DIY laser engraver from an inkjet printer. Laser engraver from old DVD-Rom. Making a flexible shaft

Step 6: Preparing the arduino

When I took up arduino, I started by writing my own software.
But in the process of looking for ways to control traffic through the serial port, I came across something called "GRBL". It turns out this is a g-code interpreter with a lot of interesting functions.

I already had everything connected to arduino and therefore I had to do one of two things: either swap the connections, or change something in the code.
It turned out that it is much easier to change the control pins in the program.

IMPORTANT:
The current version of Grbl (0.6b) has a bug in the queuing system. The laser turns on and off immediately (M3, M5).
Commands are not queued and the laser turns on and off immediately as soon as the arduino receives commands.
It will be decided, but when, I can’t say for sure ... Instead, we do this:

you can use the source from here, or you can just take the ready-made compiled hex. file that I used. This should fix the problem until a new version of Grbl is released.

Whichever path you take, you must end up with hex. file that you have to upload later to arduino.

I tried several different paths, and the one that I liked the most was when I used the Xloader program.

The programming is pretty straightforward.
Select the correct serial port for arduino.
Select hex. file, then type arduino, then click on upload.
If you use new arduino uno, Xloader will not work and you will get download error.
So I recommend using ARP / Arduino Uploader - but even this bootloader has some problems with arduino uno.
When programming arduino, - select the com-port and type of your arduino (what kind of model is the full name so that the program understands how to work with it) in the corresponding drop-down list.
After that, you must modify the "avr dude params" text.
Erase "-b19200" - without quotes and click on the download button.

Either way, in a couple of seconds you will be complete and ready to experience.
Exit Xloader and go to the next paragraph.

The Arduino must be configured to get started. Launch your favorite terminal window and open the port your arduino is connected to.

There you should see a welcome message:

Grbl 0.6b
"$" to dump current settings "

If you enter $ followed by return you will get a list of options. Something like this:

$ 0 = 400.0 (steps / mm x)
$ 1 = 400.0 (steps / mm y)
$ 2 = 400.0 (steps / mm z)
$ 3 = 30 (microseconds step pulse)
$ 4 = 480.0 (mm / sec default feed rate)
$ 5 = 480.0 (mm / sec default seek rate)
$ 6 = 0.100 (mm / arc segment)
$ 7 = 0 (step port invert mask.binary = 0)
$ 8 = 25 (acceleration in mm / sec ^ 2)
$ 9 = 300 (max instant cornering speed change in delta mm / min)
"$ x = value" to set parameter or just "$" to dump current settings
ok

Grbl 0.6b
"$" reset current settings "

If you enter $ you get a list of options. Something like this:

$ 0 = 400.0 (steps / mm x)
$ 1 = 400.0 (steps / mm y)
$ 2 = 400.0 (steps / mm z)
$ 3 = 30 (microseconds per step pulse)
$ 4 = 480.0 (mm / s default feed rate)
$ 5 = 480.0 (mm / sec default search speed)
$ 6 = 0.100 (mm / arc segment)
$ 7 = 0 (step port invert mask .binary = 0)
$ 8 = 25 (acceleration in mm / sec ^ 2)
$ 9 = 300 (max instantaneous speed change on corner in delta mm / min)
"$ x = value" set the parameter or just "$" reset the current settings
ok

You have to change the steps / mm for both o53,333 - for both. Just enter "$ 0 = 53.33" followed by return and then "$ 1 = 53.333" followed by return. The Z axis can be ignored - as we are not using it. Acceleration can be increased up to 100 ("$ 8 = 100" and back). Since the car is moving slowly, the acceleration can be set high. Another side effect of low acceleration can be that curves can be burned out more than straight lines, as the controller constantly tries to accelerate and decelerate and never reaches full speed.

If you build the device in the same way as I do, then this error may come out: one of your axes will be mirrored. But this is easy to fix. Option $ 7 gives you the ability to change the direction of the axis. I would like to change the direction of the X axis, so I entered: "$ 7 = 8", since I wanted to change the bitness to 3 (8 = 00001000 binary). If you want to change the direction of the Y axis, you need to enter 16 (00010000) or 24 (00011000) to change both.

Full documentation on mask inversion can be

Engravers are widely used in various industries, not only for engraving various materials, but also for drilling miniature holes, polishing, grinding, and milling. The same operations can be performed with their help at home. If this is required only occasionally, or you just need to save money on buying a tool, then a mini-drill can be made independently from unnecessary equipment, which is often unused in garages or storage rooms. With the help of homemade drills, it will be possible to perform the same operations as with a factory tool of similar power, only you need to use the appropriate nozzles.

Engravers are divided into milling and laser engravers according to their functioning. In the first, the material is processed with various attachments. In laser models, all the work is done by a laser beam - this is contactless engraving method... Moreover, such a device belongs to the category of high-tech equipment. But a homemade engraver can also be made at home.

To create a laser engraver with your own hands, you will need the following parts, tools and materials:

stepper motors from dvd drive;
Arduino computing platform;
Proto Board with display;
limit switches for motors;
laser module (for example, 3 W power);
constant voltage value adjusting device;
laser cooling system;
MOSFET (transistor);
boards for assembling electric motor control elements;
frame;
toothed pulleys and belts for them;
bearings of various sizes;
wood boards: 2 pieces measuring 135x10x2 cm and two more - 125x10x2 cm;
4 round metal rods with a section of 10 mm;
grease;
clamps, bolts with washers and nuts;
vice;
locksmith tools;
drill;
jigsaw or circular saw;
files or sandpaper;
computer or laptop.

Stepper motors can be taken not only from DVDs, but also from a printer that is practically not used.

The machine is assembled according to the following algorithm:

create a base;
mount guides with movable carriages;
assemble an electrical circuit;
install the necessary programs on the computer;
alignment (tuning) of the laser head;
check the performance of the machine.

Connection diagram stepper motors taken from an inkjet printer or DVD are shown in the photo below.

The entire sequence of actions that allows you to assemble a laser engraver on an arduino is shown in detail in the video below.

The created CNC engraver will cost much cheaper than any factory made laser models. It can be used for making seals, for photoresist, for working with wood, plywood, plastic, cardboard, expanded polystyrene and cork sheets. It is also possible to carry out engraving on metal.

Assembling an Electric Engraver with Tripod and Flexible Shaft

An electric engraver is the most common variety of this kind of tools at home. To make a functionally full-fledged device independently, capable of competing with analogs of industrial production, you will need an electric motor that operates on 220 V AC. Such electric motors can be taken from the following equipment:

Soviet-style reel-to-reel tape recorders;
DVD-players;
washing machines;
angle grinders;
electric sewing machines.

The latter option is optimal, because it is possible to adjust the speed in a fairly wide range using the built-in rheostat.

For domestic use, a drill with an engine idling speed of up to 6 thousand revolutions per minute is sufficient.

It is inconvenient to hold an electric motor in one hand from any of the listed types of equipment, and in most cases it is simply impossible. Therefore, you will need flexible shaft for engraver... In this case, the general view of the future device will turn out approximately, as in the photo below.

The functionality of the created device for engraving will depend on the materials and mechanisms used in the assembly. The motor can be placed on the table, but it is more convenient to make tripod for engraver, or rather its likeness.

Making a flexible shaft

With a flexible shaft, everything is relatively simple. It can be done in several ways:

from an old drive shaft, for example from a dental drill;
using the cable of the motorcycle or car speedometer.

The working attachment on the shaft can also be used from the drill or make it yourself from different materials, for example, wood, PCB, plastic pipes. From PCB the device (handle) for holding the rig is done as follows:

cut off 2 textolite platinum (sheet thickness should be about 1 cm) about 2 by 10 cm in size;
connect them together and grind them with a file or on emery from the outside to make a cylinder;
grooves are machined from the inside;
metal rings fix the parts to each other;
a tube is inserted into the front of the handle, under a cartridge, consisting of two separate halves, connected with a bolt.

As a result, you get a handle, as in the photo below.

The internal hole made between the textolite plates should be of such a cross-section so as not to impede the free rotation of the cable. It will be possible to insert nozzles with shank diameters from 2 to 5 mm into the chuck.

Assembling the engraving machine

It is very easy to make a tripod (base for mounting an electric motor) from plywood or the same PCB. To do this, proceed as follows:

cut from a sheet of material several pieces (4 is enough) of the size corresponding to the electric motor;
a motor is attached to one of the fragments using clamps;
collect the box;
a hole is drilled in the front for the flexible shaft.

The created structure is suspended from the wall.

Convenient to use factory holder with clamps for the engraver, if the dimensions of the electric motor allow. The mount connects to any table. But such a device will need to be purchased additionally.

Further assembly of the engraving device is performed in the following sequence:

using a clutch created from a drilled bolt, connect the cable to the motor shaft;

put a rubber hose of the appropriate diameter on the cable and attach the made handle to it;

install the start button;
connect equipment to the network;

check the performance of the device made.

A homemade drill will allow you to process wood, bone, metal, glass, plastic, ceramic blanks, as well as various metals, natural and artificial stone.

You can also use electric motors to create homemade straight grinders, designed for 380 V, but if they can be adjusted to 220. In such cases, you will need to tinker additionally. There is a lot of information on this issue both on the Internet and in books on electrical engineering.

Making a mini drill from a motor

It happens that at home you need to make small holes in wood or plastic, while drills from a drill are not suitable. In such cases, a homemade mini-drill from a motor will help. It can also be used to perform wood engraving... And if there is an interest in radio amateurism, then using the created tool, you can drill and cut boards.

To create a homemade gadget, you need to take a miniature electric motor from an old tape recorder. Even different models of motors from children's toys will do. If you use a mini-motor from a 12 V tape recorder as a drive, then you will also need the following materials and parts:

power supply unit or several batteries (accumulator) with 12 V output;
a piece of plastic pipe (about 10 cm long) with such a cross section that a miniature electric motor can be inserted inside;
heat-resistant glue;
power button;
wiring for electrical connections.

Do-it-yourself mini-drill is assembled, acting according to the following algorithm:

using an electric drill or a knife, a hole is made in the tube for the switch;
lubricate the motor with glue to fix it inside the future housing;

insert the electric motor into the tube;
any of the wires through which the motor is powered is poked into the hole drilled in the case earlier, and the other end is left on the back of the case;

one wire from the power supply is inserted into the hole under the button;
solder the switch to the protruding ends with a soldering iron, carefully isolating the contacts;

the two wires remaining from the end of the tube (from the button and the motor) are connected to the connector for connecting the power supply;

cut off the neck of any plastic bottle;
make a hole in the center of the cover for the connector and glue these parts;
glue the neck to the tube;

connect the assembled mini drill to the power supply;

by pressing a button, they check the performance of the homemade product.

Supply unit voltage must be selected to match the operating voltage of the motor being used.

To make a mini drill autonomous, you just need to adapt the batteries to it.

Homemade dremel from a drill and blender

If you have an old or unnecessary blender, then it is also easy to make a mini drill out of it. This household appliance already has a comfortable grip. In addition to the blender itself, you will also need such devices and additional parts:

tools to disassemble the device (screwdrivers with different tips, pliers);
vernier caliper or ruler;
collet;
soldering iron with soldering kit;
finishing file, sandpaper;
switch.

You can do without the last detail, but then you will need to constantly press the power button with your hand while working with a straight grinder.

A blender engraver is created like this:

carefully disassemble household appliances;
take out the internal parts: an electric motor and a printed circuit board that controls the operation of the device;
using a vernier caliper, measure the diameter of the spindle in order to acquire a collet chuck suitable for it;
if the electric motor is contaminated with something, for example, rust, then it is thoroughly, with care, so as not to damage the windings, clean;
fix the purchased collet chuck (or made independently) on the spindle;
the power button, already available on the blender, is replaced with a switch: the wire contacts are re-soldered;
fit a hole in the housing of a household appliance for a new switch;
install the electric motor with the board in place inside the case;
collect the tool.

Depending on the model of the blender being converted, you may need to make additional holes in its body, or expand existing ones with a file. This will not be a problem.

The entire described process of assembling a dremel from a blender is demonstrated in detail in the video below.

You don't have to remodel the blender, just connect a flexible shaft to it for a factory-made engraver. The docking method is shown in the video below.

You can also make an engraver using a drill. The assembly of options with and without flexible shaft is shown in the following videos.

Making an engraver from a 3D printer

An ordinary 3D printer is a good basis for creating an engraver, with which you can cut various materials, make crafts and perform other operations. To upgrade an existing device, you will need an additional install the board, which will power the operational circuits of the equipment and the laser module.

An engraving machine created from a 3D printer is demonstrated in the following video.

In addition to the considered simplest ways to create a homemade engraving machine from a 3D printer, a small electric motor, a small electric motor, a blender and a drill, there are also other options. In this case, both this technique and other power tools are used as a basis. Craftsmen constantly come up with new modifications, showing their design imagination. Implementing in practice any of the above options or independent development, you should provide security created homemade products. To do this, it is necessary to insulate the electrical contacts well and assemble the equipment reliably.

Many of those home craftsmen who in their workshop are engaged in the manufacture and decoration of products from wood and other materials, probably thought about how to make a laser engraver with their own hands. The presence of such equipment, the serial models of which are quite expensive, allows not only to apply the most complex patterns to the surface of the workpiece with high precision and detail, but also to carry out laser cutting of various materials.

A homemade laser engraver, which will cost significantly less than a production model, can be made even if you do not have deep knowledge of electronics and mechanics. The laser engraver of the proposed design is assembled on the Arduino hardware platform and has a power of 3 W, while for industrial models this parameter is at least 400 W. However, even such a low power allows you to use this machine for cutting products from expanded polystyrene, cork sheets, plastic and cardboard, as well as for high-quality laser engraving.

Necessary materials

In order to independently make a laser engraver on an Arduino, you will need the following consumables, mechanisms and tools:

Arduino R3 hardware platform;
Proto Board equipped with a display;
stepper motors, which can be used as electric motors from a printer or from a DVD player;
laser with a power of 3 W;
device for laser cooling;
DC voltage regulator DC-DC;
MOSFET transistor;
electronic boards, with the help of which the motors of the laser engraver are controlled;
limit switches;
a body in which all the structural elements of a homemade engraver can be placed;
timing belts and pulleys for their installation;
ball bearings of various standard sizes;
four wooden boards (two of them with dimensions of 135x10x2 cm, and the other two - 125x10x2 cm);
four metal rods of circular cross-section, the diameter of which is 10 mm;
bolts, nuts and screws;
lubricant;
cable ties;
a computer;
drills of various diameters;
a circular saw;
sandpaper;
vice;
standard set of locksmith tools.

Electrical part of a homemade laser engraver

The main element of the electrical circuit of the presented device is a laser emitter, the input of which must be supplied with a constant voltage with a value that does not exceed the permissible parameters. If this requirement is not met, the laser may simply burn out. The laser emitter used in the engraving machine of the presented design is designed for a voltage of 5 V and a current not exceeding 2.4 A, therefore the DC-DC regulator must be adjusted for a current of 2 A and a voltage of up to 5 V.

The MOSFET transistor, which is the most important element of the electrical part of the laser engraver, is required in order to turn the laser emitter on and off when receiving a signal from the Arduino controller. The electrical signal generated by the controller is very weak, so only a MOSFET can sense it and then turn on and off the laser power circuit. In the electrical circuit of a laser engraver, such a transistor is installed between the positive contact of the laser and the negative DC regulator.

The stepper motors of the laser engraver are connected through one electronic control board, which ensures their synchronization. Thanks to this connection, timing belts, driven by several motors, do not sag and maintain a stable tension during their operation, which ensures the quality and accuracy of the processing performed.

It should be borne in mind that the laser diode used in a homemade engraving machine must not overheat.

To do this, it is necessary to ensure its effective cooling. This problem is solved quite simply: a regular computer fan is installed next to the diode. To exclude overheating of the control boards for the operation of stepper motors, computer coolers are also placed next to them, since conventional radiators cannot cope with this task.

Photos of the wiring diagram assembly process

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3
Photo-4 Photo-5 Photo-6

Build process

A homemade engraving machine of the proposed design is a shuttle-type device, one of the moving elements of which is responsible for moving along the Y axis, and the other two, paired, for moving along the X axis. For the Z axis, which is also specified in the parameters of such a 3D printer, the depth to which the processed material is burned is taken. The depth of the holes into which the elements of the shuttle mechanism of the laser engraver are installed must be at least 12 mm.

Desktop frame - dimensions and tolerances

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3
Photo-4 Photo-5 Photo-6

Aluminum rods with a diameter of at least 10 mm can act as guiding elements along which the working head of the laser engraving device will move. If it is not possible to find rods made of aluminum, steel rails of the same diameter can be used for these purposes. The need to use rods of just such a diameter is explained by the fact that in this case the working head of the laser engraving device will not sag.

Manufacturing of a movable carriage

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3

The surface of the rods that will be used as guiding elements for the laser engraving device must be cleaned of factory grease and carefully sanded to perfect smoothness. Then they should be coated with a white lithium lubricant to improve the sliding process.

Installation of stepper motors on the body of a homemade engraving device is carried out using brackets made of sheet metal. To make such a bracket, a sheet of metal roughly the width of the engine itself and twice the length of its base is bent at right angles. On the surface of such a bracket, where the base of the electric motor will be located, 6 holes are drilled, 4 of which are needed to fix the engine itself, and the other two are needed to fasten the bracket to the body using ordinary self-tapping screws.

A piece of metal sheet of the appropriate size is also used to install a drive mechanism consisting of two pulleys, a washer and a bolt on the electric motor shaft. To mount such a unit, a U-shaped profile is formed from a metal sheet, in which holes are drilled to attach it to the body of the engraver and to exit the motor shaft. The pulleys, on which toothed belts will be put on, are mounted on the drive motor shaft and placed in the inner part of the U-shaped profile. The timing belts on the pulleys, which are supposed to drive the shuttles of the engraving device, are connected to their wooden bases using self-tapping screws.

Installation of stepper motors

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3
Photo-4 Photo-5 Photo-6

Installing the software

Your laser grower, which is supposed to work in automatic mode, will need not only installation, but also setup of special software. The most important element of such support is a program that allows you to create the contours of the desired pattern and convert them to an extension that is understandable for the control elements of the laser engraver. Such a program is freely available, and you can download it to your computer without any problems.

The program downloaded to the computer controlling the engraving device is unpacked from the archive and installed. In addition, you will need a library of contours, as well as a program that will send data on the created drawing or lettering to the Arduino controller. Such a library (as well as the program for transferring data to the controller) can also be found in the public domain. In order for your laser homemade product to work correctly, and the engraving performed with its help to be of high quality, you will need to configure the controller itself for the parameters of the engraving device.

Features of using contours

If you have already figured out the question of how to make a manual laser engraver, then it is necessary to clarify the question of the parameters of the contours that can be applied using such a device. Such contours, the inner part of which is not filled even if the original drawing is painted over, should be transferred to the engraver's controller with files not in pixel (jpeg), but in vector format. This means that the image or inscription applied to the surface of the workpiece with the help of such an engraver will not consist of pixels, but of dots. Such images and inscriptions can be scaled as desired, focusing on the surface area on which they are to be applied.

With the help of a laser engraver, almost any drawing and inscription can be applied to the surface of the workpiece, but for this, their computer models must be converted into vector format. This procedure is not difficult: for this, special programs such as Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator are used. The file, which has already been converted into vector format, must be converted again so that it can be correctly perceived by the controller of the engraving machine. Inkscape Laserengraver is used for this conversion.

Final setup and preparation for work

Having made a laser engraving machine with your own hands and having downloaded the necessary software into its control computer, do not start working immediately: the equipment needs final adjustment and adjustment. What is this adjustment? First of all, you need to make sure that the maximum displacements of the laser head of the machine along the X and Y axes coincide with the values obtained when converting the vector file. In addition, depending on the thickness of the material from which the workpiece is made, it is necessary to adjust the parameters of the current supplied to the laser head. This should be done in order not to burn through the product on the surface of which you want to engrave.

A very important and responsible process is the precise adjustment (alignment) of the laser head. Alignment is needed in order to adjust the power and resolution of the beam produced by the laser head of your engraver. On expensive serial models of laser engraving machines, adjustment is performed using an additional low-power laser installed in the main working head. However, homemade engravers tend to use inexpensive laser heads, so this method of fine tuning the beam is not suitable for them.

A sufficiently high-quality adjustment of a homemade laser engraver can be done using the LED removed from the laser pointer. The LED wires are connected to a 3 V power source, and it itself is fixed at the working end of the standard laser. By alternately turning on and adjusting the position of the beams emanating from the test LED and the laser head, they achieve their alignment at one point. The convenience of using the LED from the laser pointer is that the alignment with its help can be performed without the risk of harming both the hands and eyes of the operator of the engraving machine.

The video shows the process of connecting the engraver to the computer, setting up the software and preparing the machine for work.

So. They stopped drinking, they have already assembled the milling cutter, they bought Arduina, our arms are gradually straightening - soon we will begin to resemble Homo Sapiens completely. And he, as you know, is used to creating problems for himself on his own, as a Chinese Komsomol member then to solve them. This is his Russian character.
From "nothing" we need:

Arduino Uno
Shield with a pair of StepSticks
A laser ..... as an option, it is easier to purchase, but if the mind is inquisitive, you can also pick a DVD-yushy one
Two old CD / DVD Roma, better than the old ones
Power supply for 12 volts .... amperes so little 2-3-5-10 does not matter in general
A little bit of drilling, some screws M4 and M3

Two pieces of square pipe 20x20mm and length 180mm
Microcircuit ULN2003 letters may be different - for us the small numbers 2003 are important. This microcircuit is often used in old Mastek scanners to control a stepping motor.
In general, the real owner of such rubbish is usually in abundance ...
If Arduino was not found in the house, you can search, for example, on Avito or AliExpress.

It is better to order the shield in advance too .... for example 3D Printer Engraving Machine A4988 Drive Extension Board CNC Shield V3 For Arduino + StepStick 2 pcs walkera new v120d02s 6ch 3d rc remote control helicopter bnf green (Red)
If for some reason there was no laser in the trash, you can look at it here: 405nm 50mW Focusable Violet Dot Laser Module Laser Generator Diode Focusable Laser Module Red Dot Laser Generator Diode 200-250mW 650nm, 450-500mW Violet Laser Module With Holder For Mini Engraving Machine And suddenly it was time for horror stories.Friends, when dealing with a laser, be careful not to get into the eyes of a direct and even reflected laser beam. You can lose your sight forever. It is best to carry out all work in special glasses, which are always sold in the departments selling laser diodes.

Well, if you wait for a break while the Chinese send the long-awaited package, it is quite possible to experiment with a laser diode from DVD-RW. I will dwell on the last one. When disassembling a DVD writer, be careful - it usually uses two diodes - one with a visible (usually red) spectrum of radiation, the second with an invisible infrared. I highly discourage using the second one in terms of security.

To test the LED, we connect a regular 1.5 volt battery to it. If the radiation is red, everything is ok.

We start to smoke .... sorry ... to disassemble the CD-roms. Straighten the paperclip and push it into the hole in the front of the device. The drive compartment will open, remove the compartment cover and remove the screws. Then everything is like everywhere else.

I immediately glued the cover of the compartment to the front panel

We throw out the tray, boards, in general, we free up the inner space of the former DVD-Yuk as much as possible. We will subsequently insert a power supply here.

I plugged in a power supply from some HP printer, redesigning it from 38 volts to 12. Its power is enough for the eyes.

Further, it is even easier - we knock out a couple of strong magnets from the DVD (in the lens unit), glue them to the laser. We try not to heat too much if we glue it with a thermal gun.

We drill and saw square pipe blanks.

Holes ø4mm on the front side and on the other side we drill up to 10mm
We fasten the DVD-yuk to the body.
Using rubber dampers from the DVD itself, we screw the linear actuators to the body.

We get something like .....
Cut off a strip of steel from the second case of the DVD and glue it to the horizontal linear module with a thermal gun - as in the photo (we attach the laser to it with magnets)

On the lower drive, again using hot glue, we glue a piece of plexiglass / plastic 4mm thick and about 45x35mm in size. We glue the desktop to it on superglue with an activator. I cut it out of the case of an old 3.5 "floppy drive.
We try to glue the table strictly horizontally.

On the reverse side, we shoot a piece of plastic or plexiglass onto the rivets - we will attach the electronics to it on double-sided tape.

Yes, I almost forgot - I attached the linear modules to rubber bushings from some old printers - it is quite possible to use any suitable tubes - for example, cut an old felt-tip pen evenly.

So we got to electronics. In fact, it is simple

Despite the fact that 12-36 volts is written on the shield, it should be powered by the 12th.

If the motors are spinning in the opposite direction, just turn off the power and turn the connector 180 degrees.
The connector has a pinout AaBv (the beginning of the first winding, the end of the first winding, the beginning of the second winding, the end of the second winding)
The laser is powered and controlled by the 2003 microcircuit. Only four microcircuit outputs are used.

The program itself

(Mylaser.zip)

HEX firmware
(grbl_v0_8c_atmega328p_16mhz_9600.hex.rar)

Arduino firmware
(grbl-master.rar)

GRBL controller program
(GrblController361Setup.rar)

It is very important to upload the firmware to the arduino with a bit rate of 9600. With a different bit rate, the program simply will not see the arduino.

It is necessary to fill in the EEPROM with the "step per mm" values for steps in CD / DVD roms, usually 20 steps per revolution. In StepSticks, a multiplier of 1/16 is usually used - i.e. 320 steps. The drive usually travels 3mm per revolution (it is necessary to measure the distance between the turns on the drive screw). 320/3 = 106 steps per mm.

We enter this value using the command line in the GRBL Controller program

$ 100 = 106 (Enter)
$ 101 = 106 (Enter)
$ 102 = 106 (Enter)

You can fill in the firmware into Arduino Uno using the Arduino program. way:
Unpack the archive
Rename (for example, just GRBL)
Copy to the "libraries" folder
Open the program, menu Sketch - load library - select GRBL

PS the workpiece is attached to the desktop using the same magnets from the DVD head
PPS laser focusing is performed by raising / lowering the diode relative to the table. For this we have provided a magnet mount.

It took the author 4 months to assemble such an engraver; its power is 2 watts. This is not too much, but it allows for engraving on wood and plastic. It can also cut cork wood. The article contains all the necessary material for creating an engraver, including STL files for printing structural units, as well as electronic circuits for connecting motors, lasers, and so on.

Video of the engraver's work:

Materials and tools:

Access to a 3D printer;
- rods from stainless steel 5/16 ";
- bronze bushings (for sleeve bearings);
- diode М140 for 2 W;
- heatsink and coolers for creating diode cooling;
- stepper motors, pulleys, toothed belts;
- Super glue;
- wooden beams;
- plywood;
- bolts with nuts;
- acrylic (for creating inserts);
- lens G-2 and driver;
- thermal paste;
- protective glasses;
- Arduino UNO controller;
- drill, cutting tool, self-tapping screws, etc.

The process of making an engraver:

Step one. Create the Y axis
The first step in Autodesk Inventor is to design the wireframe for the printer. Then you can start printing the elements of the Y axis and assembling it. The first part, which is 3D printed, is needed to mount the stepper motor on the Y-axis, connect the steel shafts, and slide along one of the X-axis shafts.

After the part is printed, two bronze bushings need to be installed in it, they are used as slide bearings. To reduce friction, the bushings need to be lubricated. This is a great solution for such projects as it is cheap.

As for the guides, they are made of stainless steel rods with a diameter of 5/16 ". The stainless steel has a low coefficient of friction with bronze, so it is excellent for sleeve bearings.

A laser is also installed on the Y-axis; it has a metal case and gets quite hot. To reduce the risk of overheating, you need to install an aluminum radiator and coolers for cooling. The author used old elements from the robot controller.

Among other things, in the block for laser 1 "X1" you need to make a hole 31/64 "and add a bolt to the side edge. The block is connected to another part, which is also printed on a 3D printer, it will move along the Y axis. toothed belt.

Once the laser module is assembled, it is mounted on the Y-axis. Stepper motors, pulleys and timing belts are also installed at this stage.

Step two. Create the X axis

Wood was used to create the base of the engraver. The most important thing in this case is that the two X-axes are clearly parallel, otherwise the device will wedge. A separate motor is used to move along the X coordinate, as well as a drive belt in the center of the Y axis. Thanks to this design, the system is simple and works great.

Superglue can be used to attach the crossbeam that connects the belt to the Y-axis. But it is best to print special brackets for these purposes on a 3D printer.

Step three. We connect and check electronics
In a homemade product, a diode such as a diode M140 is used, you can buy a more powerful one, but the price will be higher. To focus the beam you need a lens and a regulated power supply. The lens is mounted on the laser using thermal paste. Working with lasers should be done exclusively with protective goggles.

To test how the electronics work, the author turned it on outside the machine. A computer cooler is used to cool the electronics. The system works on the Arduino Uno controller, which is connected to the grbl. The Universal Gcode Sender is used to enable the signal to be transmitted online. To convert vector images to G-code, you can use Inkscape with the gcodetools plugin installed. To control the laser, a contact is used that controls the operation of the spindle. This is one of the simplest examples using gcodetools.

Step four. Engraver body
The side edges are made of plywood. Since the stepper motor extends slightly outside the housing during operation, a rectangular hole must be made in the back face. In addition, you need to remember to make holes for cooling, power connections, and a USB port. The edges of the top and front of the case are also made of plywood, and the walls of acrylic are installed in the central part. Above all the elements that are installed in the lower part of the box, an additional wooden platform is attached. It is the basis for the material with which the laser works.

For the manufacture of the walls, orange-colored acrylic is used, as it perfectly absorbs laser beams. It is important to remember that even the reflected laser beam can seriously damage the eye. That, in fact, is all, the laser is ready. You can start testing.

Of course, complex images are not very high-quality, but simple engravers can easily burn out simple ones. It can also be used to cut cork wood without any problems.