Introducing new DIY hobby CNC controller project TOAD4 / EazyCNC

[nyholku]

Hi,

I hope you don't mind me introducing my TOAD4 and EazyCNC projects
here, this is a world premier!

You can read all about it here:

About EazyCNC (http://www.sparetimelabs.com/eazycnc/welcome/welcome.php)

But shortly:

TOAD4 is a self contained 4 axis CNC controller with USB interface
offered in build it yourself Kit form.

EazyCNC is a G-code controller software for TOAD4 that runs
on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Android.

I do not know if this will be an Open Source/Hardware project
or what, but at the moment I'm looking for people who
would be interested in participating i.e. building a hobby
CNC machine based on these projects.

I'm offering the software free of charge and I'm going to
to get a batch of PCBs manufactured and sold at cost
if there is enough interest.

A group purchase of components is not out of questions
to make it easier and cheaper to build this if there
is enough interest.

Please contact me off line at address below if you are interested,
I'm of course willing to discuss this here in public
but I'm not sure if that is welcome.

My email for these projects is:

[email protected]

I'm also setting up a mailing list at:

[email protected]

it should be up and running within 24 hours.

br Kusti

PS

This is kind of Open Hardware project, maybe later Open Source, who knows,
so I was tempted to post it in the Open Source section, but to be safe and
respectful I posted this here. Feel free to mention EazyCNC and TOAD4
in any context...

[Swarfing]

Hi and welcome

I think you are in exactly the right place and think what you are offering is a great thing. Well done for getting as far as you have, just had a look at your site and a good job done there too.

Paul

[Swarfing]

Kusti

Just had a try at downloading the Linux version and there is no extension to file in the .gz. How do you run it? Also what Reader uses the .dmg extension for the documentation.

Thanks

Paul

[GEOFFREY]

Wellcome to the site and welldone. I have already sent you an email. G.

[GEOFFREY]

Hi, you can put me down as as a willing guinea-pig. G.

[martin54]

Welcome to the forum, I would consider being a guinea pig like Geoffrey although the 34v dc limitation might put me off a bit.

[Jonathan]

Welcome to the forum, I would consider being a guinea pig like Geoffrey although the 34v dc limitation might put me off a bit.

It looks like it just controls TB6560's and they use step/dir inputs so you should be able to attach it to worthwhile drivers.

On the website it says the maximum step frequency is 11kHz. Is this true? If so then that's less than half of what you'll get with virtually any parallel port system that works, which will severely limit feed-rates or resolution.

[John S]

I read it as 15kHz which equates to 1400 mm/min in microstep mode.
Certainty not enough for the rip arsed router guys but more than enough for something like a small X2 that cannot get up to these speeds anyway.

[Swarfing]

Trouble is John as soon as these whipper snappers get a license to kill, they want to race around with their go faster stripes at a million miles an hour :-)

It's more than adequate for a lot of machines Jonathan

[Jonathan]

It's more than adequate for a lot of machines Jonathan

Never said it wasn't. It'll be fine if you've only got a small one to control ;)

This one (http://www.planet-cnc.com/index.php?page=hardware) manages 25kHz with the same micro-controller, so it's likely that the 11kHz mentioned here can be improved upon.

[Swarfing]

Very nice if you want to be stuck with Windoze? Also not very cost effective if your at the cheaper end of the CNC market. I think EasyCNC at least addresses the first dabble into it. A bit like the educational type machines did for schools.

[John S]

Jonathon,
Don't know where you are getting 11kHz from.
The manual says the 6560 driver chip is limited to 15kHz

**********************************8
The chips voltage supply range is from 6 V up to 40 V so the board can be used (with some
trivial component changes) down to 6 VAC and it might be possible to push it close to 40 VDC
giving some more drive capability for higher inductance motors, but that will require a better
regulated power supply so as not to exceed the 40 V under any circumstances.
The other limiting factor of the chip is it's 15 kHz step clock maximum which limits the step
rate to 3750 steps/sec using full step or 950 steps/sec with micro stepping. With a typical 1.8
step angle or 200 steps per revolution of common hybrid steppers this translates to about 19
r/sec or 1100 rpm and 4.5 r/sec or 280 rpm, respectively.

[Jonathan]

Jonathon,
Don't know where you are getting 11kHz from.
The manual says the 6560 driver chip is limited to 15kHz

This page from the first post:
About EazyCNC (http://www.sparetimelabs.com/eazycnc/toad4/toad4.php)

It says:

Four identical stepper drivers:
...
up to 11 kHz step frequency'

Interestingly the next paragraph from the document you read (http://www.sparetimelabs.com/eazycnc/downloads/TOAD4-RC6-Manual-Revision-0.pdf) says 5kHz!


In practice the microcontroller and its firmware can be the limiting factor and it maybe be
hard to push the software generated step clock rate above 5 kHz. Fortunately most applications
are likely to require much slower speeds.

So it might be 11kHz, certainly not more than 15kHz with TB6560 and might be just 5kHz. I think we need clarification from the member who started this thread...

[GEOFFREY]

My understanding is that this is to be "project" in kit form, which implies that it will come in at a better price than anything currently on the market. If successful I think it could be a bonus for many new builders, and may well lead them (EazyCNC) to introducing a higher specified version at some future date, maybe higher A/V, digital drivers - and any other bells and whistles etc. Surely a move to usb can only be the way to go forward in the long run.

I hope that this venture will prove to be affordable and successful. G.

[stirling]

Does it support CV?

Ian