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Motorised Z-Table Controller

A simple controller to interface to a stepper motor driver for a laser cutter z table, 1x1 inch board

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Mini control board to provide up/down and limit switches for a Z table for my Chinese ebay laser cutter. I used the lightobject ZTABLE.

This is a very basic board, based on the MLF attiny2313A controller, its a modification of my popular cylon board.

Basically its just a breakout board with 10K pull ups (if needed for input) , programming interface and IO lines and a 1uF smoothing cap. Super simple stuff.

Eagle files and code are in the SVN linked.

Setup the stepper controller, add the pull/dir from this board to it, add two switches for up and down, add two more microswitches (or inline them into the up/down) switches using NC style switches for the limits. Add gnd, 3-5V to the board and that is pretty much it. Code provides PWM or just bit banging it, i found with bit banging i could get smoother profiles.

But if you mod the code , you have to recalc the delay for the pulse, easy with a freq counter or scope.

Unfortunately for me, the ztable doesn't actually fit!

More pictures n stuff on my wordpress

http://charliex2.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/lightobject-z-table-for-the-k40ebay-chinese-lasers/

  • 1 × ATTINY2313A MLF ATMega ATTINY 2313A in leadless MLF package. 8Mhz
  • 1 × 0603 1uF capacitor smoothing cap
  • 4 × 0805 10K resistor standard pull up resistor
  • 1 × 9 way IDC pins 1x9 IDC
  • 1 × 6 way IDC pins 1x6 IDC for programmer/power

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  • Built and Working

    charliex06/23/2014 at 00:35 0 comments

    Quick 1 day project to make and test it. Unfortunately the ztable doesn't fit in the bed of my laser cutter. So figuring that out next!

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  • 1
    Step 1

    Cut out or have board made.

    Install 4 x 0805 10K resistors on inputs, add 1 0603 1uF cap , solder in ATTINY 2313, add headers.

    Switch is optional, doesn't do anything in code yet.

    Program it! Wire in 5V power and switches, connect PUL to Pulse Input, DIR to DIR on stepper motor controller, add Limit switches.

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Discussions

PointyOintment wrote 06/23/2014 at 01:16 point
I like the curved traces on the PCB. Not something you see often.

  Are you sure? yes | no

charliex wrote 06/23/2014 at 06:01 point
yeah its sort of a "trademark"/style of mine :)

  Are you sure? yes | no

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