Finally started my Scope Drive project

[weareborg]

Its been awhile since I last posted on here. Other commitments have meant I have not been able to spend much time on my hobbies, but I've finally got started on my designs for my Computer control system of my up and coming telescope project.

The control system is based on Mel Bartel's scope drive system. The design that I am using is not my own, but one that I located on the net a few years ago. Luckily for me, I saved all the circuit diagrams etc, because the website pages are no longer available.

I have started off with laying out the circuit for the Dual PSU that the system uses, which incorporates both mains and battery operation, and outputs of both 12 and 24v's. I have attached an image of the completed pcb layout in wonderful 3D, thanks to a great little free circuit layout program called Kicad, which can be found here: Kicad

I will be laying out the rest of the boards over the next couple of days, and i will post more images as I go on.

Andy

[weareborg]

Just finished the next part of the project. This is a simple board that when connected to the main board, will indicate the pulsing of the attached stepper motors.

[Rusty Strings]

I may be asking the obvious, but how much control does this offer, it sounds very interesting.

[weareborg]

The design I am using is just an improved version of the board Mel Bartel's sells. It uses improved optocouplers to protect the computers parallel port and uses higher rated Mosfets to help dissipate heat which Mel's board tends to generate. Other than that, it controls 3 stepper motors. 1 for each axis and a 3rd for focus/field derotation. Full details of Mel's site can be found at BBAstroDesigns

Andy

[simon955]

Looks like a very interesting project, having a newly found interest in electronincs, i am looking forward to seeing how this develops

[weareborg]

I'm hoping to have the main drive board done before Wednesday. I'm in hospital from then on for at least 3 days for a hip operation. The circuit diagram is done. I've just to layout the board, which takes the longest.

[weareborg]

Whilst recuperating from my hip operation 3 wks ago, I've been playing around with my circuit layout for Mel Bartel's scope drive project. I had decided to build the board on a homemade pcb but decided against it so I chose stripboard. I used the free version of Veecad stripboard layout program to layout my board, and then I decided to create a 3D version of the board using Kicad.

Attached is a Veedcad image of the Altitude Drive board and a Kicad 3D view of the same board. In the 3D view the green tracks are the copper tracks of the stripboard, the green X's are the locations of the track cuts and the red tracks are the wire links on top of the board. The 3D view is layed out slightly different from the Veecad view, mainly on the side showing the LED connections. This way because of the Heatsink 3D modules that I have used. They take up alot of room on the board. Although when I actually start building the board in the next couple of weeks, the heatsinks will just be clip on types, so they won't take up that much room.