CNC Plotter

I created a CNC plotter. A CNC plotter is a machine which is a computer-controlled structure that receives instructions through a serial port sent from a computer and moves its actuators depending on the received instructions to create a drawing. Most of these machines are stepper motor based which includes stepper motors in theme axis.
This project was created using an old broken 3D printer, a CNC shield, 3 drv8825 motor drivers, and an Arduino UNO. I also used computer softwares called Chilipeppr, Fusion 360, and Inkscape. During this project, I learned many new things. I learned about how to choose proper power sources for circuits. I learned how to work with stepper motors. I learned how to work in the CAM section of Fusion 360 when making gcode files. I also learned how to use a multimeter. I ran into many obstacles too. For instance, I used multiple types of motor shields, but I burnt them out because the stepper motors drew too much current. Since I didn’t have a datasheet, I had to manually find the current and voltage draw of the stepper motors by powering the motherboard of the 3D printer, and attaching jumper wires to bridge a connection from the motor to the motherboard. I used the multimeter as one of the four connections which allowed me to read the current and voltage draw.