About

Vplotter is a vertical plotter for g-code. It runs on a Raspberry Pi. Works with the gcodetools extension for Inkscape.

v-plotter in action on youtube:

Install

• install raspian: www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/

• install necessary packages: git, cmake, flex, wiringPi

    sudo apt-get install git-core cmake flex wiringpi
  

• download and build vplotter:

    git clone https://github.com/bertlr/vplotter.git
    cd vplotter
    cmake .
    make
    sudo make install        
  

Usage

The vplotter reads g-code files.

The plotter needs some commandline arguments:

• x0 : horizontal distance from the left stepper motor to the zero point of the canvas in mm. see the image

• y0 : vertical distance from the left stepper motor to the zero point of the canvas in mm. see the image

• baselength : the distance between the stepper motors in mm, see the image.

• z_up : a value for the servo motor to lift the pen (1 - 100)

• z_down : a value for the servo motro to move down the pen (1 - 100)

• steps : the count of steps to move the cord at 1 mm:

  1600 / circumference of the pulley

  for microsteps

run the plotter as root:

sudo vplotter --x0=170 --y0=-720 --baselength=685 --z_up=11 --z_down=7 --steps=40.1

provide a g-code file test.ngc:

sudo vplotter --x0=170 --y0=-720 --baselength=685 --z_up=11 --z_down=7 --steps=40.1 < test.ngc

finish the plotter type Ctrl+C or type in the konsole:

M30

The Z-axis can only lift or drop the pen. A value >0 lift the pen, and <=0 drop the pen.

G0 Z0 (move the pen down)
G0 Z1 (raise the pen up)

It is possible to set a feed, but this is not exact.

G1 X100 F200

It supports G2 and G3 for circles with radius R:

G2 X10 Y20 R20

or with relative center point coordinates:

G2 X10 Y0 I5 J10

Change units to inches:

G20

Change to millimetre:

G21

Wiring

The plotter uses EasyDriver for the stepper motors: www.schmalzhaus.com/EasyDriver/