The controller is ready... I just can't seem to find anyone to try them out with a small CNC unit before I start advertising the combination. I really don't want to have to build the physical unit as well as the controller. I am working on my own design for one, but I don't see that being complete anytime soon and that has never been my intention. I want to find someone who can make a small hobby CNC mill for not a ton of money and sell my controller with it. I am working with a guy in Finland who has produced a good design for a basic unit but shipping it from their would be dumb so selling the plans is the only option for that unit. I currently have the driver units in kit form but no CNC machine to sell with them. If you have something that could be controlled with it, I would be happy to sell you one for $30 (my cost) --- AND THEN --- IF you build it and connected it to something and send me a picture I will pay you back $10 (via PayPal) If you describe the operation of the system (positive or negative) in at least 200 useful words, I will pay you another $10. If you send detailed pictures of something that was made with your unit while driven by the Quickstepper, I will send you another $10. The end result is that I will give away the unit, in kit form, to anyone who will actually try it. I can't send any more units out for free no matter how solid a promise I get that it will be tried and reported back. (Do you smell something burning?) And of course, if your CNC machine works ok with the Quickstepper and can be sold for a reasonable price, I will be happy to help market and resell the combination. Pictures and online manual are at http://www.quickstepper.com For anyone who might be interested, the design is simple with regard to the hardware, just a standard unipolar drive, no chopping, simple PC PS connector, TTL level serial (use an adapter http://www.piclist.com/io/serial/rcl1 or just wire it up yourself with a resistor) and screw terminals for the stepper wires. But the software is unique. It communicates with a Windows PC over RS-232 serial. The stepping waveforms are generated in a microcontroller; the Windows PC sends line segments to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller turns a request to "move in a straight line 0.100 to the left and 0.500 forwards" into a sequence of steps to the x and y motors. This allows us to generate precisely-timed waveforms from a Windows PC; Windows does not provide accurate timing, so we could not do this if we generated the waveforms on the PC. It allows us to drive the stepper motors faster, and ramp up the speed slowly instead of starting abruptly from a dead stop. So we get to work in Windows, and still run the motors as fast as possible, including ramping up and down without missing steps. Future versions will drive 3 of the linistepper units http://www.piclist.com/io/stepper/linistepper to provide fantastically smooth linear microstepping and may begin to support chopping for digital microstepping. Basic G-code support is also possible. Support for bi-polar steppers is not planned. --- James. > -----Original Message----- > From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu > [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Aaron > Sent: 2005 Feb 04, Fri 09:57 > To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public. > Subject: [AD]: (will be) Small CNC mill, controller and > software for ~$500 > Importance: Low > > On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 18:05:47 -0700, James Newton, Host > wrote: > > I'm getting geared (hah!) up to offer a small (6"x6" travel) CNC > > mill with a "brains on board" three axis controller and custom > > software that accepts gerbers or HPGL. The only > requirement is for > > an old Windows BOX (e.g. P1) and a power supply. > > > James, > > Did you end up getting this project off the ground? > > Aaron > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change > your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist