Changes

*Stepper Motor Belt System

*Stepper Motor Belt System

==Printer Disassembly==

==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===

====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

==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

*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 ====

    === 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