Lightobject.com Support Forum

I am getting ready to build a laser cutter, and have questions.
This project started out as a cnc router and I will be using gecko vampires as the stepper drives.
These are 10x micro step drives. Has anyone else used these as drives with an aw 608 dsp?

Whiteylightning wrote:I am getting ready to build a laser cutter, and have questions.
This project started out as a cnc router and I will be using gecko vampires as the stepper drives.
These are 10x micro step drives. Has anyone else used these as drives with an aw 608 dsp?

I have built CNC control for a milling machine and used the Geckos. A few years ago they were the only ones on the market that worked, now they have a lot of completion. The one you picked looks to be one of the highest priced, at least for stepper motors.

I would recommend this 3-phase drive: http://www.lightobject.com/3MD560-Leads ... -P836.aspx

Use it with a 3 phase motor (getting it soon) in our XLE XY stages and you can get 1.2 degree with accuracy with resolution set to 3200 or 5000.

I don't know how much Geckos is selling and I'm sure it is a good driver. No doubt about. My point is that the requirement for a laser machine is not hight a CNC so a decent stepping drive and the drivers will provide you a decent quality result. I always think that this way: CNC is digital base (gear only) while Laser is an analog base (belt driven). Digital is either "0" or "1" while analog is "linear" (because of elastic) with +/- . You may not get my point but that is how I though that way, weird though, right?


Marco

At the time I bought the geckos, they were not the only thing on the market, but about the only reliable one. He built his business by being as attentive as Marco is here on the boards, and always pressing to take things a step further. I would imagine he has a very loyal fan base of customers. Everything I have to build this laser is way too much for a laser. The rails are thk shs 20s and 25s, but they mount to 8020 profiles very easy. My 8020 is of the 1530 3030 and 3060 for the bridge. A bridge is over kill for a laser as it would be more efficient to just push lenses and mirrors rather than a table loaded with material. But I am not going to push that 3060 around for a gantry either. I think it might be best just sell off the current frame and buy a planned out frame here.

Whiteylightning wrote:At the time I bought the geckos, they were not the only thing on the market, but about the only reliable one. He built his business by being as attentive as Marco is here on the boards, and always pressing to take things a step further. I would imagine he has a very loyal fan base of customers. Everything I have to build this laser is way too much for a laser. The rails are thk shs 20s and 25s, but they mount to 8020 profiles very easy. My 8020 is of the 1530 3030 and 3060 for the bridge. A bridge is over kill for a laser as it would be more efficient to just push lenses and mirrors rather than a table loaded with material. But I am not going to push that 3060 around for a gantry either. I think it might be best just sell off the current frame and buy a planned out frame here.

I'm wondering out loud, seems like the ink based plotters like they use for making "blueprints" should be on the used market? Now everyone has gone to large format laser printers. The old plotters are pre-built and maybe you can reuse the control system ?
Agree on the Geckos, they are very good.