lets not forget this one Also a version that uses a bit less tech. Light, pencil, and a camera.by Jared Harvey - 3D Scanners, Book Scanners, and Optics
Sounds like you might want to look into the Rabbit Cores. Here's a brief overview Some worth noting, the 4000 at $56 includes RJ45 and 32 meg flash memory. The 4300 at $81 w/ SD card, RJ45 and FAT file. Then there's the 3700 at $39 includes RJ45 and 1 meg flash. All of these are power full enough to run a REPRAP. The use of a Rabbit Core also allows for easy conversion to other techs, like Ziby Jared Harvey - Controllers
Here's a potential half way point for some folks that want stepper, but don't want the complications of dealing with PID control. They call it a stepper because you blindly tell it what position to go to and it it does there like a stepper does, but with out your knowledge it does it with feed back. This means that missed steps is a thing of the past. I'd also bet that if you do miss steps itby Jared Harvey - Controllers
I know it won't be in shed 1.0, but perhaps shed 2.0 could have this color. I found some of the standards check RS-494 also known as BCL, then there's ISO 4343. Read up about it some atby Jared Harvey - RepRap Host
Well time for my contribution to the bike shed color problem... I know that G code is quite common, especially here in the states, but there are better options out there. G Code was great for non intelligent machines as it could be implemented with a calculator or the computer in your wrist watch. G Code relies on having the complicated bits done in pre-processing, determining things like feed rby Jared Harvey - RepRap Host
While were at it, lets mentions these folks 3 Axis servo system for $900. These motors are intended for power and have a fair bit of speed as well. Much beefier then required by the REPRAP, but still a servo system for not much money.by Jared Harvey - General
I'd like to toss in a note about the use of digital calipers as well as the mouse encoder for tool head feed back. The digital caliper is a product you can purchase, partly because of it's resistance to environmental errors. I feel in the long run we'll discover the this tech is better for this environment. Heres a link Any how just 2 cents.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
CO2 lasers allow for a fairly cheap 50 watts of light power. I haven't seen laser diodes above a watt at reasonable prices. I haven't really looked either, so I could be wrong about it. With less then a watt, you won't get anything all that hot, so no burn or melting action. Do you have a reference source for laser diodes that are around 50 watts or higher?by Jared Harvey - Laser Cutter Working Group
About the SMT or BGA soldering, here is a tutorial that is kind of handy about soldering SMT stuff. Has a nice video or two showing how he does it. I don't know how well that would work for BGA, but it works well with normal SMT. He will sell the paste in little syringes for small amounts of money.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
This is an interesting open source DRO project Basically it's the addition of the digital calipers as used by a digital read out display.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
I've been tempted to use the calipers directly, but this can get a bit expensive. Cheapest I've found with 12" is about $50, If creating the PCB's and your own circuits it should be more like $5.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Hot dang, it was their under my nose all along. I've wanted to put a linear encoder on the platform pushed by the motor for a variety of reason, including making it a servo-ed system. From "Digital calipers contain a linear encoder. A pattern of bars is etched directly on the Printed circuit board in the slider. Under the scale of the caliper another printed circuit board also contains an etcheby Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Here is some interesting reading about PID controllers. Offers pseudo code. I'm still looking for a source of those magnetic strips, I feel they would be easier to implement then the optical mouse idea. Harder to fake out with dust and such as well.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
I'm kind of surprised that we didn't see someone bring up the servo option from the future plans page found here Hears a direct link to the servo page Fairly cheap and reasonably easy way to get the servo option. Also appears someone has made some form of software to make it work.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
The topic says lasers, so I figured I'd post about this hereby Jared Harvey - Laser Cutter Working Group
Also lets not forget theseby Jared Harvey - Plastic Extruder Working Group
You could use three slots in the opto sensor or three posts. What ever you use as a sensing edge in the middle could be use for both limits as well. That way if you trigger and don't expect to trigger, you know something has gone wrong. The chances of hitting a limit while expecting to cross over are quite small. So it would likely prove to be reliable enough.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
One down side it that the opto sensors cost about $2.50 I think, and the opto mouse measurement would cost about $5. At what point do you simply make it a servo system.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Yeah that's a bit higher, wouldn't surprise me if it's a bit more realistic as well. It's a bit outside of my grasp right now. I believe the electronics BOM is in the CVS, I've also heard that digikey and Newark can hold BOMs for people to order from. My understanding is that you go to a web page with the BOM, where you can add, subtract, ect. Then you check out and give them your credit card.by Jared Harvey - Reprappers
Ah, Andy must be from over the big lake. Here in the states it's almost impossible to get Teflon spray. Our police forces here have had great concern about the use of this spray to coat the tips of bullets. Teflon is a very high compression lubricant and can easily allow passage through Kevlar. Because of this, it has been banned from import and production in the USA. You can do it but you need tby Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Hmmm, did I forget the toothed pulleys as well. Where do you get those?by Jared Harvey - Reprappers
Great I'm located in 31 Coolidge Street West Newfield ME 04095, is any other info normally included? About the gmail, I basically have gmail. My e-mail is with google, but my e-mail isn't something@gmail.com. I'm using my own domain and google.com/a/ 's features. I can go to an e-mail web interface that usby Jared Harvey - Reprappers
Oops forgot the drive belts. So here is another updated list. from bitsfrombytes.comby Jared Harvey - Reprappers
Great, so this is my updated list. from bitsfrombytes.comby Jared Harvey - Reprappers
Appears you need a gmail account to add your location, I've got accounts at google.com/a, but apparently that's not the same as gmail. I haven't found a way to add myself yet. Anyone know how to add a google.com/a account? Perhaps someone with a normal gmail account can add me?by Jared Harvey - Reprappers
So let me make sure I got this right. Here's the pricing break down as I see it so far. from bitsfrombytes.comby Jared Harvey - Reprappers
The paste extruder head may offer the PCB option. Picture making the PCB out of plastic extruded from the REPRAP, making a sheet with the holes for you components or pockets for SMT devices. Then you put your chips in the plastic, flip it and put it back on the REPRAP. Now a paste extruder head filled with conductive epoxy goes and bonds the chips to the board and draws traces to make your intercby Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Lubrication for steppers is extremely critical. In short use white lithium grease and do NOT use silicon or oil based lubricants. Lets look at the un-lubricated slide. It's a shaft with a plastic slide being pushed by a bolt and nut. Also look at this woodpecker toy The un-lubricated slide works much like this woodpecker, if you tied a string to it. Use the string to pull the woodpecker up anby Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Roach_S Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > For the given hardware design, how about running > the stepper into the wall every so often? At full > speed, find (one of) the limit sensor(s), and use > that to recalibrate on the fly. One issue here is that you can't do it while extruding. Perhaps it could be done when moving up in the Z for the next layer.by Jared Harvey - Mechanics
Joe.McKibben Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am going to have to say that this seems to be a > pretty complex route to travel for some simple > feedback for the motors. And probably in the end > will not provide the necessary resolution. Oddly enough, I feel the PID type controllers with the search and destroy or search and hold features are often mby Jared Harvey - Controllers