As promised, here are pictures of the finished product after I got the electronics sorted. It now works well. All the electronics in the case with the keyboard and display.
Arduino Rotary Table for Dummies
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iamroyce
New Member
I have not done much yet but plan to set up and try the code for learning purposes but looks good so far.
iamroyce
New Member
Hi Bruce, I would love to get a copy of the sketches as I are retired and am interested in learning about the Arduino and steppers. It gives me something to fill in my spare time. I did 2 years in a tool making apprenticeship and moved up country and finished my apprenticeship in fitting and turning. My email is
[email protected] I have been working on using DC motors as steppers and ran an big old Cincinati mill with them for milling encoder disks.
CNC-Joe
Well-Known Member
Aliexpress. Look for post #46 in this thread.
Everything will fit but it is tight. I used industrial double stick tape to hole the boards to the bottom of the case. The display will center in the existing cutout if you modify the two top holes in the board to match the position of the screws that clamp the case together. You also have to cut off the four pins on the serial board and solder directly to the stubs since they interfere with the posts in the case. An alternative is to enlarge the cutout and shift the display down toward the keyboard.
I also wound up removing the headers and soldering directly to the Arduino for a better connection.
Antonio0022
New Member
Hi everyone, I'm an electronics student and I'm looking for a project for a rotating table and I came across this one, I congratulate you on the realization that seems to be really good, now I'm also replicating the same project, I use a nema 23, and as a driver a tb6600, I hope that in case of problems you can help me, further complements for the project
I seen stepper motors used but best is encoders. Stepper motors and drift as you machine.
Dave
Dave
Most stepper motor systems are open loop. The idea is the stepper has enough torque to move when commanded, and not miss a step. If a step is missed, you don't know until the part being machined is trashed. With encoders, you count the movement of the stepper shaft, to ensure what was commanded occurred. The same processor that is driving the motor, can also read the encoder. But there needs to be some trickery in the code, like making the encoder edge triggered interupts, so no counts are lost.
Why couldn't hybrid steppers not be used? Leadshine stepper motors is one but there are several companies that make them and they self correct.
xpylonracer
Well-Known Member
There is no reason why standard steppers can't be used, but make sure you use a suitable power output to run the table without losing steps also a good controller with an adequate power supply, 24/36/48 v output.
The disadvantage of the std stepper are detailed in an earlier post and may of course be better to use a closed loop system.
The disadvantage of the std stepper are detailed in an earlier post and may of course be better to use a closed loop system.
Antonio0022
New Member
hi everyone, I have a problem, I can't set the ratio, in my case I have a 1: 1 ratio but when I set 1 in the settings, the engine makes the wrong angles
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Dave, let me thank you for such a clear and understandable explaination of how to set up controls for a rotary table. With these skills I expect you to have a great future in your chosen field! Bill in Boulder CO USA
I talk about a using encoder or a stepper motor.
A stepper motor can be used with a encoder but not need, a good DC motor will work too.
The stepper with encoder would great on a lathe or mill. The stepper can give a wide range in speed. A dividing head and rotary table can use a DC as can be slow down.
You need to program for a brake too. If do not have have a the motor will work hard to stop drift.
When looking at encoder there two types.
1) reads single direction
2) reads both directions this the one you want.
Dave
A stepper motor can be used with a encoder but not need, a good DC motor will work too.
The stepper with encoder would great on a lathe or mill. The stepper can give a wide range in speed. A dividing head and rotary table can use a DC as can be slow down.
You need to program for a brake too. If do not have have a the motor will work hard to stop drift.
When looking at encoder there two types.
1) reads single direction
2) reads both directions this the one you want.
Dave
While it would be possible to use a DC motor and an encoder, I would not recommend it. A servo motor or stepper+encoder would be much less likely to overrun and would be much better at holding position.
All motors can over heat. They need cooled and not under sized.
The programming of must include a a slow down at end to prevent over run.
The encoder will hole the exactl spot it does use electrical impulses just a mirror and set of two electric eyes.
The encoders take more programming than just simple using simple pulse.
On printer if lose one or two pulses you not see the error but gear it will make a difference.
Now try calculate the the pulses out for other errors.
The encoder off shelf I can find 5,000 Resolution. The stepper motor off the shelf I found was 1.8 degrees or Resolution of 200.
If great precision use compound indexing.
Dave
The programming of must include a a slow down at end to prevent over run.
The encoder will hole the exactl spot it does use electrical impulses just a mirror and set of two electric eyes.
The encoders take more programming than just simple using simple pulse.
On printer if lose one or two pulses you not see the error but gear it will make a difference.
Now try calculate the the pulses out for other errors.
The encoder off shelf I can find 5,000 Resolution. The stepper motor off the shelf I found was 1.8 degrees or Resolution of 200.
If great precision use compound indexing.
Dave
Last edited:
xpylonracer
Well-Known Member
Dave, using micro-stepping from the controller will provide as many step pulses as needed to get a resolution of a few seconds of arc.
The only ones I found was gear driven to give the few seconds.
Do they make one that is not gear driven?
Dave
Yours looks like a great project. I built an indexer for my mini lathe completly (almost) with 3D printed parts. It works great and I have made three clocks with it (It is used to make the clock wheels (gears)). It is also driven with an arduino.
Great job
Dave
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