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IndustryArena Forum > CNC Electronics > CNC Machine Related Electronics > Low cost 6 axis USB motion controller
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    1207

    Low cost 6 axis USB motion controller

    Hi folks,

    I have been silently developing a motion controller which plugs into USB and provides 6 SPI channels for VSD drives. It provides far more advanced alternative to step/dir. It finally unleashes the full power of servo drives.

    Target specs (may change):
    • Update rate 6x2500 Hz
    • On-board data buffering to eliminate PC real time requirements
    • All kinds of motor/drive feedback data available to control software
    • Cost less than a drive
    • 6 general purpose I/O or analog inputs
    • Open source programming library
    • Reduces cable mess
    • Possible to tune drives without unplugging any cables or opening cover
    • Comes with pre-assembled flat flex cables, just snap them in

    It can be used to make point-to-point apps as well as continuous motion tracking (suitable for CNC).
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails usb6ax2w.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    Will you have a plugin for mach3 support?
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    1207
    Gerry,

    At the point of release there probably isn't support in any CNC software for it. Mach plugin seems technically possible, but I have to take a better look on it.

    For beginning we may develop simple open source example program that runs G-code with it.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    124
    Depending on the price point I could see this being used as an alternative to pluto-p or mesa cards. I'm sure EMC support would be straight forward for smarter people than I.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    20
    Seems a good idea!
    So do I get it well, this would be a motion card, which does not generate step/dir signals for 6 servodrives, but rather outputs data on the SPI bus for 6 VSD-s?
    On what level would it communicate with the VSD drives? (position commands, speed commands, or whatever we select on software?)

    Can it calculate something, or it just outputs data from its buffer in a nicely timed fashion what the pc software pre-calcuated?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    1660
    Tero, is it going to have a bunch of i/o as well? Will it be a closed loop feed back system?

    It sounds like you could have another winner!

    J
    JerryFlyGuy
    The more I know... the more I realize I don't
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    1207
    hunserv, I'm also EMC2 user and would very much like to see SPI drive support in it one day. However, EMC developer mailing lists discussions don't give much hope for USB device support. Would need lot of changes in EMC. However, some FPGA card could do the job instead. SPI gets finally documented so anyone can implement the support.

    Jerry, loop is closed in drives. USB card is quite dumb itself and just sends commands to drives. There is 6 I/O's on board (can be used as analog inputs too)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    56

    Controller?

    Xeres,
    So would this device replace or eliminate the need for a breakout board?
    Is it compatible with the VSD-A (first production lot) drives?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    1207
    If drives are controlled thru USB card, then you don't need anything else than just power supply and motors.

    It is compatible with any VSD-A thru the stamp sized adapter that comes with USB tuning cables, so yes. VSD-E has 6 pin connector for SPI so it doesn't need adapter.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    36
    Any more good news?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    1207
    Quote Originally Posted by JPW View Post
    Any more good news?
    Progress has been made in programming library. There will be open source motion control library that won't even be GD specific but anyone is free to use it in competing products, too. Hopefully it will gain some popularity (at least in CNC) and it would be supported in control softwares.

    I'm also researching possibilities to make the device EtherCAT compatible in addition to USB.

  12. #12
    ftec Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Xerxes View Post
    Progress has been made in programming library.
    ... Hopefully it will gain some popularity (at least in CNC) and it would be supported in control softwares.
    ...
    Mach plugin would certainly be something to have asap. Is this card as fast as Smoothstepper meaning no soft gearing for servos would be needed if it could be used with Mach?

    (I've had nearly a months delay in setting up my system because of waiting warranty replacements for my BOB card (same charge pump output TTL voltage level issue in two cards so far). I would welcome an option to see BOBs go away.)

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    35538
    Quote Originally Posted by Xerxes View Post
    Hopefully it will gain some popularity (at least in CNC) and it would be supported in control softwares.
    Write a Mach3 plugin, that's complete and works, and you'll sell a ton of these.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    1207
    Maximum output speed is greater than 10M steps/sec without multipliers of any kind.

    The programming interface will be very simple. Just upload axis coordinates at least with 250Hz sampling rate and hardware will handle the rest. The simplest possible CNC software would take only few lines of code with gcodecompiler which outputs suitable coordinate data (http://www.oemtech.com/gcodecompiler/).

    Mach plugin would be good to have indeed.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    1660
    Tero, any chance a person could up the I/o? 6 I/o w/ six axis is just enough for a limit switch on each axis. Nothing for ATC, spindle [speed & dir] etc etc.

    Connection w/ EMC and Mach would put it at the pinnicle of what is available. There aren't any external step producers out there that can talk to both.

    Fwiw

    Jerry
    JerryFlyGuy
    The more I know... the more I realize I don't
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  16. #16
    ftec Guest

    Wink

    Quote Originally Posted by JerryFlyGuy View Post
    Tero, any chance a person could up the I/o? 6 I/o w/ six axis is just enough for a limit switch on each axis. Nothing for ATC, spindle [speed & dir] etc etc....
    Yes, getting everything needed for CNC in one blocke & plug and play with Mach is certainly the way to go.

    I hope the programming interface Tero mentioned is for the aid for someone to program a Mach plugin as the last thing a person who wants to work with his CNC machine is to first program a new Mach before getting anywhere. :-)

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    1195
    Hello,
    Is this the same as g-rex? We can use and connect 6 VSD into 1 boards then connect to USB. Thanks.

  18. #18
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    Sep 2004
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    Jerry, EMC's realtime architecture does not fit well with USB. There has been lots of discussion about it in EMC developer mailing lists.

    I hope there would be open source plugin development for Mach. I'm not very familiar with Mach API so collaboration would speed up a lot.

    I'm looking forward putting more I/O on the final version as there is unused pins on the MCU.

    Asuratman, not the same kind of technology, but it suits for very similar applications.

  19. #19
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    Sep 2005
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    1660
    Understood Tero, it's too bad there isn't some 'medium' that would work for both. If there is.. you'd have a grand slam of a product.
    JerryFlyGuy
    The more I know... the more I realize I don't
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    1207
    At least PCI, ISA, parallel port are ok with EMC. USB is not and about ethernet I haven't seen any info. The problem is that EMC wants to be the realtime part of the CNC system and many comm ports can't perform well in reatlime.

    I hope there would be an alternative version of EMC that would let hardware to do the realtime things.

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