ok, any stepper driver boards with closed loop encoder inputs?
well, it would be nice to use the encoders as error traps for things like lost steps, etc. but apparently since Mach3 is openloop, that can't be done at the software level... So, thanks for the response. My only remaining question is are there stepper drivers that have encoder inputs??
Thanks again
What to do with those nice encoders, then??
So, if you build it right, there won't be missed steps or slips, etc.. I get it. I hear a lot about missed steps so I assumed being inexperinced that this was fairly common. Must be more of an issue with prototyping new systems and not so much with established working equipment. Thanks for your insights.
Know anyone who needs 3 nice encoders for 1/4" shafts?
Regards,
more steppers than servos
Unfortunately, I've more steppers than servos and the 2 servos I have are both Animatics. I've searched Animatics servos on CNCZ and using them appears to be a can of worms and beginner level explanations and "how to's" are not plentiful. Not to mention, I haven't heard of anyone mixing motor designs; servos and steppers on the same machine. Running a 3 axis machine with only 2 servo motors would require some serious, serious creativity. I imagine it can be done given the depth and knowledge that this crowd has. (I would think very hard before saying anything couldn't be done anywhere in this forum.) However, I'm not sure I could pull it off. And, I'm trying very hard to create the best machine I possibly can using the lifetime worth of parts I've already acquired. It's difficult to justify buying another expensive part when I can barely make room for all the parts I have. And if every time I need something to make it easier I just buy it, what fun would that be? In a perfect world I would use servos probably over steppers, but there's a number of threads that address this issue and I don't want to stir up this issue here.
So, I'm trying to evaluate all the suggestions and figure out what would fit my situation best. Using Mach 3 on a windows machine currently. Been toying with the idea of using Linux CNC but know next to nothing about Linux. It appears that the encoders can be integrated fairly easily with a change of CNC programs. Lot's to figure out here. Thanks again for all the input.
Keith