I've done this in testing. ? I have a bunch of motors and drivers and power supplies. ? ?It takes about 15 minutes to connect an Arduino to the driver and a variable resister and then the software creates steps at a rate proportional to the variable resister setting. ? ?What you end up with a very much the same thing at the speed control for the spindle motor. ? Arduino clones are under $4 shipping included.? Much cheaper than signal generators. ? The test setup is so simple I don't bother saving it and re-build one each time I need it ?The parts are all connectorized
A simple setup like that is enough ?for a power feed on one axis. ? This is how I'm slowly building up a full CNC capability.? Adding power feed to one axis at a time. ? ?The last step is computer control of all 3 or 4 axis
On Sat, Jul 29, 2017 at 1:23 PM, Tim Iafolla
iafollatim@... [7x12minilathe]
<7x12minilathe@...> wrote:
?
If all one wants is to run a stepper motor back and forth with no programming, there are a couple of shortcuts.? First, a simple variable speed pulse generator with remote control:
All you'd need is to send the pulses to a stepper driver like this one:?
Total cost less than $30; add a 24V 20A power supply and a beefy stepper motor and you're still under $120 or so.
The next step up is something like this, also connected to a stepper driver
This allows manual speed and direction control of multiple stepper motors, again with no programming.? It can also be driven by MACH3 or similar CNC software. It has inputs for position stops, so with a bit of programming you could do some simple motor-driven DRO.
And here's the next step up: a wireless 4-axis handwheel:
HTH
.
?
Wow, thanks Chris and everyone for this great recompilation of things I have learned and thought about over the years.
Now I am actually getting closer to having motorized table(s), not at the point of going to CNC but I will use a motor to move my table.
Most likely I will use a LinuxCNC program eventually but to start I will probably just program a microprocessor to run a stepper motor back and forth.
This conversation really helped me remember things.
Ralph?
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Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California
