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Thread: What do you want?
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04-05-2015, 07:41 AM #1
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- Mar 2015
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What do you want?
As I am getting very close to the condition of complete and ready for others in my 3D printer build, and I intend to release the design, I ask if it would be of much use.
The firmware, and a bit of host side software will be released under the MIT license. The HW design will be released under either a MIT or BSD type license (still deciding on that).
The simple design makes it easy to print replacement parts for almost everything, and at a lower cost than it is to buy the parts for the first one. So making a second one would cost even less than the first one (which costs about $150).
The basic features are:
+About $150 total in needed parts for the complete printer, assuming single extruder (add about $10 per each additional extruder).
+Up to 4 extruders.
+Print speed up to 60mm per second.
+PLA preferred, though works with ABS (no heated bed, speed control used to prevent warping).
+Box frame, with fixed Y rail, and fixed height X rail.
+Bed raises and lowers for Z movement.
+Uses simple thread spooling to drive movement.
+Uses a Parallax Propeller P8X32A MCU for its integrated controller.
+Firmware is in two versions, one written in Assembly for the Propeller, and one in SPIN (a pascal like language for the Propeller).
+Uses 3 Stepers for X/Y/Z movement (Nema 17 for Z, and two small steppers for X/Y).
+Uses 4 ULN2803's for the current drivers.
+Build volume dependant on how built. The original being 7 inches by 7 inches by 10 inches (x by y by z), though easy to scale as built up to 24 inches cubed (maximum structurally safe from my math).
+Software controlled ALL-STOP.
+Very Simple all metal hot end.
+Frictional filament feeder.
And the only tools needed to construct are:
+A drill press and two bits (can be done with hand drill + vice and a very steady hand).
+A hack saw.
+A soldering iron.
+A Desktop Computer (laptop will work).
+A Philips Screw Driver.
So I ask is there anything I should consider improving before I release the design and firmware? It is getting close, so this is the time for such considerations.Last edited by DavidS; 04-05-2015 at 07:47 AM.
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04-05-2015, 02:58 PM #2
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- Oct 2013
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- Honolulu, HI
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One of the benefits of open source is that good designs will be embraced by the community and enhanced. I wouldn't worry too much about rough edges if I were you. Just make sure that you release it in a format that can be edited and documented. If folks like it they will build one and help trouble shoot it. Thanks in advance for sharing!
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04-05-2015, 03:19 PM #3
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- Mar 2015
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04-05-2015, 08:33 PM #4
DavidS;
I like what you're doing and look forward to seeing the results. Sounds like you're taking on the whole ball of wax, so to speak.
I have one question though; why did you choose SPIN for the high level programming language, when C (Propeller C) is also available? Surely more people are comfortable programming in C than the relatively obscure SPIN. As a student of programming languages yourself, C must already be in your repertoire.
Personally, i'll have no problem picking the the syntax, but i thought one of your stated aims was to make this project more accessible. Forcing people to adopt (yet) another programming dialect would seem to be doing the opposite.
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04-06-2015, 05:54 AM #5
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Good question. Learning the little quirks of Propeller C (even using Prop GCC) is more difficult for a C programmer than learning SPIN. This is due to the way that code is isolated on the Propeller.
Also the easily availability of SPIN to SPIN bytcode compilers for the Propeller. I do not want to write a tutorial on how to setup one of the various C compilers for the Propeller.
Though I will be including the binaries and instructions for uploading them to the Propeller board, for the non-programmers. The binaries will be from the assembly version, not the SPIN version (Spin is fast enough to do the job, though it is still a byte code interpreted language that only runs at around 0.5 million spin operations per second).
I have thought about a possible future rewrite in C, though the first two versions will be in Propeller Assembly (PASM), and SPIN.
I have also thought about doing a version in PropBASIC, a BASIC like language since many are familiar with BASIC.
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