Weblinks that might be useful...
These are a few of the places I've dug out information while I've been working on projects on this site, someone else might find them useful, so here they are!
Hardware
- www.modbus.org - Detailed information about the modbus standard.
- www.microchip.com - The microcontrollers I'm using come from these folks, along with a few hand app-notes.
- www.parallax.com - Makers of the Basic Stamp microcontrollers and other cool stuff.
Software
- libmodbus - Linux modbus tools / protocol implementation.
- modbus.pl - Some useful utilities in his download section, particularly 'mtester'
- CadSoft USA - The home of the eagle PCB software I used for the old 3Step schematics.
Stepper motor related links See the 3Step Project pages
Information:
- CNCZone - Amazing forums and information site for all things CNC and machining.
- Jones on Steppers - Almost required reading on Stepper motor theory if you want to understand whats actually going on.
Other DIY Driver Designs:
- PMINMO - Lots of DIY stepper driver info, great site for research
- PICStep - Bipolar 1/8 stepping design.
- LiniStepper - Linear unipolar microstepping design.
Commercial Stepper Drivers:
- HobbyCNC - Kitset 4 Axis microstepping unipolar driver boards, motors and more.
- Gecko - Serious Bipolar microstepping stepper drives.
- Xylotex - Biploar Stepper drives and motors etc.
CNC Controller Software:
- EMC / EMC2 - Linux based controller, my favorite, but then I'm a linux geek!
- Dak Engineering - TurboCNC, DOS based shareware CNC controller software.
- Mach3 - Very popular commercial Windows XP based controller software.