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[Reply #30 on:]

I used the Arduino to test my idea and then migrated the code over to the ATtiny2313. A stepper driver takes the problem of controlling the motor away from your main processor - be it an Arduino or a PC running Mach3. The chip is programmed so it has 2 inputs - Step & Direction, and 4 outputs - Pahses 1 - 4. Those outputs drive 4 MOSFETs which are then connected to the 4 phases of the stepper. Very similar to some other stepper controllers that are available - the PIC Stepper is one that I chose to emulate. Instead of the PICStepper I have the AVRStepper...

And by using a stepper driver my Arduino can control 4 steppers instead of just 2. Or I can hook those steppers to my PC and control them using Mach3, or to some other device.

[Reply #31 on:]

4 is impressive!  With my code I can control 3 at once.

[Reply #32 on:]

Distributed processing. And by using the 2313's for controllers they can be placed away from the main arduino meaning things can be mounted more conveniently.

[Reply #33 on:]

Sort of a bump to the thread.

I have some perforated circuit board material coming - Vectorboard #169P44WEC1 which is copper clad on 1 side with .042 holes spaced every 0.1". Saves having to drill my sample boards. I have generated a board layout using AutoCAD and will be spending the next couple days drawing the resist pattern on the board and then etching it with Radio Shack Ferric Chloride etchant. Have spent that last couple weeks going over the design and that helped me spot an error in the schematic. I sort of had a schematic, but this was a project where the schematic followed the breadboard build and I found out I had drawn it  with the signals to the wrong pins... Oh well, slide them over and the schematic matches the working parts...

Salvaged some terminals and now I just have to get the materials in hand to try it out.

[Reply #34 on:]

Is the Vectorboard #169P44WEC1 copper "all continuous," i.e. no precut pads on them?  It's really just a whole plane of copper with holes, and you can still etch on them?

How did it work out for you?

I'm looking for something similar, but there aren't many of these so when I read the product description, I'm not sure it's what I think it is.

Thanks!

[Reply #35 on:]

Is the Vectorboard #169P44WEC1 copper "all continuous," i.e. no precut pads on them?  It's really just a whole plane of copper with holes, and you can still etch on them?

How did it work out for you?

I'm looking for something similar, but there aren't many of these so when I read the product description, I'm not sure it's what I think it is.

Thanks!

This version of the board has copper on just 1 side. There is also a version that ends with C2 that has copper on both sides.

I have a couple pictures on my phone of the boards I made. I drew the resist pattern with a Sharpie and it worked well. I make 2 boards with a minimum of copper removed with the bulk of the board being a ground plane. The other 2 I removed any unneeded copper.  Both versions seem to work just fine. Will try to upload the pictures tonight.

[Reply #36 on:]

Thanks for info on C2 version of board.

Looking forward to seeing the photos, if you get a chance to post them :-)

[Reply #37 on:]

Here's a top view of the assembled board.

The 5 pins across the top are, from right to left, Motor 1, Motor2, Motor Common, Motor 3, Motor 4.

The 7 down the side, from top to bottom, Motor+, Motor-, Logic+, Logic-, Logic Common, Direction, Step.

[Reply #38 on:]

This one doesn't zoom too well, but it shows the backside, one with minimal copper removed.

[Reply #39 on:]

Here are a couple boards I made that have minimal copper left.

[Reply #40 on:]

Here's a couple of board layouts from the copper side. They don't zoom well either.