EggBot with control panel

thingiverse

This is a step-by-step guide to building and assembling an Arduino Uno based EggBot. The EggBot is a CNC plotter designed for drawing on eggs, but it can be used for other purposes as well. Here are the steps: 1. Assemble the frame of the EggBot using a 3D printer. 2. Attach the motor mounts to the frame using M3x10 screws and M3 nuts. 3. Install the NEMA 17 motors in the motor mounts. 4. Connect the motors to the Arduino Uno. 5. Install the servo motor for controlling the pen. 6. Connect the servo motor to the Arduino Uno. 7. Install the tailstock bearing on the end of the tailstock bolt using two M5 nuts (nut-bearing-nut). 8. Fix the suction cups in Bearing_Cover and Nema17_Suction_Cup. 9. Fix Nema17_Suction_Cup on rotational stepper shaft and Bearing_Cover on tailstock bearing. 10. Assemble the Arduino Uno, Arduino_Holder, and Arduino_Nema17_Mount together using 4 x M3x10 button head screws and 4x M3 nuts. 11. Solder dupont cables to 3x TC1212-T (two cables to each) for CNC Shield V3. 12. Put cables through holes in Button_Holder and snap buttons in place. 13. Attach prepared panel to Arduino_Holder. The next step is to connect the electronics: 1. Flash firmware to Arduino Uno. 2. Connect CNC Shield to Arduino, connect Stepsticks to X and Y axis socket with microstepping set to 1/16 (for A4988 - all 3 jumpers shorted) and connect wires as following: * Rotational stepper to X axis * Pen stepper to Y axis * Servo: rearrange cables in servo connector so they will go like [Signal][Ground][5V], connect short male-male dupont cable to 5V lead, connect connector to SpnEn on shield, in a way that connected dupont cable will be outside of the board, make sure servo GND is connected to black row of pins on shield. Connect dupont wire previously connected to servo connector to one of pins in A stepstick header: Control panel (optional): * PRG to "Abort" * PEN to "Hold" * MOT to "Resume" Preparing software: 1. Install Inkscape (version 0.91.0 is required) 2. Install EggBot extension for Inkscape: * Install EggBot Software: Version 2.5.0 using installer * Update previously installed version to newest available version from official EggBot repository on GitHub If Arduino Uno based EggBot doesn't work with EggBot extension, you need to modify EggBot extension: 1. Connect EggBot to computer 2. Open Device Manager, open properties of your connected board (it should appear as COM port) and look for device PID and VID (in windows device manager, you will find that information in device properties, in "Details" tab under "Hardware Ids" property). For example, my Arduino Uno clone had VID 1A86 and PID 7525. Write these values down. 3. Open Inkscape installation dir/share/extensions/ebb_serial.py file using Notepad++, look for line: <code>if port[2].startswith("USB VID:PID=04D8:FD92"):</code> and change VID:PID values to proper ones for your device, for example for my Arduino clone I edited it to: <code>if port[2].startswith("USB VID:PID=1A86:7525"):</code> After that, everything should work well (Inkscape restart is required if it was running while modifying extension) Control panel functionality: * PRG - programmable button, in current firmware configuration it's used for pausing plot * PEN - lower/raise pen * MOT - lock/unlock stepper motors For using EggBot extension for Inkscape, please refer to official documentation by Evil Mad Scientists.