Open Hardware Miniconf - User contributions [en]

Main Page

2013-01-23T08:58:11Z

John Spencer: /* Hardware Assembly Project: HackCNC (basic X/Y mill/plotter) */

== Arduino Miniconf 2013 ==

=== What ===
The Arduino Miniconf is a 1-day event that runs in conjunction with the [http://linux.conf.au/ linux.conf.au] conference. It gives participants an opportunity to learn basic hardware skills such as soldering, by assembling their own Arduino-compatible project, and then the afternoon is filled with interesting talks about various projects and techniques related to Arduino and open hardware in general. To give you some idea what to expect, this is the hardware assembly session at the 2011 Arduino Miniconf:

[[File:amc-2011.jpg]]

(Photo by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/karora/5383488664/ Andrew McMillan], [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en CC2.0])

After the assembly session is over the room is cleaned up a bit and the talks begin. It's a fun and educational event!

=== When ===
Monday, January 28th, 2013, promptly after the LCA opening ceremony and morning tea. Please don't be late!

=== Where ===
Canberra, as part of [http://linux.conf.au/ linux.conf.au]. Note that to attend you must first register for the main conference, which provides the venue. The Arduino Miniconf is part of LCA as a specialist stream for conference attendees: it's not a stand-alone event. See [https://lca2013.linux.org.au/wiki/Miniconfs/Arduino https://lca2013.linux.org.au/wiki/Miniconfs/Arduino] for more information.

=== Registration And Cost ===
Attendance is free (to linux.conf.au delegates) but if you wish to participate in the morning hardware assembly tutorial you will need to pre-register and purchase a kit for $110. Space is limited so get in fast! If you just want to come along and watch or attend the talks, you don't need to do anything. If you wish to participate in the hardware assembly tutorial, please submit the registration form:

'''[https://docs.google.com/a/oxer.com.au/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE91Zkc3LV9kQnJIYzdsWGUxaFU2d1E6MA#gid=0 Register here]'''

== Schedule ==

(Schedule still to come)



== Hardware Assembly Project: HackCNC (basic X/Y mill/plotter) ==
The hardware assembly project this year is something very special: not just assembling a PCB, it's a whole mechatronic box of magic. You'll get to assemble the electronics, stepper motors, a servo, a pre-cut timber chassis, and have access to the design files and (of course!) all the source code for the firmware to drive it. Meet HackCNC, the Open Hardware X/Y platform:

[[File:DSCF2853.JPG|480px]]

[[File:HackCNC-render.jpg|480px]]
(A Render of an early prototype)

The chassis, called "[https://github.com/CCHS-Melbourne/HackCNC HackCNC]", was designed by John Spencer as an easy-to-assemble X/Y platform. It uses threaded rod and two stepper motors to move a toolhead in X and Y axes, and has a servo motor to allow something light such as a marker pen to be moved up and down in the Z axis. The base is large enough to comfortably fit an A4 sheet of paper. The chassis itself has been cut from MDF using a CNC machine, and prepared so that you can clip it together in minutes. It can also be disassembled for easy packing for you to take it home afterwards. The chassis also uses plastic brackets and clips that have been printed on a 3D printer, and all the design files for those are available as well.

Features:

* Threaded rod X/Y drive mechanism.
* Simple assembly with minimal tools.
* All plastic parts can be produced using a 3D printer such as a RepRap or Makerbot.
* Uses commonly available hardware such as threaded rods and bearings.

HackCNC is intended to be a starting point: it gives you the basic structure of an X/Y platform that you can then adapt to your own projects. We'd love to see what people come up with!

The matching control board, called "CNCPlot", was designed by [https://github.com/lukeweston Luke Weston] and produced by [http://www.freetronics.com/ Freetronics] specially for the Arduino Miniconf:

[[File:DSCF2860.JPG|480px]]

Features:

* Arduino Leonardo compatible
* Two onboard stepper motor drivers
* One onboard servo driver
* 20x4 LCD
* microSD card slot
* Breakout connector for Nintendo DS touchscreen (not included)

The CNCPlot board was designed specifically to drive the HackCNC chassis, but it's also an extremely flexible general purpose board that would be brilliant for other projects involving stepper motors.

The CNCPlot board uses many surface-mount parts, so those have all been pre-fitted. You will only need to fit standard "through-hole" parts, so the soldering skill required is minimal. This project is therefore suitable for a beginner, even though the end result will be a very capable board. It may look scary and complicated, but don't worry, most of the parts will already be on the board.





The complete HackCNC kit will be $110, which includes everything required: parts for the mechanical chassis, the CNCPlot controller, the display, power supply, steppers, servo, even a USB cable.



Joshua Mesilane has some videos of getting the hackCNC running in OSX that give a good overview of it working.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OycKx8cXTkk HackCNC running under OSX (sortof) part 1]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm2X384tGXg HackCNC running under OSX (sortof) part 2]

Get the assembly instructions at [[HackCNC Assembly Tips]]

== Previous Arduino Miniconfs ==

For historical reference:

* [[AMC2012|Arduino Miniconf 2012]] (Ballarat, AU)
* Arduino Miniconf 2011 (Brisbane, AU)
* Arduino Miniconf 2010 (Wellington, NZ)

HackCNC Assembly Tips

2013-01-16T00:48:46Z

John Spencer: /* Installing on other distributions */

=Mechanical Assembly=

[https://github.com/CCHS-Melbourne/HackCNC/raw/master/Software/EmcArduinoFirmware/hackCNC%20-%20Frame%20Assembly%20manual.pdf Get the PDF guide from github] (PDF Link)

==Mechanical Tips==

* You may need to sand/file some of the wooden pieces before they'll push together.

=Electronics Assembly=

* Soldering headers, capacitors.

* If possible, solder the capacitors lying down to make room for the LCD panel to sit on top.
[[File:sidewayscaps.png|200px]]

* The cable order for the stepper motors is red-green-yellow-blue:
[[File:cableorder.png|200px]]

* Solder the servo header with the tab facing inwards, and connect the micro servo as shown above.

=Software=

==Getting The Software==

Get the software from the [https://github.com/CCHS-Melbourne/HackCNC HackCNC repository on github]. If you don't use git, click the "ZIP" button to download the repository contents as a zip file.
[[File:zipfile.png]]

Everything you need is in the Software/ directory.

==Programming the Arduino==

You need use the Arduino IDE to upload a firmware program to the HackCNC board.

Arduino programs are called sketches. The firmware sketch, "EmcArduinoFirmware", makes a bridge between the LinuxCNC software (also called EMC), and the interfaces on the HackCNC board.

===Getting the Arduino IDE===

====On Linux====

Get the Arduino software the same way you usually install software, from your Linux distribution's package manager. For example from the Ubuntu Software Centre, Fedora Package Installer, or from a terminal with '''apt-get install arduino''' or '''yum install arduino'''.

You will need Arduino 1.0.1 or newer. If your Linux system has an older version then you may want to download the newer version direct from the Arduino site.

====On Other OSes====

Download Arduino from the [http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software Arduino website].

===Installing Libraries===

You need to install some libraries into your Arduino's sketchbook directory. The libraries are used by the firmware sketch.

====Create Directories====

On Linux, the sketchbook directory is called "sketchbook" in your home directory. On Windows & Mac OS, it is called "Arduino" inside your Documents directory.

Create the Arduino sketchbook directory, then create a subdirectory "libraries" inside it:

* sketchbook directory
** libraries

On Linux, you can do this from the command line by opening a terminal and typing:
mkdir -p ~/sketchbook/libraries

From the HackCNC directory Software/EmcArduinoFirmware, copy the folders "digitalWriteFast" and "NewLiquidCrystal" into the libraries folder. The structure should look like this

* sketchbook directory
** libraries
*** digitalWriteFast
*** NewLiquidCrystal

Then copy the EmcArduino_07b_32u4 directory directory to the sketchbook directory itself. The final structure should look like this:

* sketchbook directory
** EmcArduino_07b_32u4
** libraries
*** digitalWriteFast
*** NewLiquidCrystal

===(Linux) disabling modem-manager===

On my Linux distro (Ubuntu 12.10) I found that the built-in "modem-manager" made it very hard to upload a sketch correctly (Arduino IDE says "Upload Completed" but nothing was actually uploaded.) We need to tell Modem Manager to ignore the Freetronics bootloader on the HackCNC board.

If you are on a recent Linux distro (definitely recent Ubuntu & Fedora) with network manager or modem manager, you may need to do this as well. If you're not sure if you have to do this, it won't hurt to do it anyhow.

Open a terminal window and carefully run these two commands:

echo -e '# Freetronics\nATTR{idVendor}=="26ba", ENV{ID_MM_DEVICE_IGNORE}="1"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/77-mm-blacklist-freetronics.rules
sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart

The first command creates a file in /etc/udev/rules.d, and the second command restarts the udev daemon.

===Verifying and Uploading the Firmware===

* Open (or close and reopen) the Arduino IDE.

* Go to the File menu and the Sketchbook submenu. You should see "EmcArduino_07b_32u4" in the list of sketches. Select this sketch to open it.

* If you can't see "EmcArduino_07b_32u4" in this list, check your sketchbook directory is in the right place (see the previous section.)

* Go to the the Tools menu, Board submenu, and choose "Arduino Leonardo" for the board type.

* To verify the sketch is correct, click the "tick" icon on the Arduino IDE toolbar. [[File: verify.png|100px]]

* After a little while you should see a message "Done Compiling" towards the bottom of the IDE window. If you see "Error Compiling" then something has gone wrong, look at the message and try to guess what's happened - it may be one of the libraries is not in the right place.

* To upload the sketch to the board, connect the HackCNC to a USB port and then press the Arrow icon (next to the tick icon) on the Arduino toolbar. [[File: upload.png|100px]]

* If you get an error uploading the sketch, you may need to choose a different serial port (under Tools -> Serial Port.) On Linux, the serial port name will start with "/dev/ttyACM".

* A few seconds after the firmware uploads you should see some messages coming up on the LCD panel. If you don't see any messages, it means there was either a problem uploading the sketch or a problem with the solder connections on the LCD panel.

The final message on the LCD should say "Waiting for LinuxCNC":

[[File:waitingforlinuxcnc.png|400px]]

Time to set up LinuxCNC!

==LinuxCNC Setup==

You can either just use a prepared LinuxCNC USB stick, or install and configure it yourself on your computer.

===Easy Way===

If you get a LinuxCNC USB stick, as prepared by John, then you can boot into a pre-prepared LinuxCNC environment.

===Installing on Ubuntu/Debian===

To install LinuxCNC on an Ubuntu/Debian system, navigate to http://buildbot.linuxcnc.org/ and follow the steps to set up a new package source /etc/apt/sources.list.d/linuxcnc-buildbot.list

You want the v2.5 branch, simulation version, for your distro (ie v2.5_branch-sim).

If you're on Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal), then the steps for Ubuntu 12.04 (precise) will work fine without any changes.

Follow the rest of the steps on that page to install the linuxcnc-sim package:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install linuxcnc-sim

===Installing on other distributions===

Unfortunately we haven't had time to do test installs on any distribution other than Ubuntu.

However...

These instructions while aimed at ubuntu should give you an idea as to what dependencies linuxCNC has and should let you build it from source.

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Build_A_Simulator_Manually

And there is some more information here http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Installing_EMC2 - you want the 'simulation' version of the 2.5 branch, ignore anything about 'realtime' or kernel extensions.

===Configuring LinuxCNC===

Your LinuxCNC installation needs some custom configuration to work with the HackCNC.

* Copy the directory 'linuxcnc' from Software/EmcArduinoFirmware/ to your home directory.

* If you had to change the HackCNC serial port from /dev/ttyACM0 to upload your sketch, then then edit the script ''~linuxcnc/configs/my-mill/3axis_arduino'' and change the serial port name there as well (it will be same as you used in the Arduino IDE.)

* Copy the 3axis_arduino script to /usr/bin and mark it executable. You can do this by running the following commands in a terminal:
sudo cp ~/linuxcnc/configs/my-mill/3axis_arduino /usr/bin
sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/3axis_arduino

''NB: If you'd rather not copy this file to /usr/bin/, you can optionally edit the file ''linuxcnc/configs/my-mill/custom.hal'' and change the path near the top of that file to point to 3axis_arduino at a different path. The script still needs to be executable.''

===Using LinuxCNC===

* Launch linuxcnc (you can just run 'linuxcnc' from a terminal.)

* Choose the "my mill" configuration from the welcome screen that pops up:
[[File: mymill.png|400px]]

* To start jogging the stepper motors, first disable the E-Stop button (top-left on the toolbar) and then turn on the "machine power" (second to top-left on the toolbar, a virtual power button in our case.)
[[File: stoppower.png]]

* You can then use the jog controls to move the motors around.
[[File: jogcontrols.png]]

* Before the motors will move you'll need to have connected the 12v power, USB power isn't enough to drive them.

Main Page

2013-01-11T14:07:05Z

John Spencer:

== Arduino Miniconf 2013 ==

=== What ===
The Arduino Miniconf is a 1-day event that runs in conjunction with the [http://linux.conf.au/ linux.conf.au] conference. It gives participants an opportunity to learn basic hardware skills such as soldering, by assembling their own Arduino-compatible project, and then the afternoon is filled with interesting talks about various projects and techniques related to Arduino and open hardware in general. To give you some idea what to expect, this is the hardware assembly session at the 2011 Arduino Miniconf:

[[File:amc-2011.jpg]]

(Photo by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/karora/5383488664/ Andrew McMillan], [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en CC2.0])

After the assembly session is over the room is cleaned up a bit and the talks begin. It's a fun and educational event!

=== When ===
Monday, January 28th, 2013, promptly after the LCA opening ceremony and morning tea. Please don't be late!

=== Where ===
Canberra, as part of [http://linux.conf.au/ linux.conf.au]. Note that to attend you must first register for the main conference, which provides the venue. The Arduino Miniconf is part of LCA as a specialist stream for conference attendees: it's not a stand-alone event. See [https://lca2013.linux.org.au/wiki/Miniconfs/Arduino https://lca2013.linux.org.au/wiki/Miniconfs/Arduino] for more information.

=== Registration And Cost ===
Attendance is free (to linux.conf.au delegates) but if you wish to participate in the morning hardware assembly tutorial you will need to pre-register and purchase a kit for $110. Space is limited so get in fast! If you just want to come along and watch or attend the talks, you don't need to do anything. If you wish to participate in the hardware assembly tutorial, please submit the registration form:

'''[https://docs.google.com/a/oxer.com.au/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE91Zkc3LV9kQnJIYzdsWGUxaFU2d1E6MA#gid=0 Register here]'''

== Schedule ==

(Schedule still to come)



== Hardware Assembly Project: HackCNC (basic X/Y mill/plotter) ==
The hardware assembly project this year is something very special: not just assembling a PCB, it's a whole mechatronic box of magic. You'll get to assemble the electronics, stepper motors, a servo, a pre-cut timber chassis, and have access to the design files and (of course!) all the source code for the firmware to drive it. Meet HackCNC, the Open Hardware X/Y platform:

[[File:DSCF2853.JPG|480px]]

[[File:HackCNC-render.jpg|480px]]
(A Render of an early prototype)

The chassis, called "[https://github.com/CCHS-Melbourne/HackCNC HackCNC]", was designed by John Spencer as an easy-to-assemble X/Y platform. It uses threaded rod and two stepper motors to move a toolhead in X and Y axes, and has a servo motor to allow something light such as a marker pen to be moved up and down in the Z axis. The base is large enough to comfortably fit an A4 sheet of paper. The chassis itself has been cut from MDF using a CNC machine, and prepared so that you can clip it together in minutes. It can also be disassembled for easy packing for you to take it home afterwards. The chassis also uses plastic brackets and clips that have been printed on a 3D printer, and all the design files for those are available as well.

Features:

* Threaded rod X/Y drive mechanism.
* Simple assembly with minimal tools.
* All plastic parts can be produced using a 3D printer such as a RepRap or Makerbot.
* Uses commonly available hardware such as threaded rods and bearings.

HackCNC is intended to be a starting point: it gives you the basic structure of an X/Y platform that you can then adapt to your own projects. We'd love to see what people come up with!

The matching control board, called "CNCPlot", was designed by [https://github.com/lukeweston Luke Weston] and produced by [http://www.freetronics.com/ Freetronics] specially for the Arduino Miniconf:

[[File:DSCF2860.JPG|480px]]

Features:

* Arduino Leonardo compatible
* Two onboard stepper motor drivers
* One onboard servo driver
* 20x4 LCD
* microSD card slot
* Breakout connector for Nintendo DS touchscreen (not included)

The CNCPlot board was designed specifically to drive the HackCNC chassis, but it's also an extremely flexible general purpose board that would be brilliant for other projects involving stepper motors.

The CNCPlot board uses many surface-mount parts, so those have all been pre-fitted. You will only need to fit standard "through-hole" parts, so the soldering skill required is minimal. This project is therefore suitable for a beginner, even though the end result will be a very capable board. It may look scary and complicated, but don't worry, most of the parts will already be on the board.





The complete HackCNC kit will be $110, which includes everything required: parts for the mechanical chassis, the CNCPlot controller, the display, power supply, steppers, servo, even a USB cable.



== Previous Arduino Miniconfs ==

For historical reference:

* [[AMC2012|Arduino Miniconf 2012]] (Ballarat, AU)
* Arduino Miniconf 2011 (Brisbane, AU)
* Arduino Miniconf 2010 (Wellington, NZ)

Main Page

2013-01-11T05:55:49Z

John Spencer:

== Arduino Miniconf 2013 ==

=== What ===
The Arduino Miniconf is a 1-day event that runs in conjunction with the [http://linux.conf.au/ linux.conf.au] conference. It gives participants an opportunity to learn basic hardware skills such as soldering, by assembling their own Arduino-compatible project, and then the afternoon is filled with interesting talks about various projects and techniques related to Arduino and open hardware in general. To give you some idea what to expect, this is the hardware assembly session at the 2011 Arduino Miniconf:

[[File:amc-2011.jpg]]

(Photo by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/karora/5383488664/ Andrew McMillan], [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en CC2.0])

After the assembly session is over the room is cleaned up a bit and the talks begin. It's a fun and educational event!

=== When ===
Monday, January 28th, 2013, promptly after the LCA opening ceremony and morning tea. Please don't be late!

=== Where ===
Canberra, as part of [http://linux.conf.au/ linux.conf.au]. Note that to attend you must first register for the main conference, which provides the venue. The Arduino Miniconf is part of LCA as a specialist stream for conference attendees: it's not a stand-alone event. See [https://lca2013.linux.org.au/wiki/Miniconfs/Arduino https://lca2013.linux.org.au/wiki/Miniconfs/Arduino] for more information.

=== Registration And Cost ===
Attendance is free (to linux.conf.au delegates) but if you wish to participate in the morning hardware assembly tutorial you will need to pre-register and purchase a kit for $110. Space is limited so get in fast! If you just want to come along and watch or attend the talks, you don't need to do anything. If you wish to participate in the hardware assembly tutorial, please submit the registration form:

'''[https://docs.google.com/a/oxer.com.au/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE91Zkc3LV9kQnJIYzdsWGUxaFU2d1E6MA#gid=0 Register here]'''

== Schedule ==

(Schedule still to come)



== Hardware Assembly Project: HackCNC (basic X/Y mill/plotter) ==
The hardware assembly project this year is something very special: not just assembling a PCB, it's a whole mechatronic box of magic. You'll get to assemble the electronics, stepper motors, a servo, a pre-cut timber chassis, and have access to the design files and (of course!) all the source code for the firmware to drive it. Meet HackCNC, the Open Hardware X/Y platform:

[[File:DSCF2853.JPG|480px]]

[[File:HackCNC-render.jpg|480px]]
(A Render of an early prototype)

The chassis, called "HackCNC", was designed by [https://github.com/CCHS-Melbourne/HackCNC John Spencer] as an easy-to-assemble X/Y platform. It uses threaded rod and two stepper motors to move a toolhead in X and Y axes, and has a servo motor to allow something light such as a marker pen to be moved up and down in the Z axis. The base is large enough to comfortably fit an A4 sheet of paper. The chassis itself has been cut from MDF using a CNC machine, and prepared so that you can clip it together in minutes. It can also be disassembled for easy packing for you to take it home afterwards. The chassis also uses plastic brackets and clips that have been printed on a 3D printer, and all the design files for those are available as well.

Features:

* Threaded rod X/Y drive mechanism.
* Simple assembly with minimal tools.
* All plastic parts can be produced using a 3D printer such as a RepRap or Makerbot.
* Uses commonly available hardware such as threaded rods and bearings.

HackCNC is intended to be a starting point: it gives you the basic structure of an X/Y platform that you can then adapt to your own projects. We'd love to see what people come up with!

The matching control board, called "CNCPlot", was designed by [https://github.com/lukeweston Luke Weston] and produced by [http://www.freetronics.com/ Freetronics] specially for the Arduino Miniconf:

[[File:DSCF2860.JPG|480px]]

Features:

* Arduino Leonardo compatible
* Two onboard stepper motor drivers
* One onboard servo driver
* 20x4 LCD
* microSD card slot
* Breakout connector for Nintendo DS touchscreen (not included)

The CNCPlot board was designed specifically to drive the HackCNC chassis, but it's also an extremely flexible general purpose board that would be brilliant for other projects involving stepper motors.

The CNCPlot board uses many surface-mount parts, so those have all been pre-fitted. You will only need to fit standard "through-hole" parts, so the soldering skill required is minimal. This project is therefore suitable for a beginner, even though the end result will be a very capable board. It may look scary and complicated, but don't worry, most of the parts will already be on the board.





The complete HackCNC kit will be $110, which includes everything required: parts for the mechanical chassis, the CNCPlot controller, the display, power supply, steppers, servo, even a USB cable.



== Previous Arduino Miniconfs ==

For historical reference:

* [[AMC2012|Arduino Miniconf 2012]] (Ballarat, AU)
* Arduino Miniconf 2011 (Brisbane, AU)
* Arduino Miniconf 2010 (Wellington, NZ)

File:DSCF2860.JPG

2013-01-11T05:41:54Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2860.JPG"

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2013-01-11T01:48:44Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2853.JPG"

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2013-01-08T11:15:32Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2853.JPG"

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2013-01-08T11:07:54Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2857.JPG"

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John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2857.JPG"

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2012-12-21T11:20:59Z

John Spencer:

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2012-12-21T11:15:03Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2853.JPG"

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2012-12-21T11:13:39Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2860.JPG"

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2012-12-18T14:29:31Z

John Spencer:

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2012-12-18T14:28:22Z

John Spencer: uploaded a new version of "File:DSCF2853.JPG"

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2012-12-18T14:25:38Z

John Spencer: