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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Pi based CNC anyone?
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Revlac Guru  Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1154 |
Mick, what do you use to convert to Gcode? At the moment I use JScut (simulation not working) to convert SVG to Gcode, then run on Candle, there is likely better ways. Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5119 |
Revlac I have a old copy of CamBam, before it was commercial. I find it does a good job at generating the gcode. More progress. Definitely going for the ESP32 option now. There is a new port called FluidNC, written only for the ESP32. The code comes with its own installer, so you dont need the Arduino IDE. Once the code is installed, you edit up a config file to suit your machine, stuff like steps per mm, max speed, acceleration, GPIO pins for dir and step for each axis, etc. It has support for a whole bunch of CNC inputs and outputs, and there are dozens of sample config files to get you going. The config file is then uploaded via the USB serial interface using the FluitTerm program, or via wifi. The ESP32 sets up its own wifi hotspot, and you can log into a web interface on the ESP to upload the config file. I'm using Universal Gcode Platform on my laptop to drive the ESP32 via USB. It basically just sends gcode commands over USB to the ESP32, which then does all the hard work. So far I've got a basic config file sorted, enough to load up a gcode file, run it and flash LED's on the ESP pins configured for the axis. My X & Z axis use M325 microsteppers, and the big Y axis motor is using a DM432C microstepper. These require TTL level logic, a HIGH is 4-5 volts, so I'll add some level shifters to up the 3.3 volts from teh ESP32. I've been using this simple level shifter circuit ( http://techref.massmind.org/techref/logic/levelconversion.htm )...  This weekend I'll grap some bits from Jaycar. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
Yeah, I have been following Barton Dring Pretty cool stuff  He mentioned future support for closed-loop servos but that was a long time ago and I haven't seen any development. Maybe that's a job for me? 60,000 steps? I suspect that's a motor limitation. The ESP32 should be able to do way better than that  Craig |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
Oh wow! Now there is the "Odrive Pro" .... a ready-made solution Craig |
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2001cpx Regular Member  Joined: 03/10/2013 Location: CanadaPosts: 59 |
Hi, i Have 6040 CNC which is now on Arduino GRBL,Work Great,no miss step. (can also work with Pi) i use Flatcam open source to Convert file to Gcode,Powerfull Soft. great tutorial on Youtube about Flatcam Step Motor is Nema23,i use 3 tb6600 15$ on Amazon. Very Happy with This Setup,Discarted Mach3 and China Controller (Parallel) i will never use anymore. "Color Maximite,(Duinomite-Mega,Mini),CGmmStick,GCmicroboard2b,Micromite + explore 64,100,LCD backpack,Lcd Backpack V2,TFT Backpack,Micromite Extreme,Armmite L,F,H,CMM2" |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5091 |
The 3018 is running GRBL on Arduino (nano), I currently run 1.1(h?). It is amazing how much performance on 3 axis they squeeze out of the humble ATMEGA328 chip at 16MHz. I am running the same on a laser cutter, and every time I am stunned how smooth everything works. Simple USB interface to G code sender (COM port over USB). I know the GRBL also supports end switches, but I never installed these. The X/Y table never missed a step, so when I start in the centre, I end up in the centre. PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
Fascinating stuff but I love the idea of the ESP32. Started to follow this stuff and it led me to Arduino Simple Field Oriented Control They are working on the Pico F-O-C, also  Man, they need to re-do the audio on one of the YT vids. I had people in the room and this narrator keeps shouting "SIMPLE FOC, SIMPLE FOC"  I had to explain that he meant Simple F-O-C, field oriented control Craig |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2950 |
Hi Revlac, Sorry I missed this question. I usually use the online Program EASEL >>> Easel <<< The cost of the registered version is outside of my realm but the free version is quite good. I usually export to G-Code and then run the program that came with the unit GrblControl. Whilst pretty basic GrblCntrol works well with my machine but it does stop and not return to HOME for some reason after the job is complete (I can handle that it is no Drama for me) Easel does drive the CNC directly but you have to set up the CNC and I dont like streaming the code via the internet, I prefer to have the cutting done `stand alone' Now I am No expert on these things but for cutting MDF it works very well. Kind Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
SIX axes @500KHz... Starting to get real! Craig |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1154 |
Thanks Mick, Easel has a good following by a lot of users, I have a preference for offline work, but have yet to settle on something I'm comfortable with, The 3018 I have, just checked, it has a 5Amp power supply and will start the spindle motor at full speed instantly, made me jump the first time I run the test file, wasn't expecting the thing to rev up like that. Have cut wood with it and will be cutting perspex with it shortly, will need air to blow the swarf away. Most of the small CNC's I have seen use threaded rod to drive all the axe's, even the large lathe and mill, mostly for metalwork, there is a lot of steps for the small amount of travel, compared to perhaps a large cnc router for wood, the K40 laser cutter is belt drive and has been very fast and accurate, I have done a lot of cutting with it. Now is there a limit to the amount of travel that the controllers can handle? I guess there isn't, within reasonable expectations, as in a sheet of ply 2.4 meters or so. Also the 3018 cnc, there are some travel speeds that are far higher than would be usable, I selected a fast return speed and the steeper motors revs were uneven, I don't know if it was too fast for the stepper motors to handle properly (most likely) or a limitation of the controller. If it was belt drive instead of threaded spindle the speed would be very high on a small table. The ESP as a controller and others mentioned here look very interesting, there are quite a few applications that this could be used for as well as cnc plasma cutting, plenty of 2D and 3D stuff that could be done, 6 axe's, thats up there with robotic arms and things, some very interesting stuff. Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
Stepper motors are relatively poor performers but instead of using the pulses (and direction) to feed stepper-driver chips, those same signals can be fed to a servo-drive. Pulse-Count = commanded position Rate-of-Pulses = axis speed. 500,000 encoder-counts/sec is nothing for a servo, plus there is the benefit of position feedback which means no lost pulses. Even the big-name brands are reasonably priced Craig |
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