tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19369969455973831132024-03-05T02:16:12.933-07:00Chris' CircuitsA collection of my personal electronics projects.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-44824995192859086002013-04-09T07:49:00.000-06:002013-04-09T07:49:41.077-06:00Mach3 Configuration files addedI've had some requests for the Mach3Mill.xml file so that people could more easily match my Mach3 settings. The .xml file can now be downloaded from the <a href="http://www.chriscircuits.com/p/downloads.html">download page</a>. Just place the .xml file in your Mach3 folder replacing your Mach3Mill.xml file. Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-70150708266009290902013-03-14T22:36:00.001-06:002013-03-15T07:21:34.715-06:00A review of DTRobotic's Jog It!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey everyone, I had the opportunity to beta test the new version of the "Jog It!" cnc pendant and thought I would share my experiance. Many of you may have seen the original version while it was on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1651082654/jog-it-open-source-controller-pendant-for-emc2-and" target="_blank">kickstarter</a>. Well the new version is slimmer and has some new features. My favorite is the magnet that lets you hang your remote anywhere on your machine. Check out the video and see how it works with our laser converter board. If you are interested in your own Jog It!, you can buy the original <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jog-it-Hand-held-CNC-controller-pendant-for-Mach-3-/330875937083?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d09be213b" target="_blank">here</a>. For more information on the guys behind the Jog It! visit <a href="http://www.dtrobotics.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">DTRobotics</a>.<br />
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Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-42543321907241867922013-02-18T22:40:00.001-07:002013-02-18T22:42:08.117-07:00We have stock.....for now....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfICHpUie4CUaeVOlBubrDzcUHBmYPKYA4W_JnTUvnVgwltigSru0FS69CcqO0zaGoB47x-YHdR8rh2P1-INczFLovUkRMUmcOxw5PoARBB9Sme6k59qoNf18YTuPXpDASMic7mt9B4lgQ/s1600/2013-02-18+19.43.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfICHpUie4CUaeVOlBubrDzcUHBmYPKYA4W_JnTUvnVgwltigSru0FS69CcqO0zaGoB47x-YHdR8rh2P1-INczFLovUkRMUmcOxw5PoARBB9Sme6k59qoNf18YTuPXpDASMic7mt9B4lgQ/s320/2013-02-18+19.43.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser Converter Board with solder paste</td></tr>
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Hey everyone, the Laser Converter boards are back in <a href="http://www.chriscircuits.com/p/products.html" target="_blank">stock</a>. I've had a lot of people messaging me about when the boards are going to be back in stock so I'm guessing they will go fast. Not to worry though, the next (much larger) batch is being made as I'm typing this.Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-15054540704710071572013-02-14T09:15:00.004-07:002013-02-14T09:17:20.502-07:00Air assist and new post processor Recently I have been wanting to start cutting thicker material with my laser cutter, but I knew I needed to get my air assist running to get the cut quality I wanted. I didn't have much free time so it kept getting put on the back burner. This is where Kevin from <a href="http://www.kitchensinkelectronics.com/" target="_blank">KitchenSinkElectronics</a> comes in. He has been using my laser converter board and decided he was going to get the air assist feature on the newer version of boards up and running. He cleaned up my CamBam laser post processor and added the commands to run the air assist. Once I had his new post processor I decided it was time to do a quick tutorial on how to set everything up.<br />
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Thanks Kevin for all your work on the post processor. The new post processor is over on the <a href="http://www.chriscircuits.com/p/downloads.html" target="_blank">download</a> page. <br />
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A quick update on boards. I just heard that it was Chinese New Year recently, that would explain the delay to the next batch of boards. I hope to get them in stock and out to everyone really soon. Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-51350470506570714882013-01-21T23:03:00.000-07:002013-01-22T09:33:27.343-07:00We've learned a lot.........<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7Nu95lGD4COxO4TUe2pytsrk7Yj0uapuvuGTcgmlmo9z1UtYJv61370qRfJGaedlnaC0JEqXDOi1mrv-yhX8MFFGJehJOFusySzFTUzh9AOYbSY0yUq_nCTIGMt_qXxCeIWwVdShAPT1/s1600/2013-01-21+22.07.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7Nu95lGD4COxO4TUe2pytsrk7Yj0uapuvuGTcgmlmo9z1UtYJv61370qRfJGaedlnaC0JEqXDOi1mrv-yhX8MFFGJehJOFusySzFTUzh9AOYbSY0yUq_nCTIGMt_qXxCeIWwVdShAPT1/s320/2013-01-21+22.07.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moshiboard V4.1</td></tr>
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Whew! What a crazy month! On December 13th our laser converter board was featured on <a href="http://hackaday.com/2012/12/13/converting-a-chinese-laser-cutter-to-work-with-mach3/" target="_blank">HackADay</a>, since that time we have had nearly 17,000 hits on ChrisCircuits.com. The response from the DIY/hacking community has been amazing. We have sold out twice and the requests are still coming.<br />
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<a name='more'></a> During the rush to assemble, test, and ship boards out to everyone we have learned a lot about what it takes to support a product that has been shipped all over the world. The biggest thing we learned is that many laser cutters have been shipping with the above moshiboard. If you recall my previous posts and tutorials, we built the converter board based on a very similar (but slightly different) board. We learned that some of you had to, and may still have to, make a slight modification to use our converter board. I will try to describe the mod below:<br />
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The moshiboard v4.1 has an identical pin-out as the older black boards, the only difference is in the cable and power supplies they plug into it. My laser cutter came with a single power supply that supplied both 24V and 5V the cable from it can be seen below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeE9Ll-ALJaFU9YSA8fpH_QfVDVWNUn6rISSnjc2WDnJ9H4arxqQ2F5oJFAa5I-cYJ62HaPmU8i_D53ja1SVp0jLb-jt4nFYPU3RhEmK6hYsUaFgzKzNalsfiWWARtEqerr6jYymdFBFC/s1600/2012-12-28+21.03.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeE9Ll-ALJaFU9YSA8fpH_QfVDVWNUn6rISSnjc2WDnJ9H4arxqQ2F5oJFAa5I-cYJ62HaPmU8i_D53ja1SVp0jLb-jt4nFYPU3RhEmK6hYsUaFgzKzNalsfiWWARtEqerr6jYymdFBFC/s320/2012-12-28+21.03.45.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable from power supply</td></tr>
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From right to left my cable has the following pin-out: GND, 24V, empty, 5V, laser control, empty. We've found that with the new 4.1 moshiboard the cable has this pin-out(right->left): GND, 24V, empty, empty, laser control, GND. The problem comes from the fact that our board uses the 5V supply to run all the logic on the stepper drivers and isolators. The moshi 4.1 must have added an on board regulator to do that. What that means is that if you have a 4.1 board you will need to run a wire from the 5V power supply (usually a little gold power supply) to the 5V slot in the connector. Also, you may notice that the 4.1 board had two ground wires populated. That is because in most of these laser cutters using this board, they have two power supplies and the grounds get tied together on the board. That means that you will need to tie your two power supply grounds together externally because the current version of our converter board doesn't have these pins connected. It is a quick fix that is easy to do. And it is going to get even easier..... The next batch of boards were designed knowing these limitations. The two ground pins are tied together on board meaning you will only need to run a wire to the 5V slot.We plan on shipping all future boards with the crimp insert and wire to help with the conversion. We debated on adding a 5V regulator to the board to make it completely compatible but didn't want the added expense and assembly time.<br />
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We also learned that our cool new feature on V1.1 didn't work..... Being fairly new to Mach3 I mistakenly used pin 15 as an output. Turns out pin 15 can ONLY be used as an input. Lesson learned. That meant our FET for controlling the 24V solenoid to control our air assist would need a little work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1jiWNXsr0osjJ68-OZgpBq34SntD-QzsoM-qWfX-6K-dKh88Hc2WYxA5W1tKBiDGNuS1BllplT4eFjX5B_vVmv9x7KswkW-1wqPHvq5WWVCB8s5csHuPC1ZVBF9vYzA5NKb5GcZNBoVC/s1600/2013-01-14+09.10.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1jiWNXsr0osjJ68-OZgpBq34SntD-QzsoM-qWfX-6K-dKh88Hc2WYxA5W1tKBiDGNuS1BllplT4eFjX5B_vVmv9x7KswkW-1wqPHvq5WWVCB8s5csHuPC1ZVBF9vYzA5NKb5GcZNBoVC/s320/2013-01-14+09.10.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-work to fix air assist</td></tr>
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If you are a proud owner of a V1.1 board and would like to control a 24V solenoid air valve then this fix is for you. First, after you have removed the board from your machine, solder bridge the two center pins of U8 on the PC side of the board. (Near the U8 reference designator, pins 2 and 3) Then lift or cut-off pin 6 of U8. (The second pin from the bottom on the laser side, near the C18 designator) The above picture demonstrates this. Now your solenoid should be controlled by pin 14. The next batch of boards will reflect this change<br />
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Lastly, we have learned that shipping internationally is a PAIN. We wanted to offer cheap shipping so that everyone could enjoy the added power this board brings to their laser cutters but sometimes packages were taking over a month to get to their destination. We still don't have a good solution to this but the next batch of boards may have higher international shipping costs. We just want to make sure everyone gets their boards.<br />
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For those waiting on boards to be in stock, the next batch of boards should be here in about two weeks.<br />
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Again, a big thanks to the community. Your support has been very appreciated. We have been able to devote a little more of our time to some of our ideas and very soon we hope to be releasing our next fun product. (It isn't even remotely laser cutter related, you won't want to miss it)Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-49914165278596572742013-01-07T23:33:00.000-07:002013-01-07T23:33:02.982-07:00Converter boards are back and I cut some stencils!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjvgBymJGen41Ggu0WjKnWo6qIEeqaxit9wmQhm4oqecoaASyuFzjTtJ1UocooV3BgDqJnGHgacYRl9qjklWgYQp_DqJQOct74u8pNK9M01k8IN_BWQHzR5hlq_gdIGcDir0AdudvTrE3/s1600/2013-01-07+18.17.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjvgBymJGen41Ggu0WjKnWo6qIEeqaxit9wmQhm4oqecoaASyuFzjTtJ1UocooV3BgDqJnGHgacYRl9qjklWgYQp_DqJQOct74u8pNK9M01k8IN_BWQHzR5hlq_gdIGcDir0AdudvTrE3/s320/2013-01-07+18.17.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser Converter V1.1 PCB</td></tr>
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PCBs are back from the fab! I'm going to spend the next few days building up boards and shipping out assembled units to those who per-ordered. Once all orders have shipped, I will place the rest up for sale.<br />
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To speed up the assembly process, I decided to try to laser cut out a solder paste stencil for the new converter boards. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEQ4X3pXsJz5T8l9NYWB1KtbkG_WiCRbg2UrIl7Gj6loC40otLhndYzQmbgJwD9YZ1bwgbmliSwJd6cY6zESwuPwmrTtUau0xOAFAlrMu7kXMWrvqjPvDSyVINVIATvPiLCG-77w8zSQA/s1600/2013-01-07+18.17.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEQ4X3pXsJz5T8l9NYWB1KtbkG_WiCRbg2UrIl7Gj6loC40otLhndYzQmbgJwD9YZ1bwgbmliSwJd6cY6zESwuPwmrTtUau0xOAFAlrMu7kXMWrvqjPvDSyVINVIATvPiLCG-77w8zSQA/s320/2013-01-07+18.17.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stencil cut on Chinese laser cutter</td></tr>
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Using Cambam, Mach3, and Chris' Circuits laser converter board, it is SUPER easy to get a Chinese laser cutter to cut a paste mask stencil.<br />
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I bought a pack of 5 mil (0.005") thick mylar sheets from e-bay to use as the stencil. 5 mils is probably a little thicker than what you'd want when making a solder mask stencil but I thought I'd give it a try. Once you have your PCB designed in the layout software of your choice, all you have to do is export the solder paste layer gerber file like you would normally do when fabricating PCBs. Cambam will import .gbr extensions natively. Once you get the .gbr paste mask into CamBam you can either choose to cut the paths using the engraving or profile methods of machining. If you choose engraving remember the cut will always cut on the line. You can't easily make changes to the size of the features using engraving. If you want to select a cut width (tool diameter) or easily shrink the size of the features you will want to use a profile machining operation. When using the profile operation you will need to choose a non-zero target depth to have the Gcode created correctly. Once you have a target depth choose to have the cut on the inside or outside and the tool diameter. I found that my laser was cutting a 4 mil cut. So if I set my tool diameter to 4 mils I should get my features exactly as defined in my paste mask. Because my material is thicker than standard stencil material, I may want to shrink my features. To do that I can define my tool diameter to be something larger. When you generate the tool paths you can see how you features have changed size based on tool diameter. I will be using these stencils a lot in the next few days and I will post an update with results. Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-41865582214579603962012-12-18T12:21:00.001-07:002012-12-18T14:48:45.399-07:00New domain, and boards are at the fab<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTAGGp7Epkvzo3HuIjRtoVwr8V8WxQn9rJTFURrd25NkzkhVPGQj4LB_6eIFlsbWcRRa_L-V5kT6yRr-Wr6HmGb6vFqaD-mS_YcmlQCR2OV2eEBDqIvmrtWsN2iuhMEl2Asmq2gYFEoU/s1600/LCV1_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTAGGp7Epkvzo3HuIjRtoVwr8V8WxQn9rJTFURrd25NkzkhVPGQj4LB_6eIFlsbWcRRa_L-V5kT6yRr-Wr6HmGb6vFqaD-mS_YcmlQCR2OV2eEBDqIvmrtWsN2iuhMEl2Asmq2gYFEoU/s320/LCV1_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser Converter V1.1</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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You may have noticed that the .blogspot part of the address is gone. We have moved to our own domain! Also, I have sent the next batch of boards out for fabrication. I figured since I was sending out for new boards anyway, I would make a few changes. <br />
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<li> Silkscreen changes to add clarification to connectors and parts.</li>
<li>Moved all parts to top side so that assembly can be done easier.</li>
<li>Added an isolated 5V power supply allowing me to remove the USB cable on the PC side.</li>
<li>Increased capacitance for Vmot on stepper drivers.</li>
<li>Removed unnecessary pull-ups on dip switches.</li>
<li>Added an N-FET on the 24V supply. The plan is to use this to control an air solenoid valve on the air assist. </li>
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I'm excited for the changes. When I get the boards back, I will ship the boards out in the order I received the pre-orders. If you are still on the fence about getting your board on pre-order, get one now I've almost sold all the boards for this first batch. The next batch will be MUCH larger.<br />
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Order boards <a href="http://www.chriscircuits.com/p/products.html">here</a><br />
<br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-1860427785576312102012-12-13T12:55:00.002-07:002012-12-13T15:14:14.465-07:00We've sold outToday was a big day! Chris' Circuits was featured on Hack A Day! We had a huge surge in traffic and all our laser converter boards sold out!<br />
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Looks like I will be spending the weekend at the post office.<br />
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For those who are still interested in a laser converter board, I will put up a pre-order in the products page for the next batch.<br />
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Thanks for the great response everyone. More awesome projects are in the works.<br />
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<b>UPDATE: The pre-order is now live. </b>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-49349731749685320962012-12-12T12:28:00.004-07:002012-12-12T12:40:52.295-07:00Holiday Fun!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDIHrs0CnU4De1XG9aYy6G1mSJytdXRHpy_SyzHOrzfN-RT2tGmZdfoG8WOo227c95MWXgbe8csqq5bjKw1qPhCdZywe06CNTALXhCyOgmL2HsFH2gsQFsllTf7ToYItPhNHK57q-dvk/s1600/2012-12-12+01.07.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDIHrs0CnU4De1XG9aYy6G1mSJytdXRHpy_SyzHOrzfN-RT2tGmZdfoG8WOo227c95MWXgbe8csqq5bjKw1qPhCdZywe06CNTALXhCyOgmL2HsFH2gsQFsllTf7ToYItPhNHK57q-dvk/s320/2012-12-12+01.07.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser cut graham crackers </td></tr>
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I've had a great response to my laser converter board. There are only a few more in this first batch so if you have been thinking about getting one, get one before they are gone. I plan on ordering a second batch but they may not be ready until January.<br />
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Anyway, I hope everyone is having a ton of fun with their laser cutters, I know I am. I wanted to post real quick and show everyone what I am up to.<br />
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During the holidays my family likes to have a friendly gingerbread house building competition. (using graham crackers) I think I'm going to take the competition with my interlocking building pieces! Happy Holidays everyone!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-16862636218578069592012-12-09T19:24:00.001-07:002012-12-09T19:36:27.216-07:00Installing and using a CamBam post processorPost processors are used to automate the creation of specialized gcode. In the case of a laser cutter, if you are using standard cam programs, their output is traditionally for a spindle type cutting tool. This means we need to make a few changes to how rapids and other features are treated. In a typical mill, when the tool wants to move to an X,Y point without cutting (a rapid) it typically raises up the Z moves to X,Y and lowers to cut. During the entire move the spindle stays on. In the case of a laser we need to turn off the laser, move, and then turn it on again. Our post processor makes these changes so the gcode comes out correctly for our application.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<h3>
Installing the post processor</h3>
Download and install <a href="http://www.cambam.info/" target="_blank">Cambam</a>. Go to the <a href="http://chriscircuits.blogspot.com/p/downloads.html" target="_blank">downloads page</a> and download the laser post processor for CamBam.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FR9OX0ubiE_amPQvNTYlzj3Jy1xfUuumhEGM6GdWvUmN36BRTQxeaBcRsRTKDvlh8T3yd5dQ5-dEfDN4liewdu9qnrY2KpcKS4qo388gFDQW7MqtEufuq1JK3NQRhonR6Rmh2P29Grk/s1600/Download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FR9OX0ubiE_amPQvNTYlzj3Jy1xfUuumhEGM6GdWvUmN36BRTQxeaBcRsRTKDvlh8T3yd5dQ5-dEfDN4liewdu9qnrY2KpcKS4qo388gFDQW7MqtEufuq1JK3NQRhonR6Rmh2P29Grk/s320/Download.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click "Download This File"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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To install the post processor in the correct location you will need to setup your folders to see hidden folders. Copy laser.cbpp to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\CamBam plus 0.9.8\post.<br />
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<h3>
Using the laser post processor</h3>
Open CamBam. Click File, Open to open a DXF or use CamBam to create your paths. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9YhrNSvbdpmN_lRSwTF_7kDDfMI6poU5wybqLAyavKTUH1TwNjnIbyKIIhzMhn2_cNO2dRSe6QTUDRhYvtbJRw7EWddG-m9D1FWmO0outfqTp3NgGqsHfqvbTr9b7RKmPRuMFZq7WhTy/s1600/CBMain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9YhrNSvbdpmN_lRSwTF_7kDDfMI6poU5wybqLAyavKTUH1TwNjnIbyKIIhzMhn2_cNO2dRSe6QTUDRhYvtbJRw7EWddG-m9D1FWmO0outfqTp3NgGqsHfqvbTr9b7RKmPRuMFZq7WhTy/s320/CBMain.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CamBam main screen</td></tr>
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Select Machining in the folder structure under the drawing tab.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtkkAmTIKdXUhQHAM3-K6c5zgDZfI67fez1EtukDgnz5eO5t16378XGWs5tP3DxocX85c-yY7BGe1ZSPa3yEeyuMsSX7iCQnzwBRjSiYRbhJKJ-6y6P81NdaTJRJ8hFcKh02XdSeQ606u/s1600/CBmachining.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtkkAmTIKdXUhQHAM3-K6c5zgDZfI67fez1EtukDgnz5eO5t16378XGWs5tP3DxocX85c-yY7BGe1ZSPa3yEeyuMsSX7iCQnzwBRjSiYRbhJKJ-6y6P81NdaTJRJ8hFcKh02XdSeQ606u/s320/CBmachining.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Select post processor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Scroll down until you see the post processor options. Click on the post processor drop down menu and find the laser post processor.<br />
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Now we need to tell CamBam how we want to cut our shape. Because we want to cut on the path we have created I usually choose engrave. Click Edit, Select all, then press the engrave button.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8TkuIPwbod7v8TazaUoa7ybE3dn1Ld4TNLacj7UbLzZHEOAXgfneHw-PffalwgPhwQt-ORraxwdWt5sGNH3EJczpYM3nl35wsnBFZAQPOEKIQNzeH1udtQE2zMHsdrDe-fsGjAwLEUHB/s1600/engrave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8TkuIPwbod7v8TazaUoa7ybE3dn1Ld4TNLacj7UbLzZHEOAXgfneHw-PffalwgPhwQt-ORraxwdWt5sGNH3EJczpYM3nl35wsnBFZAQPOEKIQNzeH1udtQE2zMHsdrDe-fsGjAwLEUHB/s320/engrave.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Select engrave</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At this point you can define feedrates and tool diameter (cut width) based on the material you are cutting and its thickness.<br />
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We are now ready to get our gcode. Click the Machining drop down menu (at top) and click Produce gcode. You will be prompted to save the file. Save then open the gcode file in Mach3. You are ready to cut.<br />
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<b>Note:</b> If you are using the evaluation version of both CamBam and Mach3 you will be limited to 500 lines of gcode. If your cut is longer you can always split it up into multiple jobs. I got tired of doing this and just broke down and bought the full version.<br />
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I hope this helps and saves everyone a lot of time. I know it has made cutting so much more faster. If you don't use Cambam and want a post processor written for a different Cam program message me or leave a comment and I'll look at what it takes. <br />
<br />Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-6462859557184244262012-12-06T02:26:00.000-07:002012-12-21T15:32:28.436-07:00Configuring Mach3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzJ6PnuJZAzVS28A50VYE2HgFKoXcdrasSmhXrKcP4YNQ95aXl0XK16iuOd2YNzFrMyBbYWz9O024opMebGjAetyTyxbzN5U4bsmxfpTXkzaOQl1TUPO0w1dl5S5AOdi5HCNvwI-Xiwuw/s1600/MachMain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzJ6PnuJZAzVS28A50VYE2HgFKoXcdrasSmhXrKcP4YNQ95aXl0XK16iuOd2YNzFrMyBbYWz9O024opMebGjAetyTyxbzN5U4bsmxfpTXkzaOQl1TUPO0w1dl5S5AOdi5HCNvwI-Xiwuw/s320/MachMain.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mach3 main screen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I wanted to put together an easy to follow guide for configuring Mach3 to work with my converter board and other similar breakout boards. The exact pins used for each signal will vary from board to board. This example will specifically use the pin-out from the converter boards that can be purchased from my product page. <br />
<a name='more'></a>A good general Mach3 guide can be found <a href="ftp://machsupport.com/Docs/Mach3%20Setup%20Tutorial.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Before we get started, Mach3 uses your computer's parallel port to send pulses to the stepper drivers. Make sure your computer has a parallel port and that you have a standard parallel port cable. <b>(NOT</b> cross-over) <br />
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<b>NOTE</b>: If this is your first time using Mach3 I suggest reading the above link. Mach3 isn't very straight forward when you first use it. Also each time Mach3 starts up or you make changes to the config you will need to press the red "Reset" button in the lower left hand corner of the screen.<br />
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The first thing that needs to be done is to tell Mach3 what address our parallel port is using. Find your parallel port listed in device manager. Open up the properties for your port and look for the resources. The first hex number shown in the I/O range will be your address. When Mach3 is started for the first time, it will prompt you to define an address. If the setup wizard was bypassed you can change your address by going to the Config drop down menu and selecting Ports & Pins. Once I updated Mach3 to my parallel port's address, I had to restart Mach3 before it seemed to work correctly. I have also heard of others needing to enable their port in the BIOS settings.<br />
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Next thing we need to do is to setup our X, Y, and maybe Z axis. Go back into the Config drop down and again click Ports & Pins. This time navigate to the Motor Output tab.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHVyfs6FbxM4jona8vACZR3qvrkQXCHbPYaw0bBfsbYfPE3sgFvNmtuIbOFDCWh3cFm58uvh8eq9qpTzYFJdBjQvABriAKn6vjjT2iqJOO6xr2dYrZ8ANqbLci_0Ojl8pXyTQd84deTAo/s1600/MACH3_stepperCFG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHVyfs6FbxM4jona8vACZR3qvrkQXCHbPYaw0bBfsbYfPE3sgFvNmtuIbOFDCWh3cFm58uvh8eq9qpTzYFJdBjQvABriAKn6vjjT2iqJOO6xr2dYrZ8ANqbLci_0Ojl8pXyTQd84deTAo/s400/MACH3_stepperCFG.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stepper config</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the image above you can see how to setup for a 2-axis machine using my laser converter board. You first need to enable all the axis you need and tell Mach3 what pins on the parallel port are connected to the step and direction lines. In this case, X step is pin 2 and X direction is pin 3. The following two columns define how your stepper driver interprets the pulses. The <a href="http://www.pololu.com/" target="_blank">Pololu</a> drivers I use are active low devices. You will notice that my X direction is NOT set to active low. The direction pin can be active high or active low and still function the same. The only difference is the direction the axis will move. On my machine I wanted the axis to go the direction the arrows pointed on my keyboard. Configure this to your personal preference. Last define the port as 1. Unless you have defined two parallel ports all active signals should be defined to port 1.<br />
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At this point, if we return to the main page, press reset, and try to jog our steppers they should respond but may not sound or move smoothly. Lets tune those motors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxOvgmNaaPATui_2e5dl4Rpar3fx6M6pFhLAv4qbpqudGgvb2iGrwkExQeaXrYXYbE12YLi-KaKciYaFqbRr1i98MyI5VJu-3gWREBro1hgDBgseRJX1-Dw8VuNLUkmYGOwz2eZ648DKW/s1600/Motortuning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxOvgmNaaPATui_2e5dl4Rpar3fx6M6pFhLAv4qbpqudGgvb2iGrwkExQeaXrYXYbE12YLi-KaKciYaFqbRr1i98MyI5VJu-3gWREBro1hgDBgseRJX1-Dw8VuNLUkmYGOwz2eZ648DKW/s400/Motortuning.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motor tuning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Each machine will have it's own method for moving the axis when the stepper shaft rotates. Because of this it is important we can define parameters that work for our setup. First, find out if your stepper drivers are running in a micro-stepping mode. On the converter board sold here there is a 9 switch dip switch that defines the micro-stepping. The first three switches correspond to the first driver, the second three to the second, and the third three to the third driver. The switch table can be found mid way down the page <a href="http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/2128" target="_blank">here</a>. The above image works well for my steppers on eighth step. I found it was easiest to tune the "steps per" value by setting the stepper driver to full step mode and use a ruler to see how many full steps it takes to move an inch (or in some setups mm). Once the number of full steps per unit of measure has been found you can simply multiply by the micro-step value (2, 4, 8, 16). An easy way to perform single unit of measurement movements is to return to the main screen and click on the MDI tab near the top. In this screen you have the ability to execute G code commands. To move one unit, simply type "G0 X1" to move to X1, (or replace X for Y when testing Y axis) "G0 X0" returns back to where you started. Continue to turn the "steps per" value until your machine moves one unit (inch or mm). The velocity and acceleration values are determined by the weight of the object your steppers are trying to move and the torque they are able to deliver. This will vary a lot on each individual machine. I found the above values to work well on my laser cutter, feel free to experiment and let me know if something works better.<br />
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Lets get those end-stops working. Mach3 needs to know what inputs the end-stops are on and where they are.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31OTfx2ywt6_eCuJpdY3e-0yP8ODHFk1mrZ-Nde5mpQaWQ-pzYTBHUwRg1Tfo-cDtHeuap4IfUcfy30k-MeGYVUkYg-9TrsEgIBzYt3MjLxk587BfpAmUiJs7DGDWsnICLiurzH6ERp0L/s1600/MACH3_inputCFG1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31OTfx2ywt6_eCuJpdY3e-0yP8ODHFk1mrZ-Nde5mpQaWQ-pzYTBHUwRg1Tfo-cDtHeuap4IfUcfy30k-MeGYVUkYg-9TrsEgIBzYt3MjLxk587BfpAmUiJs7DGDWsnICLiurzH6ERp0L/s400/MACH3_inputCFG1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End-stops</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The guide I have a link to up at the top explains this better than I do. So for a more complete understanding go there. The end-stops on my board are active high and are routed on pins 12 and 13. Go to the Config drop down menu, click on Ports & Pins, and select the Input Signals tab. I defined my end-stops to be X home and Y home. With this configuration I can press "REF ALL HOME" on the main screen and it will perform a homing sequence.<br />
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Scroll down on the Input Signals list and you will see the EStop config. The laser cutter I bought did NOT come with an EStop button so I have simply bridged the signal to always be off. I left the ability for others who wanted to add an EStop the can remove the bridge and solder a switch.<br />
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<b>Update:</b> Due to some confusion about the solder bridge I have decided to not ship with U6 bridged. If you have a board that is bridged the picture below will work for you. If there is NO bridge remove the green check from Active low. If you don't plan on wiring in an EStop you can probably just leave the EStop disabled. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmiJLlYsBdrGZoKj3dg1zYPWI4j8KTGSrJ_1W1P9qWxmNs0OcJJnfl4lryJfCi1rM2LvZIlc9Dy90NrgUKZ7iGbPYwenMjm0ngUhLCL0_NIupAYI9-Z3GERYGSNHWQkQZqK6WQ9_VBpTF/s1600/MACH3_inputCFG2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmiJLlYsBdrGZoKj3dg1zYPWI4j8KTGSrJ_1W1P9qWxmNs0OcJJnfl4lryJfCi1rM2LvZIlc9Dy90NrgUKZ7iGbPYwenMjm0ngUhLCL0_NIupAYI9-Z3GERYGSNHWQkQZqK6WQ9_VBpTF/s400/MACH3_inputCFG2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EStop config</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This next part is specific to laser cutters. We will be disabling the normal spindle and having our laser controlled instead. If you are running a spindle, the setup document I link to at the top of this post is very useful. To use a laser we need to define an output that can be turned on and off when needed. Go to the Config drop down menu, click Ports & Pins, and click on the Output Signals tab.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CdDzrBdTBp-cd6tgEJjrwdH_eiZ-fOOOkqdJkRcrXP0uqGIU0RbEvp4x0nitny4OBMsCkysoC62fhaZnDYp1AT5Y9PHSG0l7DVdlbvz2H8C0DgX8KSzr5osOuxnxF7L8rveUgY0eINpN/s1600/MACH3_outputCFG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CdDzrBdTBp-cd6tgEJjrwdH_eiZ-fOOOkqdJkRcrXP0uqGIU0RbEvp4x0nitny4OBMsCkysoC62fhaZnDYp1AT5Y9PHSG0l7DVdlbvz2H8C0DgX8KSzr5osOuxnxF7L8rveUgY0eINpN/s400/MACH3_outputCFG.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laser output</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On my converter board the laser logic level is on parallel port pin 9 and is an active low signal. Set Output #1 as shown in the image above.<br />
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Lastly click on the Spindle Setup tab in Ports & Pins. Un-check use spindle motor output and make sure output 1 is defined as M3 and M4. See below image.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vYER7a1OZWkfJQKaONIXR228yE-_QZKDz4g6pYKKv8YtrsC740rgnWwakl_8_-LRaSmjPO4OpVa6nm5RYrREgH89mH6mQ0zDDn0fVcsM4EvpYnL5TdVlW9qv24OLkZSrevbBwydIV5ty/s1600/MACH3_spindleCFG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vYER7a1OZWkfJQKaONIXR228yE-_QZKDz4g6pYKKv8YtrsC740rgnWwakl_8_-LRaSmjPO4OpVa6nm5RYrREgH89mH6mQ0zDDn0fVcsM4EvpYnL5TdVlW9qv24OLkZSrevbBwydIV5ty/s400/MACH3_spindleCFG.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spindle Setup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You should be ready to cut with Mach3. Somethings to keep in mind when using your laser with Mach3. Because the parallel port can be in an unknown state until Mach3 fully loads, I recommend always leaving your laser on/off switch in the off position until ready to cut. Also, G code that assumes your machine is running a spindle will give you code that doesn't produce the cuts you would expect (the laser doesn't turn off when rapids are performed). In order to make useful G code I have made a post-processor for <a href="http://www.cambam.info/" target="_blank">Cambam</a>. I will post that and instructions how to use it in the next few days. <br />
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If there are suggested improvements to this basic tutorial let me know in the comments or email me at <a href="mailto:support@chriscircuits.com">support@chriscircuits.com</a>.<br />
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To order a board to convert a 40W Chinese laser cutter go <a href="http://chriscircuits.blogspot.com/p/products.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Next: <a href="http://chriscircuits.blogspot.com/2012/12/installing-and-using-cambam-post.html">How to use a post processor</a>Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-79070003287850880142012-11-24T02:04:00.001-07:002012-11-24T02:06:00.974-07:00It's THIS easy........<h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSp4LZNSPZd9MtX8kzl_EVMbbr-nP-y-L29VA3gZAjdG-_HirQOTSGfUsX3DP_Cu49dkzj2QhUlGV5tjEBJc0RLVYxhl-8Z08woLX1yRLGgTxiP40u4y4D0Zh2L5wkKsc3EfRKgcIfV4/s1600/2012-11-23+15.55.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSp4LZNSPZd9MtX8kzl_EVMbbr-nP-y-L29VA3gZAjdG-_HirQOTSGfUsX3DP_Cu49dkzj2QhUlGV5tjEBJc0RLVYxhl-8Z08woLX1yRLGgTxiP40u4y4D0Zh2L5wkKsc3EfRKgcIfV4/s320/2012-11-23+15.55.10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Populated Controller Board</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I finally found some free time to populate one of the prototype PCBs I got in last week. I am very happy with the way they turned out. Once populated, it was so simple to swap out my old moshidraw board for this one. </div>
<a name='more'></a>The video below demonstrates how easy it is to swap boards. (sorry about the shaky camera) The best part is, once the boards are swapped ALL the stock hardware is still fully functional (optical end-stops). And it is functional with mach3/LinuxCNC! <br />
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I've had a lot of fun cutting with my laser cutter now that I can use a dependable piece of software. It feels like a new machine. I plan on posting a step-by-step guide to setting up mach3 for this board. Then I need to upload my post-processor and a parts list and eventually the schematics. I love open source!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-27053449938432391372012-11-17T08:54:00.000-07:002012-11-17T08:54:22.030-07:00PCBs are back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The prototype run of PCBs I ordered are finally here! I am happy with the way they turned out. Now to populate them and test them out. Next I plan to post a video showing just how easy it is to switch to Mach3/LinuxCNC using my board. <br /><br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-56349682264899758162012-11-08T23:29:00.000-07:002012-11-08T23:42:38.214-07:00CamBam post processor working!Just a quick post to say I got a basic laser post processor working for CamBam. The picture below is of some gears I cut by using a gear maker in CamBam. With the post processor working there was NO manual editing of Gcode. I made the gears, created the Gcode, and cut in Mach3.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gears generated in CamBam</td></tr>
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I need to figure out how to export the post processor and I'll post a link to download. For those without CamBam, I need to either make a wizard for Mach3 or write a simple stand-alone post processor. Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-40820326524647322542012-11-06T11:53:00.002-07:002012-11-24T02:07:17.795-07:00First Cut!I was able to successfully fire the laser on my laser cutter through Mach3. I am very impressed with the cuts I am getting. At this point there is still a lot of manual editing of GCode to get the laser to fire at the correct places. I will need to write a post processor that will get me a file I can use without manual editing. But for now it works.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Like most people who use Mach3 to run their laser cutters (See links at bottom of page), I have set up my laser output to output#1. Then I can use codes M11P1 (on) and M10P1 (off) to control the laser. These codes execute at the beginning of the next line of code so you have to always have a line of code following either of these codes. These codes work perfect in the case of turning the laser off during a rapid G0 code but require an additional movement at the end of the program. To solve that, I still use the standard M5 code (which executes immediately) to turn of the laser at the end of the program.<br />
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I hope to get the completed PCB in sometime this week and can get some tests on the final single board solution. I plan to make this project completely open source and have a more detailed write-up on using the board once I get it to the point that I feel comfortable with the complete process.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3zQW-WqjRqZgx_LWNpSJI7caljK5GlLs1atwz8aeymqmq3yEUVwLc1XvfVj-vJkEpETFR3qtiiDBXvUWZBeIJ82S0XYoI4qzr_IjXuOctolkUC4kvkFIpKzhQbXa6GQ4FhnMECYI_5Cm/s1600/2012-11-06+11.37.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3zQW-WqjRqZgx_LWNpSJI7caljK5GlLs1atwz8aeymqmq3yEUVwLc1XvfVj-vJkEpETFR3qtiiDBXvUWZBeIJ82S0XYoI4qzr_IjXuOctolkUC4kvkFIpKzhQbXa6GQ4FhnMECYI_5Cm/s320/2012-11-06+11.37.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really happy with the cut qualtiy</td></tr>
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Inspiration and information for this project:<br />
<a href="http://www.stephenhobley.com/blog/2011/04/13/buying-a-laser-cutter-from-china-part-three/" target="_blank">Stephen Hobley</a><br />
<a href="http://www.andyslater.com/laser-cutting/controlling-the-laser-beam.html" target="_blank">Andy Slater</a><br />
<br />Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-68939895758600514612012-11-05T16:26:00.003-07:002012-12-13T09:20:02.912-07:00Converting a Chinese laser cutter to work on Mach3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently decided to purchase an inexpensive laser cutter from Ebay (<a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/40-Watt-C02-Laser-Cnc-Router-Cutter-Engraver-Engraving-Cutting-Machine-Usb-K40-/290763751484?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&nma=true&si=Z2QipJ%2BN5yx%2B3btg9JSTsUsCKXM%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc" target="_blank">Here</a>). Once I got it, I quickly realized that I would be VERY limited in what I could cut. I set out to get the laser cutter to work with some more standard software. After some web searches I found that the tutorials all involved some modification to cabling or some other strange work around. I decided I wanted to design and build a drop in replacement that would work with Mach3 or LinuxCNC (EMC). Here is my first motion test of the prototype.<br />
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I have started the process to manufacturer a PCB. If there is enough interest I may put together a Kickstarter to get a large batch of these done and bring down the cost. I plan to run some cutting tests tonight check back to see the results. <br />
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<b>UPDATE: </b>I decided that for now, I will just sell a few fully assembled boards a see how that goes. Boards can be bought <a href="http://chriscircuits.blogspot.com/p/products.html">here.</a><br />
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<br />Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-66006896854489492842012-05-16T01:59:00.000-06:002012-05-17T09:46:42.754-06:00Soap Rocket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, so I know this isn't an electronic project but I had a good time designing it and my kids had a great time playing with it.<br />
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So my son is having a carnival day for his last day of school this year. Everyone is supposed to bring some little home-made items to sell for a few cents. My son wanted me to help him fold some paper airplanes to sell. Wanting to find the best paper airplane I went to the internet for help. There I stumbled onto a page that showed an educational example of the surface tension of water using a little triangle of cardboard with a channel cut down the center. I thought it would be fun to have a re-useable example of that. Then I thought the kids at school would get a kick out of a plastic rocket that they could "launch" in the tub. So I drew up a simple outline of a rocket, added the channel for the soap and the 3D Printed Soap Rocket was born! I think it turned out pretty good. Check out the video of it in action:<br />
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For instructions on how to build your own visit: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23112<br />
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I'm really excited about some of the projects I have been working on. Check back soon to see what I've been working on.Cjoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241069126340024842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-50034619203988951582012-05-16T00:00:00.001-06:002012-05-17T09:43:04.869-06:00The quad is finished!With all my ESCs modded and frame complete it's time to fly!<br />
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This was my first time ever flying a multi-rotor aircraft so I think the updates worked really well. Sorry for the weird video I only had my friend's phone at the time and it kept hanging. <br />
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I have a lot of cool projects planed for the summer so check back often.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936996945597383113.post-56029172590900555562012-04-25T22:43:00.000-06:002012-05-17T09:47:23.755-06:00Flashing HobbyKing Birdie 30A ESCI recently bought 4 <a href="http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18460__Birdie_30A_Brushless_ESC_w_2A_BEC.html" target="_blank">Birdie 30A ESCs</a> from my favorite online hobby shop, <a href="http://www.hobbyking.com/" target="_blank">HobbyKing</a>. I bought these ESCs for my quad-copter project I'm SLOWLY working on. When I received them I wasn't too excited about the lack of programming features and they just seemed to be a little sluggish. Not to mention they are actually 25A ESCs despite being sold as a 30A ESC. Anyway, I had heard that there was some open source firmware people were flashing their ESCs with that made them perform better with multi-rotors. After some hopeful web searches to see if anyone had any experience with these Birdies I came across a great resource for flashing ESCs. OpenPilot has a great <a href="http://wiki.openpilot.org/display/Doc/RapidESCs" target="_blank">wiki</a> with tons of useful information for anyone wanting to try their hand at trying to improve their ESC's performance. Unfortunately, my Birdie wasn't on the list...... Oh well that just means I get to poke around and solve it myself. After looking at some of the PCB layouts that were supported, I found that the Birdie looked to be an exact replica of the supported RC MAX 18A ESC. I was in luck, that meant the standard tp.hex firmware should work for my model. A little soldering and a few minutes later my ESC was ready to flash.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top side of the Birdie 30A ESC</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The flashing couldn't have gone smoother, thanks to the great programing tool mentioned in the OpenPilot wiki. Now to update all my ESCs and see how my quad-copter flies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The FET bank on the Birdie 30A ESC</td></tr>
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<br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464236098487827233noreply@blogger.com5