Re: gEDA-user: OT - Joystick control of stepper or servo motors

[DJ Delorie <dj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

<plug mode>

Renesas is currently having a design contest using their latest RX
chips - the RX/62N.  The 62N series has USB *host* and a bazillion
timers, and can probably do everything you want in one chip.

Search for "rx600" on digikey, but they're in the $17 range.

I'm also asking for feedback on my latest RX/62N breakout board, here:
http://www.renesasrulz.com/thread/3369 - if there's enough interest,
I'll redesign it for hand soldering and make a batch of blanks.

</plug mode>

Coincidentally, I'm also doing some motor control stuff with the RX,
although my motors are BLDC servos:

http://www.delorie.com/electronics/rx/

I'm waiting for the 48v power supply and a paste stencil (and time)
before moving to the next step.

I think steppers are the right way to go.  Easy to operate, easy to
position, go round and round more than once.  Controlling the steppers
is easy, you just need a few N-mosfet transistors (or a dual H-bridge
chip, I suppose).  The tricky part is getting an MCU with USB host
functionality.  Most have USB device functionality.

An alternate solution is to google for one of the bazillion parallel
port to stepper interfaces, or a PCB USB to stepper controller.  Why
re-invent the wheel when you can just use a PC?

The first hit on "usb stepper control" is
http://www.stepperboard.com/, for example.


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