Stepper motor/controller software source?

[chrisp9au]

I've been having a spring clean in the shed, opening boxes that haven't been opened in years!

I find that I have a stepper motor controller PCB from a company called Aviosys, kit number AK27PCB.
It would appear to drive a 6 wire stepper motor, via a 25 pin parallel cable from a PC, on 8 - 12V

I also found that I have a six wire Astrosyn Miniangle stepper motor. 1.8 degree.

I have the required cables, but no software to test it all out.
Not sure what I can use it for, telescope 'wise', but I could learn something along the way! :D

The only link I can find appears below, translated from Japanese...

http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://cba.sakura.ne.jp/kit01/kit_398.htm&ei=6teiTLf8LIPUvQO5l8ziAw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAviosys%2BAK27PCB%26hl %3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-USfficial (http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://cba.sakura.ne.jp/kit01/kit_398.htm&ei=6teiTLf8LIPUvQO5l8ziAw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAviosys%2BAK27PCB%26hl %3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official)

But this link does not provide any information on the software.

I'm wondering if anybody has software that might suit this setup? in basic or visual basic, or a link to where I could download it?

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[bojan]

Mel Bartel's website.
http://www.bbastrodesigns.com/BBAstroDesigns.html#Computer_Operat ed_Telescopes

However, you need to investigate the pin allocation in detail.

[mtodman]

Hi chris,

I thi9nk this might be the controller you're talking about.
http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KV3594&keywords=stepper&form=KEYWORD

Try downloading the .zipfile which contains the relevant software.

Cheers

matt

[chrisp9au]

Bojan, Matt,

Thank you very much!

I tried Scope.exe from Mel Bartels but suspect that my parallel cable isn't quite right.

The Jaycar kit looks exactly the same as the board I have, I've downloaded the software and will give it a try this evening.

Thanks again,

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Chris

If you need to control the stepper via the parallel port you may not be able to use windows XP. If direct port addressing is required this function is inhibited in XP. However there is a work around


Barry

[chrisp9au]

Thanks Barry, so far I have been trying from the Dos prompt.
The software suggested by Matt however has a Windows component so I may have difficulties. What would the workaround be?

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Chris

You need to install a kernell mode driver "userport.sys".
I have all the parts but will need to package it up.

Barry

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Chris

Here is the userport patch to allow XP and Windows 2000 to access the printer port directly.

Barry

[chrisp9au]

Thanks Barry,

I'll let you know how I go.

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Chris

I think I know why that board had been put away and forgotten.

I got one for experimenting and it is basically not much use to drive a scope as is. The software is very basic and will either rotate the stepper cw or ccw up to about 760 pps. That is about all.

To interface it into a telescope drive program will require two boards and connection of the second board to the unused data lines of the Printer socket.

The program will then need to have a second set of commands to drive the second board in the same manner as before.

When this is done the lot can be interfaced into some sort of telescope drive program. eg Bartell's or one I wrote many years ago.

If you really want to go this way I would suggest getting the proper Bartell's kit, and put that board back in the junk box.

Barry

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Chris

I have been doing some experimenting with that AVIO systems board and have worked out a way that might be usefull to drive a telescope using two of the boards suitably modified to allow both to be operated from LPT1 (not LPT2 or 3 etc). By using Qbasic's LPRINT command I can get around the problem of addressing ports directly under 2000/XP etc.

I have written a simple short program in Qbasic that will allow you to test 5 wire motors for speed and mode of operation using a slightly modified board so that the LPRINT command will work. The modifications necessary are on page 6 of the instructions.pdf. The value for delay will depend on the speed of your computer so some experimentation will be necessary to establish the minimum value. The instruction manual (my version) is too big to attach so I have just included my additions.

Barry

[chrisp9au]

Barry, sorry, I haven't advanced much on this. Family problems have taken priority, as they do!
I'll try to get some time on it next week.

Cheers
Chris