Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: Asellith on February 15, 2010, 03:49:25 PM
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just out of curiosity has anyone worked out an Axon based USB Controlled CNC machine? I'm looking at putting my first CNC together and was wondering if I could use my Axon to control it. I need to do a lot of research but I might be able to save some $$ by using MOSFET drivers and output pins from the axon to run the motors. That way I can skip the parallel to bipolar driver stuff. Not sure if thats even cost affective or possible yet. Anyway just wondering.
Don't worry Admin if I do build it I'll make a tutorial for it :)
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If you go the stepper route, get a stepper motor driver such as this: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9402 (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9402)
In terms of electronics, using the Axon, this is incredibly easy. Probably take you only 12 hours to do all wiring, reading datasheets, and writing all software - a single day or work.
The hard part would be building the mechanical components to be rigid and accurate.
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Well I have a cheap inaccurate design that I'm gonna throw together to start the project. The frame can be reused and most of the equipment I just found a cheaper design for the linear movements. The rest stays almost the same as far as motor mounts and threaded rod. the idea is to get a working model and use it to do some projects I have that don't need the accuracy. Then I can generate income to pay off the machine and then pay for upgrades. I got free slightly used motors from work. I think they are powerful enough. We replace about 12 motors inside a moving light fixture whenever 1 goes bad because it takes so long to take the thing apart. Usually about 8 or so motors have decent life left in them. So I am rescuing them.