Difference between revisions of "Calibration Device for Scintillators"
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| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
*Stepper Motor Belt System | *Stepper Motor Belt System | ||
| − | ==Printer | + | ==Printer's Linear Motion== |
*Disassembled printer casing | *Disassembled printer casing | ||
*Installed cygwin on computer for C interface and read up on programming language C | *Installed cygwin on computer for C interface and read up on programming language C | ||
*Investigated Computer Numerical Control but found it was not useful for this application | *Investigated Computer Numerical Control but found it was not useful for this application | ||
*Investigated serial port programming and the use of Printer Control Language on an HP printer | *Investigated serial port programming and the use of Printer Control Language on an HP printer | ||
| − | + | ====Parallel Port Programming==== | |
*Interfacing directly to the printer proved very challenging | *Interfacing directly to the printer proved very challenging | ||
*Unsuccessfully accessed printer | *Unsuccessfully accessed printer | ||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
==Worm Gear== | ==Worm Gear== | ||
| − | *Spinning a long grooved cylinder gear requires a lot of torque | + | *Spinning a long grooved metal cylinder gear requires a lot of torque |
*Minimal support for head motion | *Minimal support for head motion | ||
*DC motor with time steps is not as effective as stepper motor | *DC motor with time steps is not as effective as stepper motor | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
*very costly | *very costly | ||
*possibly too heavy duty for this application | *possibly too heavy duty for this application | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
== Belt System == | == Belt System == | ||
*Stepper motor with micro controller stands stationary on one end and calibration device would be connected to a slide rail system for stability[[File:Gears 01.gif|thumb|Clamping Plate Setup http://www.polytechdesign.com/images/gears_01.gif]] | *Stepper motor with micro controller stands stationary on one end and calibration device would be connected to a slide rail system for stability[[File:Gears 01.gif|thumb|Clamping Plate Setup http://www.polytechdesign.com/images/gears_01.gif]] | ||
*We need to find something that is low cost but is accurate enough to be stopped at each fiber array block. This would call for a low pitch. One example I've found is as low as 8mm pitch with 200 teeth making a 1.6 meter timing belt. Because the intended light source for calibration is most likely going to have a wide range, 8mm is a fair sized step as the scintillators are 2mm each but grouped in blocks. | *We need to find something that is low cost but is accurate enough to be stopped at each fiber array block. This would call for a low pitch. One example I've found is as low as 8mm pitch with 200 teeth making a 1.6 meter timing belt. Because the intended light source for calibration is most likely going to have a wide range, 8mm is a fair sized step as the scintillators are 2mm each but grouped in blocks. | ||
| − | + | ==== Motor ==== | |
| − | |||
*Need to locate a stepper motor to attach to one end of the pulley belt system | *Need to locate a stepper motor to attach to one end of the pulley belt system | ||
Revision as of 18:47, 7 December 2010
- The objective is to create a linear motion device that will calibrate a set array of scintillators using light pulses
Ideas
- Printer disassembly and take-over of printer head linear motion through use of parallel port programming with C
- Worm gear connected to DC motor with micro controller set up
- Linear Rail system
- Stepper Motor Belt System
Printer's Linear Motion
- Disassembled printer casing
- Installed cygwin on computer for C interface and read up on programming language C
- Investigated Computer Numerical Control but found it was not useful for this application
- Investigated serial port programming and the use of Printer Control Language on an HP printer
Parallel Port Programming
- Interfacing directly to the printer proved very challenging
- Unsuccessfully accessed printer
- It seems one would need to write a driver to fully take over the printer in the way we desire
Worm Gear
- Spinning a long grooved metal cylinder gear requires a lot of torque
- Minimal support for head motion
- DC motor with time steps is not as effective as stepper motor
Rail System
- very costly
- possibly too heavy duty for this application
Belt System
- Stepper motor with micro controller stands stationary on one end and calibration device would be connected to a slide rail system for stability
Clamping Plate Setup http://www.polytechdesign.com/images/gears_01.gif - We need to find something that is low cost but is accurate enough to be stopped at each fiber array block. This would call for a low pitch. One example I've found is as low as 8mm pitch with 200 teeth making a 1.6 meter timing belt. Because the intended light source for calibration is most likely going to have a wide range, 8mm is a fair sized step as the scintillators are 2mm each but grouped in blocks.
Motor
- Need to locate a stepper motor to attach to one end of the pulley belt system