Driver PCB for the Electronics Kit

This wonderful post thanks to the great minds at http://buildyourcnc.com

Driver PCB for the Electronics Kit

February 5, 2008

Update! Here are the files you have been waiting for. Click on these links to download the Eagle files (Schematic) (Board Layout). A word of caution. The CNC stepper motor driver schematics are very complex. Use the board file to create the gerber files if you want to send it out to get fabricated from a PCB fabrication house.

Another Update: I will be making assembled driver electronics and motor systems available for $499.00 on Saturday. If you have special requirements, please contact me with your wish list.

Brief Elplanation of the Circuit

The circuit is very straight-forward. (I will add this information to the website) There are two typical components in the functionality of the circuit: The translator (L297) and the Driver/Amplifier (L6203). The translator receives step pulses and direction signals and “translates” the step pulses to coil combination signals and the direction signals is used also to determine how the coil combinations are sent. The coil combination signals are then sent to the L6203s. There are two L6203s for each L297, since each L6203 drives a single coil. The benefit to using these drivers is that the amount of amperage that can be drawn is 4 amps per coil. That will provide a greater amount of torque at high speeds. This explains the elements of one axis. The schematic replicates this three times, with the necessary companion components such as the vref trim pot that adjusts the amount of amps for each axis. Also contained on the board is the parallel port with pull up resistors to protect the computer. Other components not mentioned are simply components required by the L297 chip for daisy chaining, power current sense resistors, and for the L6203 there are resistors and capacitors that are not worth mentioning in the greter discussion of the functionality, but important non-the-less.

January 30, 2007

The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) finally arrived in the mail today. I can’t believe it took so long, but I’m excited regardless. I spent about 4 days non-stop… Driving my wife and kids crazy designing this thing. It was so bad that when I got up from the continual sitting position, my back had some serious hurtin’. I fit 3 axes in an extremely small footprint. Not that I really had to work in such a confined space… I mean, I could have just purchased the Eagle license to work with a larger board area, right? The board is about half the size of a slice of bread. Yep, that’s why it took me four days, and the signal routing was especially fun?!?

There was a suggestion from a user to add a few more features to the board, like a charge pump and spindle controller. I am very intentful in doing that in my next version, which could be soon. If the board works like expected, I will start on my next version, while offering this board as a kit for those who don’t need that extra functionality.

This board will be able to handle 4 amps per coil, which is above average in the hobby world, but it does come with a price, unfortunately. For that extra punch of amperage, I suspect the kit will cost around $250 for the PCB and the components alone. With power supply and motors, the price will come to around $699.

For those of you who are wanting the electronics now and with a top draw of 3 amps per coil, I’m offering a complete plug and play system in the range of $499. Wait to see that made available in the stuff for sale soon.

As I mentioned in a previous post: The new electronics kit will contain the L298 chip (shown below) that serves as the translator for the L6203 (shown to the left) driver chips. A translator simply accepts the step and direction signals and translates them into coil combination singnals to tell which coil combination to fire so the motor shaft will rotate one step (or half step depending how the board is configured). Once I get the board populated with all of the components, I will add the image to this page. These are only a couple of the multitude of components needed for the board shown. In terms of complexity, I would rate this kit for the advanced user. Speaking of advanced users, I also intend to add the Eagle files of the schematic and PCB layout if anyone is interested in producing this from scratch.

I welcome any suggestions as I trudge along this path. Tell me what your requirements would be in a perfect world for these electronics. Would you like to see more explanation on the workings of the electronics?

ThomasNet Site Design

Here is an email I got from Thomasnet, I’m on their mailing list, I thought it would make good content for you all to view.

THOMASNET.COM GETS FACELIFT WITH NEW TIME-SAVING FEATURES FOR PURCHASERS AND PRODUCT SPECIFIERS IN INDUSTRY

Leading Industrial Destination Site Builds on 110 Years of Experience Bringing Buyers and Sellers Together

(July 21, 2008 – NEW YORK, NY) – Buyers and engineers who want to find copper wire or spare parts for a lathe, or access a custom CAD drawing all by lunchtime have a faster and more efficient resource than ever before, as ThomasNet rolls out new features that enhance its site, www.thomasnet.com

The additions to the site are very timely. In the current economic environment, purchasers and specifiers of industrial parts, products and services are more time-squeezed due to downsizing and increased bottom-line pressures. New features to the site are aimed at helping these professionals save time, increase productivity and make more informed supplier selections, based on research that shows purchasers and engineers now put a greater premium on quick and easy access to information.

A new ThomasNet.com homepage meets this need by bringing together a wide range of essential content in a single, intuitive interface. Now, with one consolidated view, users can access the Internet’s most widely used database of industrial suppliers, in addition to white papers, community forums for knowledge sharing, and the Web’s largest collection of industrial news.

From a single search box, users can search over 607,000 industrial suppliers, indexed by 70,000 product and service categories, and have access to thousands of industrial product catalogs and over 20 million CAD drawings. ThomasNet.com now also offers a new and quickly growing library of over 800 white papers and case studies provided by thought leaders in manufacturing on product applications, processes and technologies.

“Users have spoken and we’ve listened,” said Brad Mehl, Vice President, ThomasNet.com. “We’ve taken their feedback and examined their workflow. Based on that, we have added key functionality they need to conduct business more quickly and efficiently.  These improvements create an even stronger connection between the qualified buyers who rely on ThomasNet.com and the sellers who are actively seeking them out.”

Other new time-saving features and functionality include:

- The ability to add or remove search criteria as users see fit.  This provides more robust narrowing or expansion of searches—i.e., the ability to view only suppliers with online product catalogs, CAD drawings or both, or ones that meet additional criteria such as ISO certifications.

- Greater personalization through saved searches. Registered users can save individual suppliers or short lists of multiple suppliers where they can view selected companies side by side, eliminating unnecessary time needed to re-run searches. Upon returning to ThomasNet.com, their saved suppliers and short lists are readily viewable in a personalized section of their homepage.

- Improved local searching, particularly key in light of rising fuel costs, and the increased expense of moving freight across longer distances. ThomasNet.com users seeking local manufacturers, distributors and service providers now enjoy a prominent choice of viewing suppliers located in specific areas or expanding their geographic area.

- Free access to Request for Information/Proposal/Quote (RFx) and Reverse Auction Tools to increase the speed and efficiency of the procurement process. These tools eliminate the need for purchasers to sort through and manage

supplier responses to quotes via disparate emails and faxes. Instead of the usual information barrage – a major complaint of purchasing professionals – users can centrally manage these communications and share them with colleagues. Importantly, these free tools can be immediately incorporated into their workflow through an easy interface that requires no training. The tools are available for ThomasNet users through an exclusive partnership with Source One Management Services, LLC, a leading procurement service provider.

- A new Tools and Gadgets Center filled with useful resources provides:

o A feature-rich toolbar specifically developed for the manufacturing community, which gives users the option of searching ThomasNet.com or general search engines. This ThomasNet toolbar offers 19 different features, including the ability to view additional supplier information with one click, when visiting the Website of a company in ThomasNet’s comprehensive database.

o For Google toolbar users, ThomasNet offers a “ThomasNet Express” button that can be added to the Google toolbar, which conveniently searches ThomasNet.com.

o iGoogle integration. This utility enables users to add a ThomasNet search box to their personalized homepages developed via iGoogle.

o A 10-in-1 conversion calculator (for Microsoft Vista users), which enables engineers to do quick calculations of popular engineering formulas.

About ThomasNet^SM

ThomasNet (www.ThomasNet.com) is the leading online destination connecting industrial sellers and buyers worldwide. Buyers from Fortune 500 companies, the government, the military and more depend on ThomasNet to search for and purchase the products and services they need. ThomasNet provides access to over 607,000 industrial companies, indexed by 70,000 product and service categories, and featuring over 20 million CAD drawings that help buyers find products to meet their specifications. Industrial manufacturers and service companies are successfully using ThomasNet to grow their businesses, discover new markets, develop new customers, and uncover new revenue sources. Drawing from the company’s experience in the industrial market and ongoing research on buyers’ and sellers’ needs, ThomasNet has helped thousands of clients create websites that incorporate online catalogs, CAD drawings, and e-commerce capabilities.

The Kel Vista CNC machine and lathe

The wheelheads of the UR-, R- and
RS-machine models exhibit thermal stability
thanks to optimized spindle bearings and
water-cooled motors.
The Z-axis movement uses traditional
guideways, which guarantees a high degree
of damping, while the X-axis movement
utilizes roller guideways, which in
turn facilitates non-stick slip positioning.
The KEL-VISTA is the synonym for cost-optimized,
100% reproducible universal grinding
thanks to its CNC-control system.

Spotlight on: Inventory of Kel Techs, Machine Shop.

An impressive shop indeed, here are the specs and inventory of this midsized shop, run by true professionals.

learn more about them at at their cnc machining page

A.R.C. Maintenance Machining
Milling Department

* 9 x 48 Prototrac MX2 / 2 axis CNC ( Bridgeport base )
* 9 x 48 Supermax ( Manual / Bridgeport Style )
* 20.5 x 16 x 17 Fadal VMC 15 / CNC Machining Center
* 9 x 28 x 24 Prototrac Series II Bridgeport
* 29.5 x 16 x 17 Fadal VMC 10XT
* 40 x 20 x 20 Yang VMC Eagle 1000
* EDM Capability

Lathe Department

* 17 x 48 Prototrac LX2 / CNC ( Metric /English Threading )

Multi leads, Acme, Reverse and other specialties

* 20 x 78 Monarch ( Manual / English Threading )
* 20 x 96 Harrison
* 10 x 36 Supermax CNC Turning Center

Saws

* 12.0” Diameter Cutoff Saw
* 36” Grob Bandsaw
* 10” Cold Saw

Miscellaneous

* 8 x 24 Do all Surface Grinder
* 36 x 48 Cincinnati Radial Arm Drill

Heat Treating

* In house heat treating
* Any tool steel item that can fit in our Lucifer Furnace
* 12 x 12 x 12

Welding

* Stick / TIG / MIG
* Gas Brazing
* Soldering
* Hardfacing
* Plasma Cutting

http://www.scientificmachining.com/

http://www.dynamicjig.com/cnc.htm

1998 Bridgeprt CNC Model TC4 Machining Center
bullet    Travel X30 Y20 Z20
bullet    8,000 rpm spindle
bullet    22 tool magazine

1988 Bridgeport Series 1 Manual Milling Machine
bullet    Variable Speed
bullet    Digital Readout
bullet    Power Feed

www.a2zmachining.com/index.html

http://www.amm-inc.com/

C.N.C. MACHINES

HEDELIUS BC100 Travelling Column Vertical Machining Centre
c/w Right Angled Heads & Pendulum Operation
X axis travel 6500mm, Y = 1000mm, Z = 770mm
Heidenhain iTNC530 control
Tool setter with Heidenhain in process measurement
55kW spindle power, 540Nm torque, 50 tool ATC, 40 bar coolant
Max table load 6500kg, rapids X/Y/Z 30 m/min.

QUASER MV204II Twin Pallet Vertical Machining Centre
Siemens ShopMill control
X = 1500, Y = 700, Z = 610mm, 32 position ATC, 36 m/min rapids,
30kW spindle, max rpm 15000, 40 bar thru tool coolant.

MAZAK FH-6000 Twin Pallet Horizontal Machining Centre
c/w 4th axis
X/Y/Z axis travel = 800mm
Mazatrol Fusion 640M Control
30kW spindle power, 40 m/min rapids,
40 tool ATC, 4.5 sec chip-to-chip tool change.

MAZAK Super Quick Turn 300M-Y Multi-tasking Lathe
Max turning dia = 420mm, length = 1025mm, Y axis = 150mm
22kW spindle, max spindle & rotary tool speed = 4000 rpm
Turret capacity = 12 tools.

HYUNDIA Hit18 lathe
Siemens 810D conversational programming
Max turned diameter 270mm, max turned length 500mm
Max spindle speed 3600 rpm
30 m/min rapid traverse
12 station turret
Programmable tailstock
Tool setter, Renishaw in-process workpiece measurement.

CITIZEN M32-V Sliding Head Lathe c/w bar feed
Mitsubishi Meldas 635 control
32mm max bar capacity, 600mm max length with long parts unit
Max spindle speed 8000 rpm, max rotary tool 5000 rpm
13 controlled axes, C-axis on both main and sub spindle,
3 tool simultaneous machining
Tool breakage monitoring and full tool setting,
Renishaw workpiece monitoring
Automatic workpiece unloading and handling.

DMG CTV 400 linear Vertical Lathe
Siemens 840D powerline, Y-axis, driven tools,
400mm chuck, 47kW drive power, 730Nm torque,
Rapids 90 m/min, 1g axes acceleration, machine weight 13000kg.

MITUTOYO Legex 774 Coordinate Measuring Machine
X axis range 705mm, Y = 705mm, Z = 455mm, resolution 0.00001mm
CONVENTIONAL MACHINES

AJAX AM-650HD universal lathe
1300mm swing over bed, 10m between centres,
3 & 4 jaw chucks, 2 & 3 point steadies, face plates,
2 axis DRO, taper turning, 30hp spindle motor.

AJAX Apollo AJQT310/155 CNC/manual lathe
Swing 620mm, 3 metres between centres,
Spindle bore 155mm, constant surface speed,
Fanuc Quick Turn control for tapered threads, radiused profiles.

UNION BFT90 Horizontal Borer c/w Heidenhain DRO
Spindle taper ISO 50, spindle dia 100mm, boring spindle travel 900mm
Spindle speeds 4 – 1600rpm, spindle head travel above table 1120mm,
Longitudinal table traverse 1600mm, cross traverse of table 1250mm,

max weight on table 3000kg, fully reconditioned in 2003.

BUTLER Universal Milling Machine
50 ISO spindle taper, table size 2150 x 750mm, max table load 4500kg
X traverse 1800mm, Y = 980mm, Z = 1000mm, 3 axis DRO.

KIHEUNG KMB-U7 Bed Type Universal Milling Machine
Long travel 125″, cross travel 39″, vertical travel 31″, 50 spindle taper.

AJAX AJT 4-VS-Super Turret Milling Machine
Long travel 862mm, cross 400mm, vertical 406mm,
Spindle range 80 – 4200, ISO 40 taper.

JAKOBSEN SJ24 Surface Grinder
Capacity 24 x 10″ with magnetic chuck, incremental power downfeed.

JONES & SHIPMAN Universal Cylindrical Grinder
10 x 36″ capacity, internal attachment.

ESTARTA Centreless Grinder
Capacity 1.6mm to 50mm diameter.

HECKERT 5′ Radial Arm drill with box table

ADDISON CB250W Automatic Horizontal Bandsaw
250mm round bar capacity, hydraulic clamping, swarf remover.

FABRICATION

Variety of processes including MIG, TIG, MMA & brazing.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kerosene degreasing bath
Engis ultrasonic cleaning
Abrasive flow machining
Vibratory deburring

http://www.thomasnet.com/products/cnc-machining-45330503-1.html

for the most up to date info on CNC machining

Robert Borsody

This is the family assisted living business, it is run by the head of the family Robert Borsody