BC4E15NCRouter Firmware
The BC4E15NCRouter firmware is designed to allow the BC4E15 controller to operate four-axis stepper motor systems, wherein the intent is to control the four motors as one unit. It supports "perfect line" drawing, wherein the firmware controls the relative W, X, Y, Z stepping rates needed to cause straight (linear) motion between specified pairs of W, X, Y and Z addresses. Additionally, the code provides a simplified arc/circle (actually, a polygon) drawing tool, which permits easy drawing of near-circles and similar figures on any two of the four motors.
In order to perform the linked-motor operations, the firmware makes the assumption that one "step" on the any motor generates the same distance of motion as one "step" on any other motor. It also assumes that the gear system has no "windup" required when the direction of rotation is changed. That is to say, location 1245 is physically the same when approached from location 2047 as it is from 999 (zero backlash).
The BC4E15NCRouter firmware shares many of the features of the BC4E15PotRouter four-motor controller firmware. The current control of the motors is identical, as is the general method of sending numeric parameters for commands. Many of the commands which configure the system are also identical (such as setting the step rate); however, the fundamental control theory is different. The BC4E15NCRouter firmware explicitly controls all motors at the same time, from a single command (such as Goto or Arc), with automatic step-rate ratioing in order to generate straight lines; while BC4E15PotRouter explicitly controls the two motors independently, so that one motor may be performing a "slew" operation, while the other is executing a "goto".
The following table summarizes the currently released BC4E15 bipolar stepper motor control product key capabilities. You will first want to review the calculating motor current faq in order to determine the current requirements for your motor.
| Product | Bipolar | Current/Winding with 4 motors | Motor Voltages |
| BC4E15 | x | 0.2-1.5 Amp | up to 34 |
The BC4D15NCRouter key capabilities may be summarized as follows:
- Up to four stepper motors may be controlled at one time.
- Limit switches may be used to automatically request motion stop of any motor in either direction.
- Rates of 1 to 32,000 microsteps per second are supported.
- Step rates are changed by linearly ramping the rates; the rate of change is independently programmed for each motor, and can be from 1 to 32,000 microsteps per second per second.
- All motor coordinates and rates are expressed in programmable microstep units of 1/16 to one full step. Once the base step size is selected, changing stepping modes between half, full and micro does not change any other value other than which winding pairs may be driven at the same time. Each motor may have its own microstep size.
- Motor coordinates are maintained as 32 bit signed values, and thus have a range of –2,147,483,647 through +2,147,483,647.
- Both GoTo and step-wise Arc NC actions are fully supported.
- A TTL "busy" signal is available, which can be used to see if the motors are still moving. Note that this information is also available from the serial communications subsystem.
- Complete control of the motors, including total monitoring of current conditions, is available through the TTL-serial connection. USB communications are built into the board; use of the RS232ToTTL conversion board allows RS232 control.
- You have full control over the current which is sent to the windings, both when the motors are in motion and when they are idle.
- Can run off of a single user-provided 7.5 to 15 volt DC power supply. The board may also be configured using a split supply, wherein the motors run off of a separate DC power supplies (6 to 34 volt), while the logic circuit runs off of either a 5 volt DC supply or a 6.5 to 15 volt DC supply.
- Theoretically, an unlimited number of boards can be controlled via one serial line. The firmware is also compatible with the most commonly used mode of the SerRoute product.
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