Gcode 2d-plotter

Hacking old 2d data plotters to make art...

First tries

USB to Analog

Based on GCodeToAnalog by GaudiLabs modded grbl firmware.

Uploading the code to Arduino Micro:

avrdude -c stk500v1 -p atmega32u4 -P /dev/ttyACM0 -b19200 -U flash:w:/home/dusjagr/Documents/SGMK/gcode_plotter/GCodeToAnalog-master/grbl-atmega32u4-support-8c_analog/grbl.hex

grbl settings and more

https://github.com/grbl/grbl/wiki/Interfacing-with-Grbl

Create gcode from Inkscape

Installing gcodetools extenstion for Inkscape.

Send to plotter

Installing UGS (UniversalGcodeSender), standalone Java program multiplatform.

First results

painting a coconut

the horned god

TO DO

Connect pen lift from z-axes

Done with NPN BC457 and 5V relais.

optimizing settings

grbl settings

>>> $$
$0=40.000 (x, step/mm)
$1=40.000 (y, step/mm)
$2=10.000 (z, step/mm)
$3=10 (step pulse, usec)
$4=400.000 (default feed, mm/min)
$5=50000.000 (default seek, mm/min)
$6=12 (step port invert mask, int:00001100)
$7=1 (step idle delay, msec)
$8=100.000 (acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$9=0.050 (junction deviation, mm)
$10=0.100 (arc, mm/segment)
$11=25 (n-arc correction, int)
$12=3 (n-decimals, int)
$13=0 (report inches, bool)
$14=1 (auto start, bool)
$15=0 (invert step enable, bool)
$16=0 (hard limits, bool)
$17=0 (homing cycle, bool)
$18=0 (homing dir invert mask, int:00000000)
$19=250.000 (homing feed, mm/min)
$20=250.000 (homing seek, mm/min)
$21=100 (homing debounce, msec)
$22=1.000 (homing pull-off, mm)
ok

Increasing the acceleration helped a loooot!

Change in inkscape gcodetools

feed (kinda the speed) best to change in the default tool settings in inkscape.