Welcome to DIY@ADC!
Posted on March 5th, 2009 by Chip
We’ve launched this portal for the benefit of the Do-It-Yourselfers who use AutomationDirect products for their ingenious projects. We’ve known for years that DIYer’s use our products, and we suspect we know the reasons – the well-documented, easy to use products? Maybe it’s the excellent tech support? Maybe it’s just the great prices!
Whatever the reason, we are honored that you chose to use our products, and we want to help. This site is dedicated to DIYers everywhere, and – in fact – this site itself is going to be as DIY as possible, with most of the content hosted in forum or blog format (like this post).
Enjoy!
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We are planning to build a small, 36 x 18 x 4 inch, wood-carving CNC machine, using AutoD Stepping Motors and controls.
I guess that we are lookin for is assurance that we can connect the Stepping motors to a PC. If we need to include a PLC in the connection, this is OK, but with MACH 3 software, we are hoping that we can connect a PC to three stepper motors and get well coordinated motion over short distances (eg. 1mm)
Any answers &/or advise?
John, I have just become aware that you had posted here on the DIY@ADC site, so hopefully my email response to your more recent inquirer through our technical support and Webinar channels have given you some of the answers you were seeking.
ADC stepping motors, stepping motor drivers and power supplies, with the proper interface, should work fine from a PC that is executing a CNC software application that is created for this purpose. In my email response to you I talk about using a PC parallel printer breakout board that is designed to work with stepping motor drives, and is the key component between the PC running CNC software, for example MACH3, and the signals going to the stepping motor drivers. I should also mention that I’ve run across more recent USB type breakout boards (interfaces) that serve the same purpose, but take advantage of USB communication ports
In my own personal DIY CNC conversion project of a small 3-axis milling machine, I mentioned using a PLC to do some of the ancillary control of the machine, such as jogging, controlling coolant circulation, etc., and this was based on my own personal desire to duplicate a large industrial type CNC control that I applied many years ago. A PLC is not required if the end result is to take a PC based CNC application software and control motion by way of stepping motors.
It would be difficult to say if you will get well coordinated motion over short distances. That will be determined by the resolution and response of the mechanical components that make up your finished system, and of course the size and speed of the motors & drives that provide the motion.
I might suggest doing some additional research by looking at some of the on-line forums that are dedicated to CNC controls. You may want to take a look at: http://www.cnczone.com
I hope we have answered your questions, but please don’t hesitate if you feel we can be of further help. Our hope is for the ADC DIY site to generate the sharing of DIY information and projects amongst the end users. Although the entire subject of CNC conversion projects would rate up there as being highly technical, your inquiry has gotten us off to a good start.
Tom (alias Mort McGee)
Greetings Tom aka Mort-
It looks like I am ready to spend some money. (I am a lot more cautious with my own private funds than I am when buying for my employer).
I would like a parts list that includes the following:
1. A single stepping motor suitable for a vertical axis, which will be moving a somewhat counterbalanced 15 lb. router (slowly, over a distance of no more than 5 inches).
2. A power supply for the above stepping motor, which will (eventually) be sufficient to power two additional stepping motors for similar, horizontal axes.
3. A stepping motor controller/driver, which will connect directly to a PC, either via the printer port, or a USB port.
4. There must, eventually, be provision to connect two more axes (I now own a USB “splitter,” if this is all that I will need; that would be great. Otherwise, some “Breakout” module/board that will be needed to allow eventual connection to three stepping motors).
5. A “link” to a website that has some suitable software, like ArtSoft Mach3, which is compatible with the above.
If I get some advice & assurance that these things will work, I will cautiously (in terms of expense) proceed with an experiment using only the single motor.
I have a feeling of confidence, generated by your response.
Your list is a great start and hits on many of the details that need to be worked through in order to arrive at a finished design. Remember that AutomationDirect offers a 30-day no questions asked return policy, so you have no risk with our products.