3 Axis Stepper and Spindle Control Circuit Diagrams

[Mad Professor]

Good Day All.

This is not directly PicAxe related as such. so I hope I don't get shot down for posting this here.

Now that I am making more and more prototype pcbs with my on going projects it's taking a long time and is getting real boaring dilling all the hole by hand.

So I am looking at building myself a little cnc rig to drill holes in prototype pcbs.

I am going to need 3 axis and spindle control.

The rig it's self I am going to be building out of old broken printers and scanners.

The stepper motors I have collected so far are a mix of unipolar to bipolar, I don't know witch would be best suited for my rig.

I would like to be able to control the rig via my computers printer port, I am looking at using the Mach3 software.

I would be looking at building my own driver board, but as I have not worked with stepper motors before I am in the deep end.

If possible I would like to build a driver board that would support both unipolar and bipolar stepper motors, If having support for both is not possible then I will build a board for used with the best suited stepper motor for the job.

Could anyone please point me the way to find some Circuit Diagrams that will be able to do what I am after.

Can anyone please tell me if I can leave the printer port inputs and outputs free floating or if they have to be pulled to ground or vcc?

I have been looking at some of the designs over at www.pminmo.com but I would like to know if anyone has a better suited design.

Here is a list of a few of the stepper motors I have collected.

4 Wire Stepper Motors
Mitsumi: M35SP-7T.
Mitsumi: M42SP-6NK.
Epson: EM-289.
Epson: EM-293.
Minebea Electronics: PM35S-048-FEE6.

5/6 Wire Stepper Motors
Minebea Electronics: PN55L-048-HPI1.
Minebea Electronics: PM35L-048-HPC8.
Unknow Make / Model.


Thanks for your time.

Best Regards.

 

[nickpatts]

few good sources of homemade pcb cnc here

http://www.instructables.com/id/CNC/


rapid do a kit

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/PCB-Equipment/Accessories/3-axis-Machine/34752

and if you have a big wallet, a nice pcb cnc machine, which does the pcb layout engraving and the holes.

http://www.mutr.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=56_59&products_id=402&osCsid=91e72b4519390d90b3659d182606790

 

[eclectic]

@nickpatts

That Rapid kit, for £264 looks very interesting.

What a pity that its controller is a
errr thingy.

e

 

[Mad Professor]

nickpatts: thanks for the links I will have a look over them.

I would like to keep the bugit as low as possible witch is why I am building everything my self.

Has anyone here used Mach3 software or build any DIY control boards before?

 

[Rickharris]

Lots o home built CNC at instructables

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=008032414425079535247:kplxrakvu20&q=cnc+pcb&sa=Search

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/

Also has a fund of valuable knowledge.

 

[Andrew Cowan]

The complex bit is the resolution, but sturdy construction can usually sort it out.

A

 

[Mad Professor]

Thanks for all the links.

I have been looking at this circuit:

This circuit looks nice and simple, the only problem I have so far come across is that I will be buying all my components from http://rswww.com and the two IC's are in there Extended Range meaning I have to pay an extra £10 on top of my total order, and I could be waiting anything upto 14days for the parts, the other thing is that I have to buy a min of 25 units.

CD4025BE - BCD To Decimal Decoder.
CD4510BE - CMOS Presettable Up/Down Counter.

If possible I would like to use something else that is standard stock so I can get the parts asap.

I don't mind if it's two ic's like the current circuit, but it would be better if I could use only one IC per axis.

I will keep looking over the links, to see if I find a better circuit.

Thanks again.

 

[Ruzzz]

Not PICAXE, but I'm refurbishing a CNC mill and using these

http://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/MSD542.html
http://www.motioncontrolproducts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=26

having been recomended them by someone who has done the same.

Word of warning though, if you go to collect them from their trade counter. Phone them first and make sure they have them phyically in front of them and not just on their computer.

Once I get more time and have it running I'll be using it to make pcbs

 

[donrecardo]

the only problem I have so far come across is that I will be buying all my components from http://rswww.com and the two IC's are in there Extended Range meaning I have to pay an extra £10 on top of my total order, and I could be waiting anything upto 14days for the parts, the other thing is that I have to buy a min of 25 units.

CD4025BE - BCD To Decimal Decoder.
CD4510BE - CMOS Presettable Up/Down Counter.

The Circuit diagram seems to show the 2 chips as CD4516 and CD4028 yet you appear to be quoting CD4025BE and CD4510BE ?

If infact the chips you want are the CD4516 and CD4028 then they are showing as being available at cricklewood electronics ( http://www.cricklewoodelectronics.com/Cricklewood/search.php?mode=search&page=1 )
These are shown at 35p and 50p respectively and no £10 surcharge

Don

 

[Mad Professor]

donrecardo: thanks for your reply.

You dead right about the part numbers are meant to be CD4028BE & CD4516BE, I don't know how on earth I ended up putting CD4025BE & CD4510BE.

Still the same problem with http://rswww.com but I will have a look over this cricklewood electronics web site, and if eveything is in stock and is well priced I might well get the parts from them.

Best Regards.

 

[Mad Professor]

Thanks for eveyones replys and input so far.

I have most of the components on order now so I just have to sit and wait now.

I am going to use the McGuire Stepper Motor Driver, but I am going to be adding quite a numer of LED's so I can see the inputs, outputs, switchs all working.

Here is what I have come up with so far: Stepper Motor Driver Board (1).

Both the printer port outputs on my PC and my Laptop go high once windows is loaded, but as soon as the Mach3 Software is loaded they are pulled low, I know the Mach3 software can be setup to rest at Low or High, so that is all fine.

Can someone have a look at the way I am driving the LED's and tell me if I am doing it right?
I in my design I am using BC547 and BC577, I don't know if there is better suited transistors for driving the leds.

Thanks again for your time and help.

 

[BCJKiwi]

All depends on the setup.
Outputs will be low if MACH3 is not doing anything. Depending on how you have MACH3 configured, the motor output pins are for step and direction. So if the direction is not changing and the motors are not moving there will be no outputs on those pins. When moving, there will be very rapid pulses on the step pins which a regular meter will not really capture. MACH3 is a whole new environment and suggest you sign up on the MACH3 support site for MACH3 issues :- http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php

 

[Mad Professor]

Time to give this post life again.

After much reading on other forums and playing about with stepper motors I have come back to wanting to build my own controllor using a PicAxe 18M or 18X for each Axis.

I did build the Tom McGuire, after testing I found out that this was not Full or Half Step mode, but Wave Step Mode, also this was very easy affected by any kind of singal or ground noise.

I hope by building my own PicAxe controllor that I will not have thease problems.

I have since been a brought some new stepper motors, thease can be wired as Bipolar or Unipolar, I am going to keep to Unipolar has this makes the circuit more simple.

I want to be able to add to jumpers to my design so that I can swap modes if needed.

Full Step Mode
Coil A+B.
Coil B+C.
Coil C+D.
Coil D+A.

Wave Step Mode
Coil A.
Coil B.
Coil C.
Coil D.

Half Step Mode
Coil A.
Coil A+B.
Coil B.
Coil B+C.
Coil C.
Coil C+D.
Coil D.
Coil D+A.

I have a few picaxe related questions before I go to fair with this.

As I will be using the Mach3 software to give the PicAxe's signals will the PicAxe's be able to see a 1 to 5us pusle, as this is the size of the step pulses, the enable and direction pulses are not a problem, as they are just on or off.