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12. Mechanical Design, Machine Design

Hero Shot!

My Contribution

You can find more details on our lab site: TechWorks - Machine

During the development of FabLab in a Box, I contributed in several core areas, including electronics, control, and mechanical components. Below are detailed descriptions of my work:

1. Electronics Wiring & Testing

I was responsible for wiring and testing the robot’s electronic system. This included:

  • Connecting stepper motors, A4988 stepper drivers, limit switches, and the RAMPS 1.4 board to a reliable power supply.
  • Organizing and routing the wires to avoid noise and short circuits, using color coding and cable sleeves.
  • Using a multimeter to verify all connections, especially for setting Vref voltages on the A4988 drivers to prevent overheating.
  • Testing each axis independently to confirm motor movement, direction, and endstop response.

Electronics Setup

2. Serial Command Execution using YAT

To control the robotic arm manually and test motion sequences, I used YAT (Yet Another Terminal) for serial communication.

What I Did:

  • Sent direct G-code commands for real-time movement control.
  • Adjusted X, Y, and Z coordinates to fine-tune positions for pick-and-place tasks.
  • Verified motor behavior and firmware response consistency using logs from YAT.

Installing YAT

To install YAT on Windows:

  1. Visit the official YAT website.
  2. Download the latest .msi installer.
  3. Run the installer and follow the steps to complete installation.
  4. After installation:
  5. Open YAT.
  6. Select the correct COM port for your Arduino or RAMPS board.
  7. Set baud rate (usually 115200).
  8. Configure newline character to for correct G-code execution.

YAT Interface

Designing Pick & Place Task Boxes

Designing Box
Box Example

G-code Commands Used in YAT

g0x0y200     // Set x, y position
g0z-105      // Lower z to grip
M3           // Gripper close
g0z100       // Lift z
g0x60y200    // Move to new x
g0z-90       // Lower z
M5           // Open gripper
g0z100       // Lift z

3. Gripper Design & Implementation

I designed a new motor holder specifically for our robotic platform. My work involved:

Creating the CAD model using Solidworks.

Assembling the gripper with a dedicated motor interface for precise gripping action.

Files

Resources