So I just purchased a CNC mahine frame on amazon (it comes with everything but the brain). I decided to go with arduino because opensource is awesome and I've used it before in my free time and had a chance to mess with them a bit in my engineering class.
Anyways, I'm doing my own interpretation of NYC CNCs tutorial (it's a great resource for anyone interested in machining, CAD etc.). In the tutorial he uses a GRBL shield to control the servos. I already have an arduino mega 2560 and an Ethernet shield so I'd like to hook this up to my router and have it mill in the garage while i browse reddit for cat pictures in another room.
I'm a newbie when it comes to arduino. I have a decent grasp of circuit logic, and programming so I'd like to use this as a learning experience. So I was planning on hooking the arduino, 3 servos and L293d chips up on a breadboard before soldering it all to a prototyping shield. Basically I'm trying to find out if this is the right approach and if I'll still be able to use G-code sender to control the steppers.
so the motor wants to be driven at 2.8VDC and 1.68A.
I'm new to reading these types of charts and the one attached to the stepper driver is a bit confusing to me. Basically want to figure out how to get 2.8VDC and 1.68A. I'm planning on using a transistor and having a separate power supply for the steppers. What i want to figure out now is if the following will work:
I'll be using the same setup shown in adafruit's tutorial. since I'll be using the Mega I have enough digital pins to drive 3 steppers. But what I'm planning on doing is putting a transistor in each of the lines going to the steppers in adafruit's diagrams and having a power line with 2.8v 1.68a going through the transistor to the stepper and everything having a common ground. I just want to know if this sounds like a good approach or if there's anything I've overlooked. The steppers need to be grounded on both ends when idle to keep them from moving right?
rlew:
So the motor wants to be driven at 2.8VDC and 1.68A.
I'm new to reading these types of charts and the one attached to the stepper driver is a bit confusing to me. Basically want to figure out how to get 2.8VDC and 1.68A. I'm planning on using a transistor and having a separate power supply for the steppers. What i want to figure out now is if the following will work:
No, it does not. Look at #3 and read the thread linked to.
Get a current controlled chopper driver and a power supply with as high a voltage as your driver can tolerate.
rlew:
So I just purchased a CNC mahine frame on amazon (it comes with everything but the brain). I decided to go with arduino because opensource is awesome and I've used it before in my free time and had a chance to mess with them a bit in my engineering class.
Consider the Ramps 1.4. It's a shield for the Arduino Mega designed for 3D printers and can be purchased with stepper drivers and the Mega.
I CNC'd a 7x10 Mini Lathe with an Uno and Easy Drivers and love it, and am upgrading it to the Ramps 1.4 & a Mega.