Hi all

[Frixxion]

Hi all,

Let me introduce myself because I have not yet been active on the forum (with posting, but have been reading alot ). My name is Jordy (Aka Frixxion ). I'm 19 years old an live in the Netherlands. I am a student (first year) mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Delft. My hobbies are computers, DJ'ing, electronics, badminton, snowboarding and ofcourse Lasering. I've been into lasers for a while now and have already finished 2 laser projectors (one of which was a fairly experimental one).
My first projector used stepper motors which I took out of an old deskjet printer . I glued two mirrors (out of harddisks) to the motor shafts and used a very simple circuit based on two ULN 2004's to power the steppers. I wrote my own software for this projector in Visual Basic. I later ditched the project because the graphics I was able to make with this were very basic (crosses and cubes....).
Later on I read about laserprojectors using MOT2 steppers and a DAC. I thought this would be a nice learning project for a future laserprojector (homemade galvo's ). This MOT2 projector turned out to be a succes and I have used it on some parties where I "DJ".
After that I started on making my own galvo's and driver (elm chan's design). But this didn't work out. I did manage to build the galvo (which are fairly easy). But the driver just didn't work... After two attempts I gave up and ordered a Galvo kit and DAC from Norm, which should arrive any day now . I'm thinking of opening a thread here and share my experiences about the Galvo kit with you guys since no one has written anything about the Galvo kit.
If you guys are interested, I can post some pics of my 2 projectors?

, Jordy

(ps sorry for the grammatical and spelling errors I make )

[Hayden]

Let me be the first to welcome you here!!

[Banthai]

Hi Jordy

and welcome to PL .....

Rule Number 1 ..... We love Photos
Rule number 2 ...... goto 1


Please post your projector pics and tell us about the new kit etc...

hope you enjoy your stay here

PS. KLM are doing cheap flights from amsterdam at the moment so your welcome to pop across to the UK meet

all the best .... Karl

[Frixxion]

Here are the pictures:

1st Laser projector with printer stepper motors:

Overview:


Motor Closeup:


"Driver" closeup


One of the "graphics" it could do:


Another "graphic (that's about it ):


Beam Picture:


Another one (but then in the dark):


Some pictures of my latest projector (the one with the MOT2's):

Front (on a lightstandard):


Rear:


As you can see the projector uses a PSU "borrowed" from an old PC. More pictures from the inside will follow, I can't find them on my harddrive right now... so I'l make some new ones tomorrow.

[buffo]

Hello Jordy! Welcome to PhotonLeixcon. Looks like you've been tinkering with some fun toys there. I think a review of Norm's Galvo kit would be a good idea. (Norm is actually a member here; he goes by "Legato".) I don't know anyone that has successfully completed the build, so you might be the first!

And like Karl said - we like pictures!

Adam

[Lampy]

Welcome Jordy! I like the "hands on" start you've made there. I do like making things out of bits from other things! So did you manage to make the steppers work from the analogue output from a DAC? I'd be interested in trying something like that myself as I have many stepper motors lying about the plase just asking to be made into some beam show scanners.

-Matt.

[Frixxion]

Well, the MOT2's are directed from a DAC. But the printer steppers have small steps, so to move them I used full steps. So the signal was like

Parellel Port pins

step1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
step2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
step3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Etc.....
So each time you activate another pin the stepper wil "jump" to another coil (I hope this makes it clear). I have thought about using a DAC, but I don't really understand how to integrate it into this. And besides it wouldn't be very efficient because those steppers are VERY heavy an unnescecarily strong.

[Lampy]

Ah, I see! I have tried a similar thing with a PICAXE microcontroller but because the picaxe uses basic its far too slow. I'd like to try using some large steppers with some 4" square lightweight plastic mirrors that I have to see if I can make some large remote scanning bounce mirrors. - Only for REALLY slow beam stuff though.

-Matt

[Frixxion]

Here are the pics as promised!!




LPT DAC:


The steppers with mirrors in their "mounts"



The laser



I know the way the laser is mounted looks a bit dodgy, but it is only temporary. My other 20 mw laser died and I had to mount this one FAST because I wanted to use the project at a party that night. Haven't looked at the 20 mw laser though, I hope it's only the driver . Btw the laser that you see in the picture is a 30 mw green. That is also the laser I will use for Norm's Galvo kit.

[Zoof]

Hi Jordy,
It is good to welcome a fellow Dutch laserist, especially since you study at TU Delft as I did!
Keep up the laser works, I remember putting together my speaker scanner and LPT DAC in my student room in Delft - those were great days!
Looking forward to your experiences with Norm's DAC.
cheers,
Matthijs