linistepper questions from a newbie

[wayword son]

I’m a newbie, and its my real "passion" that got me interested in cnc (building hi end kites) being as I have about as complete a knowledge of CNC controlers as most of you likly have about kite aerodynamics, I’m likely going to have a hole mess of stupid questions.

my long term project is a cnc plotter table (working area about 48"x62") for fine piont sharpie plotting of kite sail templates, and hot cutting R/S nylon by dragging a pen style soldering iron across the material. what i was thinking for liner motion was "belt" driven gantry and tool slide. with a 62" tool movment (y), and a 48" gantry movement,(x) (the material is 60" wide, so this layout it alows me to run a roll off the front and back of the table for a pattern larger than 48" wide)

if i can keep percision within +/- 1/64 i will be happy the only z axis i need will be a simple pen up/down

after hanging around studying the site for a wile, I have decided I like what I here about linsteppers, so i will likly get two linstepper controlers, a breakout board, an isolator circut, and some sort of controler, or relay for a soleniod for pen up/down (the iron cuts nylon with heat, as such will need no more pressure than its own wieght to do so)

the stepper motors I have gotten a hold of are 2 identical American Precision stepper motors, 23D-6102C.

the motor specs says its a 6 lead motor, 5 volt, 1 A. 1.8 step. after reading the posts, and the web site, I am under the impression that linstepper controllers are in the ball park for this motor. (with a good heat sink, and fan of course) i hope this is the right impression.

would it be better to run the soleniod off one of the z axis pins on the breakout, or should i use the option of an on board relay, (i read some disgussion of rfi problems around relays, and was wandering if thats an issue on a breakout board) i might also want to put a 120v relay control for heat on/off for the iron, and because i have the z axis free, i was wondering if theres a problem with using those i/o's for "accesorizing my toolhead"

if driven at 200 full steps per inch, can i expect a reasonable, range of speeds of cut (1-3" per sec) in the 1200, 3600 modes (to prevent overheating the edge of the material)

thanks

wayword son

[trebby]

i think its like switching on the coolant pump.
so make a opto based relay board to protect the LPT.and connect it to any output pin of(2-9,14,16,17) and config ur software according to it.

my plan is to just switch on the spindle from the PC. http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5488/untitledid0.jpg

*have u made opto board for linistepper?

[James Newton]

I'd like to point out that there is a "breakout" board pre-made for the Linisteppers with space for a SMALL relay. It is NOT isolated, but I recommend using a old, free, PC to get started anyway.

http://www.piclist.com/techref/io/stepper/linistep/index.htm

[wayword son]

i was thinking of having an isolator between the breakout and s-port anyway. as even if i have a "no cost" computer, when I'm finished with this project, its going to be used for making kites, and to get cash for making kites, and if the "free" computer smokes, I'm shut down till its replaced (if i smoke the free computer, and then connect the plotter to "this" one, as soon as the wife finds out owww!) so, with that in mind, no problem with assembling an ISO circuit.

BTW James, maybe adding isolation to your breakout board for the linstepper would be an idea, i know i would buy one, even if a bit more $ than your stock one

also i plan on reading all the threads on the linsteppers, then i can learn by everyone else's mistakes, and hopefully not smoke a computer. that being said, i will keep the option of inventing my own unique mistakes open. so i don't intend to get to attached to the computer i use at first.

right now, I'm waiting to sell some tie dyed "spinnaker" nylon (note my avatar, a tie dyed kite ) and i will be placing an order for the linsteppers, isolation, breakout, and a few lbs of aluminum heat sink. if the serial port works on my junker laptop, I'll see if i can teach my motors the 18 step!

[wayword son]

Originally Posted by trebby i think its like switching on the coolant pump. so make a opto based relay board to protect the LPT.and connect it to any output pin of(2-9,14,16,17) and config ur software according to it. my plan is to just switch on the spindle from the PC. http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5488/untitledid0.jpg *have u made opto board for linstepper?

haven't made a circuit board at all since high school, a long time ago way back when 64k was a lot of memory, i hope its like falling off a bike.

thats a very slick circuit, looks like i could make a separate isolated relay board for the pen up, pen down, and the heat for the iron, maybe add a relay for a rotating light and warning beeper, to give my moving gantry an "industrial" look, and also annoy the cat!

(its not weather your CNC device works that makes it great, its gotta be properly "accessorized")

[trebby]

well i did lot of search for linistepper interface board(DIY).did't find one which suits exactly.but below one i felt is easy to built and can be adopted for linistepper.

[wayword son]

not sure what file type you attached, my computer won't recognise the first file, and trys to open the second in "microsoft schedualer" as such i can't see the board,

[trebby]

well u need eagle software to view it.
.sch,.brd

[OCNC]

Eagle files as bmp images.

[trebby]

the site(from which i got above files) is in polish.i tried to translate it.
http://www.ottop.republika.pl/optolpt.shtml

in the BOB layout
JP1-JP4-- stepper motor controller connections.(leave syn if ur not using L297 based controller)
JP5- extra outputs for switching on coolant etc..
JP6- Input connections(prob. limit switches)
JP7- connection for E-Stop
JP8- +5v input(no built in 7805 u have to provide +5v from outside)

*is there any exact replacement part for PC847 optochip ?

[trebby]

guys i have one more doubt abt 555 circuit to test linistepper.

the input for linistepper is step and direction.so keeping the direction pin either Hi(+5v) or Low(0V) will give the direction,and the output of the 555 circuit shld be connected to the step pin....
have a look at below pic.is it right?
and where shld i connect 390Ohms 3rd pin.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2501/555vn3.gif

[wayword son]

hi all,
got my steppers,

I'm pretty sure there compatible with the linsteppers

6 lead full/micro step hybrid stepper motor
step deg. 1.8 (200/rev)
static torque 60 oz-in
rate amp 1.0
rate volt 5.00
ohms / phase 5.00
induct./ phase 8.00
rotor inertia .63 0z-in

they have a nice black finish on the motor case, which is OK, but I wonder if i can make em more powerfull and go faster if i paint em Caterpillar yellow, with red racing stripes?

please if ther's anything wrong with these motors and linstepers, let me know.

Jon