 3 SLAm stepper kits (3A 35V) for about HALF that. I guess the mfgr spent the extra money on the fancy plastic case to keep people from seeing how small the drivers are inside? Or is there something I'm missing?

eBay the GagetMaster for $100 and buy a good kit or return it and buy a real driver.

[victorprmt]

Hello James

Can I use the same gagetmaster script editor to run the Gekkos (3.5A 50VDC)

[James Newton]

Nope, you would need real CNC software like TuboCNC or Mach3.

Is there some advantage to that script editor? What are you doing with it?

[victorprmt]

This is not for a CNC machine, is very easy to program and I want to use this for a panorama arm for a camera

[James Newton]

I believe there are general purpose scripting languages which can be used to put out standard step and direction pulses for standard stepper motor controllers. On an old PC, it would just be GW BASIC or anything like that and you would simply toggle the pins on the parallel port. I've not done that sort of thing on more modern PC's but I believe there is a DLL you can install to gain direct control of the PC parallel port and then go to town in just about any programming or scripting language.

Google up scripting the PC parallel port for your operating system and I'm sure you will find something. Probably using VB Script or JScript.

[victorprmt]

Thanks James

This is the problem I don’t know where to start (I am not a programmer I am a machine designer)

[victorprmt]

I have this solution I don’t know if this works

[James Newton]

Ok, now I'm confused...

The GadgetMaster thing isn't directly connected to the stepper motors? If so, then just placing larger transistors of the same type should increase your capacity.

Or it WAS and this solution is to be placed between the GadgetMaster and the stepper to boost the power output? If so, I have no idea if that is ok with the GadgetMaster specs or not... you would want to contact them.

Finally, I may not have understood what the GadgetMaster thing is... If it's a USB to IO bridge, with drivers that can run a small stepper, then the price isn't that unreasonable.

Also, if that is the case, you should be able to connect it to a standard step and direction type stepper controller (Gekko, SLAm stepper, HobbyCNC, Linistepper, etc...) and make minor changes in your script to compensate. It would actually simplify the script, I would assume. Ask the GadgetMaster users if anyone has connected a step and direction stepper controller to the thing.

[Jesse B]

I've not done that sort of thing on more modern PC's but I believe there is a DLL you can install to gain direct control of the PC parallel port and then go to town in just about any programming or scripting language.

This is the problem I don’t know where to start (I am not a programmer I am a machine designer)

Visual Basic is VERY easy to learn and use, and could be used with this DLL to control the parallel port. It would take very minimal learning to achieve this.

[victorprmt]

now I'm confused...

The GadgetMaster thing isn't directly connected to the stepper motors? If so, then just placing larger transistors of the same type should increase your capacity.Yes if I change bigger the transistor, do have to change other components like diodes or resistors

Or it WAS and this solution is to be placed between the GadgetMaster and the stepper to boost the power output? I think this is the idea If so, I have no idea if that is ok with the GadgetMaster specs or not... you would want to contact them.They told me don’t know

Finally, I may not have understood what the GadgetMaster thing is... I am after this because the script software If it's a USB to IO bridge, with drivers that can run a small stepper, then the price isn't that unreasonable.

Also, if that is the case, you should be able to connect it to a standard step and direction type stepper controller (Gekko, SLAm stepper, HobbyCNC,
Linistepper, etc...)Ok please can you send a wiring diagram for the connection? and make minor changes in your script to compensate. It would actually simplify the script, I would assume. Ask the GadgetMaster users if anyone has connected a step and direction stepper controller to the
thing.I ask no one I am the first [/QUOTE]

[serriadh]

Finally, I may not have understood what the GadgetMaster thing is... If it's a USB to IO bridge, with drivers that can run a small stepper, then the price isn't that unreasonable.

Its a parallel breakout board with 6 small H-bridges on it. As the outputs are used for either simple DC motors or steppers, I assume all stepper phasing is done in sortware rather than using an external source you could make realtime use of... but that doesn't seem to be needed here.

It is perhaps a little steeply priced, but it does come with driver software and an API that can be used to control your stuff via VB.net or whatever. That's quite a useful bit of functionality, and a royal pain to do with modern versions of Windows.

This is not for a CNC machine, is very easy to program and I want to use this for a panorama arm for a camera

I'd have thought that if the camera was mounted on a turntable with its weight taken by some suitable bearings, you could use quite a small stepper to turn it in the horizontal plane, as there's no load on the motor except for the inertial of the camera which is probably quite low unless its a TV camera or something! Do you need to be able to pan the camera in any other direction than horizontal? Do you need to pan it quickly? If the answer to either of those is no, are you sure a little stepper won't do the job?

[victorprmt]

Visual Basic is VERY easy to learn and use, and could be used with this DLL to control the parallel port. It would take very minimal learning to achieve this.[/QUOTE]


Please which visual basic software do you recommend?

[victorprmt]

Its a parallel breakout board with 6 small H-bridges on it. As the outputs are used for either simple DC motors or steppers, I assume all stepper phasing is done in sortware rather than using an external source you could make realtime use of... but that doesn't seem to be needed here.

It is perhaps a little steeply priced, but it does come with driver software and an API that can be used to control your stuff via VB.net or whatever. That's quite a useful bit of functionality, and a royal pain to do with modern versions of Windows.

I'd have thought that if the camera was mounted on a turntable with its weight taken by some suitable bearings, you could use quite a small stepper to turn it in the horizontal plane, as there's no load on the motor except for the inertial of the camera which is probably quite low unless its a TV camera or something! Do you need to be able to pan the camera in any other direction than horizontal? Do you need to pan it quickly? If the answer to either of those is no, are you sure a little stepper won't do the job?[/QUOTE]

The pano/arm I am building is for 3 Canon mark II cameras plus 3 telephotos objectives pretty heavy

The arm has to go Very slow from 0 to 10 degrees and stop all the way to 360 and after has to go back to 0 very fast on 0 has to go up 20- degrees Very slow and start again and so

[Jesse B]

Please which visual basic software do you recommend?

As far as I know, Visual Studio (by Microsoft) is the only IDE for writing VB.

http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/

The Express Edition is free, and will do pretty much all you need it to, and then some.

You must obtain a "Free Registration Key" within 30-Days to activate it. Instructions to do so:
http://www.microsoft.com/express/support/regins/

Good luck

[serriadh]

The pano/arm I am building is for 3 Canon mark II cameras plus 3 telephotos objectives pretty heavy

The arm has to go Very slow from 0 to 10 degrees and stop all the way to 360 and after has to go back to 0 very fast on 0 has to go up 20- degrees Very slow and start again and so

Things on a well made turntable aren't really "very heavy". Given enough mechanical advantage, even a small motor could turn all that stuff, though not very fast.

What I suggest you do is to get rid of your current controller and start searching for:

• A USB connected stepper driver
• Capable of at least 2 amps per phase
• With a VB.NET API or library.

You don't need the realtime response rates a parallel port can offer you, and USB is much more convenient.

I found this device: StepperBee+ which offers all of the above with two 7A bipolar controllers for less than the cost of a single geckodrive. Sounds like it would easily do everything you needed it to.

I'm sure you'd be able to find somewhere more convenient for you to buy a similar item from.

[victorprmt]

Hi serriadh

Thanks I will review this, maybe this is the solution
Regards Victor

[James Newton]

There are only two connections to a standard stepper motor controller like the Linistepper or SLAm stepper (or any other): Step and Direction. You drive Direction high or low to go forward or backwards, and each time you pulse Step (pull high, wait a bit, push low, wait a bit) you get a step in that direction. Can't get much simpler than that. The controller then translates that into a sequence of drive signals on the motor leads which causes the motor to move.

[serriadh]

There are only two connections to a standard stepper motor controller... (snip). Can't get much simpler than that. The controller then translates that into a sequence of drive signals on the motor leads which causes the motor to move.

The simplicity of a stepper interface isn't in doubt; a way to cheaply and easily control a small-to-medium sized stepper from a Windows application is what is sought, with a 2A+ stepper interface at one and and an easy to use programming API at the other. This isn't something you'll get from the SLAm, the Linistepper, Geckodrives or Artsoft... its a quite different market segment.