Mechaduino servo - group-build?

Projects
1

The Mechaduino is an affordable, open-source, industrial servo motor. Position, torque, velocity, and custom modes. Arduino compatible.

It’s basically a little board that attaches to a NEMA 17 stepper motor providing closed-loop control. The demos are really cool.

I’m interested in building a few of these for myself, and wondering if there is any interest in doing a group build. So right now this is just a temperature-check for interest.

@Jarrett put together a BOM from digikey (not including the passives, which we should be able to find at VHS) and it’s looking like the cost per unit will be less than US$10, plus the board, plus the motor.

Update Mon, June 13:

The following people have indicated interest:

@lukecyca: 3
@TomKeddie: 1
@ninetynein: 1
@packetbob: 3
@Jarrett: 1
@dhylands: 6 (shipped as kits)
@jon: 2 (shipped as kits)
@Daniel_DeGagne: 1
@Janet: 1
@rsim: 7
@dbynoe: 4
@doug: 4
@Majicj: 1
TOTAL: 35

Boards

@TomKeddie has offered to take care of ordering the PCB boards. He’s getting 40, so we’ll have some spares.

BOM

@Jarrett has put together the BOM here: Digi-Key - Fast Add, which works out to $21/unit USD, or about $29/unit CAD. That puts the total cost at $30+ CAD per unit (depending on shipping or anything else that comes up). The stepper motor is not included of course.

After checking at VHS for any parts that we already have (headers, diodes, maybe caps) I’ll put this order in for 40 units.

Update Thurs, June 23

I have created a Tilt to collect money. See details below.

Update Friday, Aug 5

The kits are ready for pickup, and I have started to distribute them. Please get in touch, or some out to one of the build nights. The contains all of the parts except for the pin headers which most people already have, and are easily sourced from the VHS parts bins.

I created an annotated map of the boards to show where each part goes:

3 Likes
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I’m in, probably just for one initially.

Am happy to do the PCB order, can you post a link to the gerbers?

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In for one to start.

4

i’m in for 3

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Totally in for one, why do you do this to me! :slight_smile: :frowning:

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I’d be interested in 6 (I don’t need steppers). I would need someone to
mail them to me (I don’t mind paying for postage and handling). I also
would have the passives in my parts drawers.

Dave Hylands

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https://github.com/jcchurch13/Mechaduino-Hardware/blob/master/Mechaduino01_Gerbers.zip

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Yep, can’t decide whether to do 20 or 40, I guess 40 and split the cost?

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So I noticed the BOM I transferred to Digikey was incomplete, just fixed it:

http://www.digikey.com/short/3zz4w1

The total price for 10 is $209 USD, with the addition of the sensor and motor driver ICs. They’re using an $8 chip!

I’m still in for one, because they’re rad.

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I’d be in for two if you’d be willing to throw them in an envelope

1 Like
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Given the BOM cost, I’ll drop back to 20 pcbs and pay for the other half of the “panel” myself.

12

I have been waiting for technology like this.

13

Tom, if you want some cash up front, I think that’s fair.

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Tyson, it’s not much money, I’lll get organised early next week, once I do the order we can work it out. @lukecyca is that ok with you?

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I’m in for 1 please.

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Wow - this looks very cool. I’m in for one. I also volunteer to mail two to @jon.

1 Like
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I’m in for 7 I think. I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow Tom!

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What a response! So far we have 26 kits requested!

@dhylands: At a quantity of 6 you might be better off placing your own orders with Digikey and OSHPark/DirtyPCBs and then just following along with our build via this thread. Otherwise I don’t mind mailing some/all of the parts to you if you pay shipping. Up to you.

Let’s try to cut this group order off at the end of this weekend. At that point we can finalize the numbers and cost and start collecting money.

@TomKeddie: If you’re keen to order the boards, go ahead. Or I can pay for the order in order to handle all the $$$ for this group order. Either way I’d appreciate your help prepping the order (don’t want to make a mistake on 40+ boards). If there is a colour choice, I vote retro-green. :slight_smile:

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Hi Luke,

I’m happy to pay for shipping. I figured going in on the group buy would be
better. My step daughter lives in Vancouver, so I may also be able to get
her to drop by and pick things up. I think it will just depend on when
everything comes together.

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Hey I was going to place an order with http://www.dipmicro.ca for some parts. How about we get some of the stuff there. As he’s a little Canadian guy and I’d like to support him when I can. And I can add them to my order

Sounds like as well we’ll still be way over the $200 with digikey so we should still get the free shipping.

Also I saw header pins I know we have those. We should do a part search at VHS? Monday or Tuesday maybe? VMMF this weekend.

@dhylands Your step daughter is Theresa right? I know her from the line bot I helped her with. I could help arrange her to get the parts. She doesn’t live far from VHS.