I’d like to order two from mouser.com or digikey.com and drive them with my own Pololu-T500-based stepper motor driver for a custom project.
I will build two custom drivers for that actuator and donate one to DMS. It will be tiny and its home will be the rotary actuator’s toolbox.
Tell us more about this project.
Some day, I would like to build a rotary attachment which can handle a longer object.
we do not have a part number. It comes as part of the rotary attachment. It does seem to be standard.
some info on the wiring:
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Laser_Committee#Thunder_Laser_Rotary_Tool_Attachment
Interesting. I am planning on doing the same (except for the whole making two. I just figured I’d let DMS use it when theirs likely breaks sometime around December 12th). Picked up some steppers a while ago from Tanners. Was planning to use a store-bought driver - nothing custom.
Was wondering the exact question regarding the connector.
Aside: what is currently delaying the project is my own desire to use the machine shop to actually build the mechanical aspects of the rotary tool.
I’ll respond to each of your posts here:
Bill,
Per “Tell us more about this project”, first have a look at this photo I just took:
That is a 2" diameter round aluminum tube with 0.25" wall thickness. DMS member Kevin wants an eight-foot long version of that and he is drilling all those holes by hand! Ouch. He wants to make many of these, so I am building a CNC 3-axis XYZ tool to drill those holes and sand it later on. So far I have two 8’ aluminum I-beams, 3" x 4", which will be the base, and all the other components except linear guides from Anaheim Automation which should be here in about 1.5 weeks.
Kevin will write the control software for this and I will build the hardware. I want the connector so Kevin can test his software using our existing rotary actuator which will behave exactly like my CNC tool, but it is much shorter.
talkers,
Thanks you for that info; now I don’t need to figure out those stepper motor control signals. 
As for the part number, I showed a photo of the connector to Jim at Tanner Electronics and he pointed me to what appears to be the right part. We’ll see tomorrow…
darrent,
You should wait for me to finish this CNC tool. I’ll own it but keep it at DMS, if allowed, for all members to use. The y-axis will start as rotary, exactly like our existing laser cutters can rotate a cup, then later I’ll add a linear option like our MultiCam and Shapeoko can do. Next I’ll allow a router or mill head to replace the drill so we will be more like our MultiCam or Shapeoko beauties. This new CNC tool will have an XYZ travel volume of 93" x 13.685" x 8" (height is 8") and is designed for soft metals and plastics.
Bruce
The wiring pin out on the Thunder Laser is a little misleading I believe… As I don’t think they would label these like that if they use a Simple A-Phase / B-Phase drive, 4 WIRES. Of course first, you need to know the Stepper Voltage & Degree of Step… Most are 1.8 degree Step & 200 steps per revolution. Anyhowz… I use to waste a lot of time playing with them… LOL… I decided years back to build a table top CNC… Worked pretty good actually… Used old drives out of IBM printers… Used Bob-Cad to draw object & Mach-3 to output out Parallel port to home brew ST electronics L297 stepper motor controller & ST L298 Dual full bridge driver. Pic is my first single channel I built many moons back… LOL… Video is my ole CNC table top unit… ( video isn’t that good ) Anyhow… Let me know if I can be any help…
Link to Youtube Video >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzWQNAs0RjU
I’ve been meaning to look at the Rotary Axis for the Thunders… So today I looked & they did go the elaborate route… lol It’s a NEMA size 23 Stepper with a Driver unit on it… It looks like that company Leadshine may have changed the model number unless this one is a Custom one… I’m thinking it may be a ST L279 & ST L298 in the little box… Anyhowzz… Leadshine IST57-10 may be the newer model …
http://www.leadshine.com/productdetail.aspx?ype=products&category=stepper-products&producttype=integrated-stepper-motors&series=IST-23&model=iST-2320
The best bang for the buck is the Gecko Drive, have bought a few from them before… Great Tech Support …
NO NEED to write software … https://www.geckodrive.com/stepper-motor-controls.html
Even better just buy the Leadshine unit ( if direct replacement ) for $ 142.00 That’s the stepper & driver unit…
http://americanmotiontech.com/products/productdetail.aspx?model=ist-2320-nema-23-integrated-stepper-motor
For Timing Belts & Pulleys ( if not local source ) SDP-SI has them…
http://www.sdp-si.com/
Wow, I just now figure out how TALK works to see your reply.
I am certain I will use some of this…
Bruce
