[whitney]

I have been hanging around here for a while now doing a LOT of reading and listening. I found most of my answers in the archives exept for the how it all goes together. I'm not an electrical/electronics wiz but know enough to be dangerous. I'm having trouble i've got all of the table things planned out except for how i'm going to drive the steppers. i don't know where to start.

I have been playing around with Turbo CNC I get the Gcode, easy enough, just tell the machine what you want it to do. The samples are really helpful.

I really want to understand the electronics and how it interfaces before I get too $eriou$. So......this is the way I understand it; software on my pc sends a signal through the parallel port to a controller card, the card interpets that signal,then tells the ? axis which way to go and how far.

I let all of the smoke out of my parts so I'm starting over again with some salvaged steppers from an Okidata 3410 dot matrix printer. Would some one be so kind as to give me the 8th grade science explanation of how I can make one axis turn with out letting out the smoke? The steppers are 5V almost 1amp. I took readings on the coils and found it is a unipolar 6 wire.
__
| |
-----|-----------| | ___________|
| -- | |
| ______ _|___ |-----------12
12 ----------| |______| |_____| |
| |_______________________|
| __
| | |
-----|-----------| |
--
The two center taps come out to 12 ohms and the other four come out to 6. The way I have been using it is to use the center taps for +5 voltage, and ground the others to produce a step. I can do it with jumper wires but cant seem to get the interface in the electronics to work. I am using a pc power supply to power the motor. Thanks in advance,

Whitney

[pminmo]

A couple of pages on my website might help: http://pminmo.com/
Specifically :http://pminmo.com/6wire/6wire.htm and http://pminmo.com/pport/pport.htm

While not complete I've got a wiki started, and you might gain some help with starting here: http://www.pminmo.com/wiki/index.php...etting_Started

There are hyperlinks there for PC and software, control electonics, and system overview that may also help.

Postscript:
The wiki I want to evolve as a learning tool for newbies, so suggestions as to what information would be helpfull is alwasy appreciated.

[whitney]

Excellent!, the gears are turning now. Couple questions on the OS3 PDF schematic and the pport.htm reference. The LPT pinouts are using different pin numbers. For example the pport.htm reference for Turbo CNC uses pins 2-7 while the OS3 PDF schematic differs. Does this matter? Can the software be configured to use the data pins I choose? I am quite confident I can build the 3 axis controller based on the OS3 PDF schematic. Is there a way to buy the PCB as opposed to etching it? (Not sure I am quite ready for that) Or is there a source on the CNC zone that could help me with the PCB?

I really liked the way you layed out the wiki. As a strait stick gear head I think it could be helpful to the newbie to have some electronic references that explain how the individual components work. I did look up the data sheets for the IC's so I get it...sort of. Enough to be dangerous

Thanks again,
Whitney

[pminmo]

Most of todays software is really pin configurable. The only one I know that isn't is EMC for Linux, and I think that may actually have changed also. Not sure I understand the electronic references? i.e. datasheets such as IC's or Mosfets?

I don't sell any version of the 3axis all in one. I have blanks on L298-7, a3977, 4 axis interface, and a few L297uni's. Here:
http://pminmo.com/forsale/blankpcbs.htm

[whitney]

I guess I wasnt too clear on the electronic references. For example the all in one 3 axis has the IRLZ44 for switching. If I use a 30V power supply these should work fine, however, if I want to use say..a PC power supply wouldnt they need to be something like a IRFZ24N? Am I way off here, or will the smaller power supply switch the Z44, as it is laid out in the schematic?

[pminmo]

I guess I wasnt too clear on the electronic references. For example the all in one 3 axis has the IRLZ44 for switching. If I use a 30V power supply these should work fine, however, if I want to use say..a PC power supply wouldnt they need to be something like a IRFZ24N? Am I way off here, or will the smaller power supply switch the Z44, as it is laid out in the schematic?

No you wouldn't need to switch the IRLZ44N. Remember this board needs current limiting in some means externally, such as power resistors or a additional chopper circuit.

[NC Cams]

Low cost PCB's can be had via Express PCB - check their website.

They have free software that is a cinch to learn.

The boards are fairly cheap all things considered if you can stay within the mini-board template size.