CNC Machine Based on Arduino

Figure 1 

This homemade CNC machine is the second version which uses mostly off the shelve parts where every part is allowed for some adjustments and the different design makes it easier to be built.

The main material used in this project is the 16mm MDF along with the aluminum corner rails, lead screws, bearings, stepper motors, and others. An Arduino functions as the brain of the machine and the motor drivers are created based on ATtiny2313 paired with 1298. The CAT5 wires are used for power and for data are pairs from an old SCSI flat cable.

A different system is used by the linear rails on this machine compared to the first version wherein the new system is a lot easier to implement due to simplicity. A small groove in the center is created using a pair of normal bearings put side by side. Using two wires through the I2C protocol during the controller assembly, all 3 axes can be controlled in this way. The motor boards and the Arduino board are the two parts that comprise the electronics. The software is divided in 3 parts for the PC, Arduino, and motor controller.

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