I have a mechanical setup very similar to what you have described. I am not using any micro-step of the motors and have so far seen excellent results. My workspace is about 20 inches by 20 inches.
Here is a typical stepper motor spec for what you can use: http://www.anaheimautomation.com/manuals/L010175%20-%2014Y%20Series%20Spec%20Sheet.pdf I am using a motor similar to the 14Y203S-LW4 (1.8 deg per step / NEMA 14 mount). Each motor driver is nearly identical to this: http://home.att.net/~wzmicro/l298.html There are others, but this works well and is readily available. I am driving the motor with 12 volts. I see about 2 amps for all three motors when stopped. A 1284 / parallel port works great for driving the motors. Don't worry about the operating voltage of the motor itself. The motor driver will "chop" the drive voltage to maintain whatever motor current you select. You need to have a larger operating voltage because the motor will generate a significant back EMF while operating. The higher drive voltage will allow the motor to run at rated torque before dropping off. EMC will handle the ramping and acceleration for the motor / load. I typically use 50 inches / minute motion speed while cutting wood. Jim Combs (Lexington, Ky) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
