[kwackers]

if anyone has converted asm on Rotary table indexer of atmel microcontroller

If you trawl back through the posts someone had created an Atmel version - can't remember where exactly but it was fairly early.

[kolco]

I found the post Mardus-Kreutz Unipolar Microstepper published by a user -rchobby

[backyard_cnc]

Well I got my LCD displays in the post today and I am glad to report that the controller works A-OK. Very happy indeed. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Steve for sharing your great project. Only thing left to do is the packaging up of the controller, power supply and stepper driver into one convenient package.

Can you say AWESOME! Gotta love it when a project works as advertised!

Gerald

[redpiperbob]

Hi Steve
GOT IT
all up and running. As you know I built the indexer on stripboard. Well I didnot cut one of the tracks properly inbetween the legs of IC1> This stopped the Xtal from resetting the chip.
Anyway thanks to you Steve for a great project.
Now maybe Yuo can start one for me to CNC my lathe. (only joking)
Thanks once again for all your help
Bob

[jhovel]

Finally got it finshed and working! Thanks again Steve!:banana:
My stepper driver is a Gecko 251. It's tiny! The implication I didn't realise is that it is fixed at 1/10th stepping. So it took me a while to figure out I had to 'lie' in the setup and set the worm ratio to 150:1 (when in fact is is 30:1)... took a while and some correspondence with ever-helpful Steve :drowning:
Now all is well with the control.
Cheers,
Joe

PS: I left the power supply rolled up and as long as this, in case I swap it out for a higher voltage one down the track (it's 16V 4.5A).

Now I really need to get the rotary table finished....

[lucas]

Well, my rotary controller now works!
I took an uneducated guess at the capacitor values. Turns out I also had a "weird" switch pad: I had to split the connector and slice the "robbon" cable (8 printed conductors on spme sort of clear film) and turn over one half of these. Very odd... never mind, it took a fair bit of messing around with 8 bits of wire to figure that out.....

Sorry for not responding sooner but I didn't get email notifications.

The capacitor values depend on the power supply, if you have a clean DC supply (like you have) then the input cap C6 can be small, I used 220µ, 100µ would work also. For the one on the output: C5 a 22 or 47µ is enough.

I noticed that some EBAY keypads have a different connection than the Farnell one and I had a look to accomodate the PCB for both versions but didn't find an easy solution.
Can you document the rearranging of the wires?
This would be usefull for others and I could have a closer look for a solution.

Luc.

[backyard_cnc]

Well I spent the evening stuffing all the pieces into a die-cast aluminum case and the end result was mostly pleasing. A few extra holes where judgment and part placement didn't quite work out but once I do a plastic overlay on the front panel no one will be the wiser. The project came together very nicely and I am super pleased. I ended up using a surplus 16Vdc laptop power supply to run the unit for now but I have a 24V 2.7A unit on order. It runs ok on 16V but the motor was definitely more responsive with 24V. I also may end up attaching a heat-sink to the right side of the case as it does get quite warm after a little operation and I had to remove the stepper driver from its original aluminium frame to make it fit into the box. A small fan at the bottom might also be in order. I used a common 4pin connector for the motor and a 5 pin of the same style to interface with the limit switches and the sense/ACK lines. At some point I may also put an LED on the front panel tied to the ACK line to function as a table motion or Busy indicator. This currently works great in DEG or DIV or PROG mode but is not quite right in the manual jog or CONT modes. Hopefully as time permits Steve will address this and more with add this useful indicator. Basically a simple addition of an LED, dropping resistor and a connection to 5V will allow the ACK line to turn the LED on/off.

I also have most all the parts to build a second unit and will likely refine my construction somewhat for a better result!

Great project , Thanks again Steve.

Gerald:wee:

[Khalid]

Gerald,
That case is superb really love to watch the turning indexer)

[backyard_cnc]

Thanks Khalid, I hope to maybe get a short video up on YOUTUBE over the next little while. Been so long since I had time to use the camera I may have to read the instructions!

Gerald

[rchobby]

ATMEGA32 Rotary Table Indexer v2

[kolco]

Thank you rchobby.............

[backyard_cnc]

Well a few trial runs of the controller with the rotary table mounted on the mill have been most favorable and I see a busy future for this great project and also the second unit that I intend to build very soon!

Here is a shot of the rotary table with a 30tooth gear mounted. As I test I milled a 0.125" hole between each of the existing 30 teeth. all holes were equally spaced and exactly between the teeth. Not a job with much practical purpose but a nice test with a few items I had around the shop. Once I get a matching tail-stock to the table much longer items will be possible!

Gerald

[redpiperbob]

Hi All
I thought I had this project up and running. But no I have a problem can you help
when I start the indexer up I get the "enter profile" screen up. if I press any of the number buttons then the number changes on the screen. if I press "go" then the screen goes blank. if when the scren is blank I press "3" then I get the "enter number of degrees" screen. if I press and hold the "c" button the screen goes back to "enter profile"
So to sum up
If "1" pressed twice screen reads "Jog"
"2" " " " " "div"
"3" "deg"
"4" nothing
"5" "prog"
"9" nothing


can anybody help please.
Bob

[backyard_cnc]

Bob,

Confirm that you do have a 20 char by 4 line display attached! I initially tried testing my build with a 16x2 line display but since you could not see all info it looked very odd. As soon as the correct display arrived in the mail and was installed it all looked correct. If you have the correct display I would double check and trace out all your connections from the PIC to LCD and also the keyboard matrix to PIC wiring. There is a clear picture of the menu in my message #384.

good luck

Gerald

[redpiperbob]

Hi gerald
Thanks for the reply. I have a 20x4 display but you ARE a star rechecked the lcd lines and had a dry joint on pin 16 GND all working fine now.
thanks again.
Bob

[backyard_cnc]

Bob,

Glad it worked out. If I have learned nothing after 30plus of fixing electronics, it is to always try to look for a simple problem. Your eyes and nose are the best for initial troubleshooting of most anything electronic!

Gerald :cheers:

[backyard_cnc]

Hi All,

Part of the reason for undertaking this rotary table controller project was the desire to be able to cut simple spur gears for my projects. However given the price of gear cutters and the sheer number needed for a range of gears I needed a cheaper alternative. To that end I spent this afternoon making a simple single point cutter, much like a flycutter, that will allow me to hold custom ground 1/4" HSS bits and cut gear teeth one at a time. The toolholder worked out very well but some time will have to be spent mastering the art of grinding the gear tooth profiles!! It seems for every job completed starts a new learning curve for the next piece!

The toolholder attaches to a 3/4"-16 thread with a 5/8" shank. The toolbit is a standard 1/4" HSS lathe blank. Once assembled the shank will be held in a collet in the milling head.

Gerald

[artificerjon]

Re Gear Cutters, are you aware of the book by Ivan Law which includes a major part on making (and using) gear cutters by using circular form tools made from stubs of silver steel (drill rod) ?

[backyard_cnc]

Yes I am aware of the IVAN LAW book and I am currently awaiting the delivery of a copy from an ebay purchase! From what I understand it is the answer to all the questions. But of course I am looking at several ideas to use my CNC mill to grind the profiles into HSS and avoid the process of making and hardening cutters but we shall see. I always take the easy way out!

Gerald

[Khalid]

Hi Steve,
My 7805 failed one of BC337 to buzzer was blown away.. I just want to know whether the PIC damaged or not? Any idea?