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CNC Router Table

Discussion in 'CNC Mills/Routers' started by Benjamin Vg, Aug 15, 2023.

  1. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Hello,

    Since I saw this video


    I have that in mind.
    I would like to know if someone have already saw an open source project similar to this one?

    I will already do a first step by trying to automate my table saw guide like this one:

    But if it work I would like to go to the next step :)


    Regards,
     
  2. Rob Taylor

    Rob Taylor Master
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    This is basically a table saw fence with a camera slider software (or other programmable, auto-calculating, 1/2D motion control system) added on. Not too dissimilar to adding power feed and power Z to a vertical mill in terms of power and capability advancement, but the programmable X/Z aspect is nice. Very simple stuff to program, though, just a case of building a basic GUI on top of a microcontroller (Adafruit has a screen/control in one: Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display) that can send serial data to another unit running a CNC control (an Uno, a Blackbox, whatever) and adding in the simple back-end math for the "programs".
     
  3. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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  4. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Ha ha it looks so easy when you say so.
    Actually the sofware part isn't the hardest one for me as I am a developper but I am clearly less confortable for the electronic part :)
     
  5. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Thank you Peter, but actually I have started the table saw project with the material I already had at home so it will be based on an arduino. So, I am not sure if this will be compatible.

    Of course if I go for the router one later I will choose a more adapted platform I think.
     
  6. Rob Taylor

    Rob Taylor Master
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    CONTROL will talk to an Uno as if it's an 8-bit BlackBox, since it's basically the same hardware.

    So you're basically just replicating the serial communication of the USB port from a computer, but doing it micro-to-micro so that you can trigger the g-code instructions to be sent from the calculations controlled by your GUI. The exact nature will depend on the hardware you use, just stick to popular hardware with good support and it's easy. The other stuff is traditional hobby CNC stuff- motors, drivers, limit switches, probe inputs, etc. Note the insert plate on the Shark/Kreg table in the video is either plastic or painted steel- this is helpful because you're not grounding the probe plate through the machine frame, it only touches on contact with the carbide inserts of the tooling (if the tool is oriented correctly).
     
  7. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Yes but I don't want to have my laptop each time I use my table saw.
    If I understand correctly the the GUI is running on a PC and then I communicate with my arduino trough GRBL right. It isn't possible to install the GUI on the arduino itself or did I missed something?
     
  8. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    Not enough memory on the Arduino to install anything more than basic grbl.

    Alex.
     
  9. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    If you skip Grbl and use AccelStepper you could fit LCD libraries too, or skip the Arduino, get up to date and use an ESP32 - no more worries about memory/flash for a while
     
  10. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    I indeed also have an ESP32 s I could use it. I will try it.
    I have received my motor driver and just still waiting for the power supply :)
     
  11. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    What about the screen. What should I take exactly as touch screen? Do I need additional stuffs to connect the screen to the esp32?
     
  12. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Lots of SPI based TFTs you can wire up. Google is your friend when learning a new (warning very addictive) hobby.
    Even get ESP32s with onboard LCDs these days.

    For example of Ili9341 based tutorials

    esp32 ili9341 touch wiring tutorial with arduino code using adafruitgfx library - Google Search

    Another great YouTube channel along those lines is Volos's https://youtube.com/@VolosProjects?feature=share9
     
  13. Rob Taylor

    Rob Taylor Master
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  14. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Yeah he is really good at UI elements!
     
  15. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Hi again,

    So, I have received my material and I have followed this tutorial: https://vslot-poland.com/how-to-connet-arduino-to-nema

    So I guess that material is correctly wired:

    [​IMG]

    I have just copy pasted the program and upload it on the arduino but of course the motor didn't move....

    Here is the driver datasheet: https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/download/DM542T.pdf

    And the one of the motor: https://ooznest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NEMA23-Stepper-Motor-175-280.jpg


    What have I done wrong? Or maybe my jumpers on the driver are not ok?
    I have set:
    1=ON
    2=OFF
    3=OFF
    => RMS Current = 2.69A as the motor Rated Current is 2.8A / Phase (or should I set it to 3A?)
    4=OFF (not sure at all what value I should apply)

    5=OFF
    6=ON
    7=ON
    8=ON
    => 2 microsteps to start ? Is it good to start low?

    Regards,
     
  16. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    8 or 16 is better. Too high and torque drops off. Too low and its not smooth

    Rated = peak. Your car's engine is redlined at 6500RPM, you won't stay in the low gears to try to keep it at 6350RPM all the time now would you? 3A peak, would like a 1.5-1.8A for continuous use, or even lower - set it high enough that your gadget doesn't stall in normal use, any higher just wastes power, makes heat and breaks stuff


    We don't mind doing a little helping, but
    This is code, you'll have to dig into that past experience, read and understand the code you paste, debug and modify etc - we cannot offer a complete developer course, but will try answering specific questions if you include sample sections needing explanation
     
  17. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    The code isn't indeed an issue but as long as the simpliest example doesn't work I am guessing that my hardware isn't working correctly or at least plugged correctly. And I must confess that I am really afraid to blow everything.

    Thank you for your support
     
  18. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    In the photo you are powering the Arduino off USB and external 5V - its clever enough to isolate the USB in that case, but just pointing out you don't really need the external one now (only later when the USB isn't connected anymore) - just simplifying to debug

    Used a red wire for V- and blue for V+ - wired correctly - but odd choice, in most people's mind black=gnd, and red=positive - in an absent mind moment you might swop that around thinking you had red=positive if you don't recheck/rethink. Happens easily

    PSU seems switched off (Power LED is not lit)

    Breadboard too hard too see what you have done, but check that Arduino GND is connected the PUL- and DIR-

    If that doesn't work, check that the code is indeed running (Add Serial debug statements to check what its doing)
     
  19. Gary Caruso

    Gary Caruso OpenBuilds Volunteer
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    Shouldn't the neg be going to the digital outputs as default? and pos to the +5v unless you inverted the bits in the config.h file.. I might be wrong, last time I did this was 2016
     
  20. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Ok I surrender for tonight.
    I am still not able to move my motor. I took multiple examples of code, I have used different libraries I see my println message but no moves.

    As suggested I have re-inverted the blue/red wires to be compliant. I have also removed the 5V power source to only keep the USB one.

    Here are my jumpers:
    [​IMG]

    A zoom on the board
    [​IMG]
     
  21. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    The Power LED on the driver is still off. Do you turn off the power when you take the pics? :)

    upload_2023-8-17_22-19-12.png

    PSU one was off earlier too
    upload_2023-8-17_22-19-25.png

    Stepper drivers are constant current devices. 2.69A you had earlier could have melted the thin dupont cables in use here - they are meant for low current breadboarding, can barely handle 500mA even if its the good ones - the amazon/ali type even less

    upload_2023-8-17_22-21-16.png
    Wire motor directly please
     
  22. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Yes the led is down during the photo by it is up when I plug the psu
     
  23. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Is the ALARM LED lit too? The value of pics in a support thread is that we often look well past what you do want to show, and peek for clues in the background - pictures with power off, means we have to double check things we would have kept an eye out for
     
  24. Benjamin Vg

    Benjamin Vg Well-Known
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    Whooo finally it works.
    Someone pointed me that the the the datasheet I were using was outdated. The new one (v4 is here): https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/download/DM542T_V4.0.pdf
    And they have added a jumper to set the control to 24V or 5V and default was 24V.

    It wasn't enough so I have rewired the stepper directly as proposed and I have restarted the program from scratch. Then it was running!
    After that, I have used the AccelStepper library I had inverted the two pins (DIR and PUL) in the constructor of my stepper.

    If someone need it here is a photo: (sorry I had unplug the psu unit again so no led on ;-)
    [​IMG]

    And my code are attached to this post (two versions).

    So a very very big thank you to all of you.

    Now I will buy a screen and try to connect it, I will switch from the arduino to the ESP32 as advised too and then build the UI for it.
    Thank you again for your time and advises!
     

    Attached Files:

  25. Rob Taylor

    Rob Taylor Master
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    I'm so happy to see an Uno and DM542 photo in 2023. This is great!
     
    Gary Caruso and Rick 2.0 like this.

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