[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Hi,
I am flying RC planes for 3 years now.
I have builded my own, I build some out of balsa and 1 out of foam.
Now, I wanted to make a CNC wing cutter.
I do have experience with soldering etc. but I am not sure what I am going to need.
I do know everything for the framework, the only thing I have questions about is controlling the stepper motors.
What do I need for this?
Ofcourse I need my 4 stepper motors, and what else to drive them?
Could I use this driver?
5 Axis CNC Breakout Board for Stepper Motor Driver with DB25 Cable - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
I want to keep the first cutter as cheap as possible because I am a newbie at this area.
I do want it to cut useable wings and possible fuselages.
So yeah, could I use that driver?
And what do I need to connect to the driver?
Regards,
GJ.Hoogeveen

[doorknob]

The board that you linked to is not a 'stepper motor driver board', rather it is a 'breakout board'. The function of a breakout board is to make it easier to connect the signals (step and direction as well as possibly enable) coming from the PC to the motor driver for each axis. In addition, the breakout board simplifies the connection of other circuits, such as home and/or limit switches as well as spindle control (or in the case of a foam cutter, hot wire control).

So you will not be able to connect stepper motors directly to the breakout board, rather the breakout board must be connected between your PC and whatever stepper motor drivers you choose to use with your motors.

I do not have direct experience building or using a CNC foam cutter, so perhaps someone who does can give you recommendations for equipment to use.

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

So, if I buy the breakout board,
and 4 of these for the motors:
ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Module - Blue - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
So put on of those drivers between the breakout board and the individual motors.
Or can I better use one of these:
L298N Stepper Motor Driver Controller Board Module - Blue - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Or maybe do you have a different adress where I can get a cheap driver/controller board in one.
It has to be shippable to the Netherlands.
I do prefer DealExtreme because the shipping is free :P

[doorknob]

So, if I buy the breakout board,
and 4 of these for the motors:
ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Module - Blue - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
So put on of those drivers between the breakout board and the individual motors.
Or can I better use one of these:
L298N Stepper Motor Driver Controller Board Module - Blue - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Or maybe do you have a different adress where I can get a cheap driver/controller board in one.
It has to be shippable to the Netherlands.
I do prefer DealExtreme because the shipping is free :P

Unfortunately, neither one of those boards is a stepper driver that can handle step and direction signals sent from PC software such as Mach3 or LinuxCNC and directly drive a stepper motor.

Rather, those boards only do part of the work. They are not suitable for connecting stepper motors to the output of a breakout board such as the one to which you linked.

Further explanation: A stepper motor has windings that must be energized and/or de-energized in a specific pattern in order to turn the motor in the desired direction and for the desired number of steps. While the 'driver' boards that you linked to are designed to energize motor windings, they do not have onboard 'intelligence' to figure out the pattern of energization that is needed to atually drive the motor in the manner that you want. Rather, that 'intelligence' would need to be supplied by additional circuitry, or by using a stepper driver board that handles both functions together, instead of the single functionality of the boards that you linked.

There are other features that may be missing from the boards that you linked that may or may not be desirable for your application (for example, electronically-controlled current limiting, which normally would be provided by a more complete stepper driver circuit).

Again, it would be best for you to get recommendations from others who are actually using foam cutting machines, but here is an example of a lower-cost, single-axis, low-power stepper driver board that has the functionality that would permit it to be used with Mach3 or LinuxCNC and the breakout board above:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10267? (you would also need a power supply, and will need a compatible motor for each axis, perhaps a heat sink, and maybe some other circuitry to control the hot wire).

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Okay.
I found exactly the same one on DealExtreme.
So If I hook them up to the breakout board, I have my properly functioning stepper motors?
What do I need else?
I do get a cable to connect the breakout board to my PC, unfortunatly, I live in a house were we like to keep our gadgets ''up to date''.
What I am trying to say is that our PC's don't use serial ports anymore.
Is there some sort of coverter?
Or can I make a cable myself?
Regards,
GJ.Hoogeveen

[doorknob]

Okay.
I found exactly the same one on DealExtreme.
So If I hook them up to the breakout board, I have my properly functioning stepper motors?
What do I need else?
I do get a cable to connect the breakout board to my PC, unfortunatly, I live in a house were we like to keep our gadgets ''up to date''.
What I am trying to say is that our PC's don't use serial ports anymore.
Is there some sort of coverter?
Or can I make a cable myself?
Regards,
GJ.Hoogeveen

The breakout board connects to a "parallel printer port", but not to a "serial port". You would want to get a 25-pin Male - Male "all pins straight through" cable. While you could build such a cable yourself, it can be a tedious job if you do not have the proper equipment, and so you could probably find an inexpensive one from DealExtreme instead of building it yourself. If you have a desktop computer, then you should be able to get an add-on "PCI" parallel printer adapter board that you can install into an available slot on the PC's motherboard in order to add the correct type of port to your computer. If you have a laptop, then that method would not work, and you would have to investigate some other ways of connecting up to your computer (which could be expensive).

In general, even though there are converters that let you attach an older printer to a PC through a USB port, you can not get a converter that plugs into a USB port that would work in this application.

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Yeah you're right. I was thinking of something else.
I ment parallel port.
I am not sure if my PC has a parallel printer port, I'll check it later.
A friend of me is a computer genius, he can get me an old PC or something with windows XP, maybe I can get one of those.
I actually would rather use my laptop.
But I don't think that one will do the job.
If you find it usefull to know, my laptop is a HP Pavilion dv7
Regards,
Gert Jan

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Oh I just came across this set:
5V Stepper Motor + ULN2003 Driver Board Set - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
I was looking for stepper motors, I was wondering if I could use those drivers.
Regards

[doorknob]

Oh I just came across this set:
5V Stepper Motor + ULN2003 Driver Board Set - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
I was looking for stepper motors, I was wondering if I could use those drivers.
Regards

That is unlikely to do what you want.

The motor specs are not given, but it looks like a very small, not-very-powerful motor. I have no experience with foam cutters, and so I don't know what size motor they typically use. But I doubt that such a motor would be suitable.

The driver is not suitable, either (at least, by itself). The ULN2003 is a limited-function circuit element that simply has a number of driver transistors inside. By itself it does not have the intelligence to drive a stepper motor, which must have its coils energized in a specific sequence to get the motor to turn in the desired direction. You would have to add additional circuitry (and/or a microcontroller with suitable programming) to get that 'driver' to work for you. A typical stepper motor driver for your application would have much more functionality to it.

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Okay,
I did some hot wire foam cutting (non CNC) at school,
and I actually did not have to push.
The wire ''burns'' thorugh the foam, so as long as the motors don't go too fast, and the wire heat is not to low or to high, I don't think I am going to need a big motor.
I now know why those motors are so small.
Most of the stepper motor drivers, breakout boards at DealExtreme are for Arduino.
Regards

[khowlette]

I've built a 4 axis hot wire foam cutter and have all the details on my website
http://www.rckeith.co.uk/cncfc.html

Have a look it should answer most of your questions

Keith

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Okay thanks a lot!

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Okay I have read the article,
but my problem actually is where to get a not too expensive controller board.
I also need matching stepper motors, but I think I am going to buy them here in Holland.
They may be more expensive but it will still be cheaper then shipping it.
I also need a power supply, but I have read somewhere that you can use an old PC power supply, and I happen to have a friend who does a lot with computers, so I can get one from him.
Regards,
Gert Jan

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

Okay,
Can someone send me a schematic,
parts list and PCB design for a 4 axis stepper motor controller?

[GJ.Hoogeveen]

I think I found one.
Can somebody tell me if I can sue this one and how to connect it to the breakout board and the stepper motor?
Thanks!