First Movements

After taking 3 weeks off, I finally got XCBot operational. (as a "thing" that moves surfaces around in 3 dimensions anyways)

Here is a photo of my temporary electronics mounting.
My plan is to use XCBot to either mill, or etch-resist a pcboard to mount my stepper controllers and FETs on. For now I'm running from a breadboard.
Everything is securely mounted, as I don't want something to pull loose and let the magic smoke out of something expensive.

I supply a USB cable for data, 12V from a switching external disk PS for running my fan (and possibly a heater), and 20V from a large laptop PS to drive the steppers (and possibly a heater). They all attach to the electronics on the top.


Here is a close-up showing my 20V power switch. It is there so that I can kill drive to the motors when things go wrong. I've also included a fuse in case a short should occure.


A view from the other side, showing my cooling fan. the little stepper motor on the RH side is destined to be my extruder motor.
You can see how I've attached things. An acrylic plate inside the t-slot, drilled for a tywrap.


I've run most of the wires inside empty slots. A bit of stiff, plasticized, card stock holds it in.


Other stuff, including the opto limit switches, and trigger sheet-metal, I've attached with this wonderful double-sided tape. It has great holding strength


After securing everything, I re-flashed the Arduino Mega with Tonokip's firmware, and fired up repsnapper (my host software). Things went very well. I had to reverse the opto directions in the configuration file, and also the motor directions for Y and Z axes.

I'm still exploring the limits to my axes speed capacity, and learning how to use repsnapper, but to commemorate the moment Youtube videos of XCBot in action are HERE, and HERE.



Al...