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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : MAXIMITE and BRBL ARDUINO
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| WhiteWizzard Guru  Joined: 05/04/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2794 |
Hope we get a big discount if we buy one of these machines from Peter  For everything Micromite visit micromite.org Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
I better get a few of my best pigeons into training to fly a CNC mill over to you Phil. 
Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3675 |
If the on-board USB-serial chips (FT232R?) are left connected won't they try to drive the Rx/Tx as well as the other board? So won't the signals need isolating (tracks cutting)? John |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
John, I would agree that in principal the Arduino RX (in) track should be cut but I reckon that if the MM was soldered to the CPU side of R8 (or its equiv) then the MM would over-ride the FT232 via 1k resistor unless the MM comm port was set as Open Collector (OC). I would not set the MM Comm port as OC because of that. The Arduino TX (Out) should be able to drive two loads (inputs, one the FT232 and the other MM Rx in this case) Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| PeterB Guru Joined: 05/02/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
G'Day the lot of you
The mill in question is from China and is a 3040 and cost $1042 in Australia. I bought it after spending a couple of years making one out of aluminium angle, chip board and imagination. It was capable of making a quite good circuit board and I was very proud of it but temptation got the better of me. I don't understand why you blokes are still discussing this. I thought my VERY GOOD IDEA plus input from others had solved the problem. All I need now is a 3.3V Arduino pro and a 3.3V FTDI device. I have only used 5V stuff up to now. Or an I missing something. Most data flow will be MM to mill but there will probably be some the other way but without a FTDI chip, who cares. It's all too easy, too easy, too easy. Sorry I can't supply cheap mills but I can supply short lengths of aluminium angle with predrilled holes. Peter |
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vegipete Guru Joined: 29/01/2013 Location: CanadaPosts: 1084 |
I agree with your VGI (Very Good Idea) as long as the voltage levels work. GRBL receives GCode from a host and sends status and flow control characters back so the serial port must be bi-directional. Note if you go with a 3.3V Arduino, you must make sure that stepper drivers accept 3.3V step/dir/enable/etc signals. Visit Vegipete's *Mite Library for cool programs. |
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| PeterB Guru Joined: 05/02/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
G'Day all. It works! It is not very elegant but I have pulses on the Arduino pins. As noted by vegipete, pulse amplitude may yet be a problem. The 3040 manual says not to run the stepper drivers from a laptop, it may not have enough drive so I have built a buffer just in case. Thanks to you all. I really did enjoy that, it reminded me of an earlier life which was all about projects starting with confidence, going through chaos, and coming out the other end, all with interesting people. Peter |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
You are welcome Peter, In future though a photo of your setup sometimes tells a 100 words (or 10000 lines of code) I read and reread your question many times and couldn't quite grasp what you were trying to do.. Anyway I feel that you are well on the way to finishing your project. Good Luck I looked up the 3040 mill and they seem a nice unit.. there seems to be a fair range of `control boxes' that the models have and the prices differ markedly depending on which model you get. Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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