Pen Plotter

The Pen Plotter was our first hands-on intro project to what CNC machines are. We would be building them, learning about G-code and writing our own, and then letting our pen plotters make pictures from the created files.

First when I got the box of parts, I had to go through them and create an inventory list of what I had, what was missing, and what I needed more of.

Next comes construction: I slowly put the plotter together from cut acrylic, metal beams, 3 stepper motors and a servo motor, an assortment of nuts, screws, and jumper wires, and 2 limit switches. I hook this up to my Arduino Uno with a shield and we are set.

Next, I learned about G-code and how to write commands in Visual Studio Code. I used these commands to start writing code to make basic lines and shapes.

I was able to take those files and import them into Universal G-code Sender. This program, once connected to our Pen Plotter, runs the files we made and draws whatever we told it to. To prove my superior expertise at this (joke), I had to make a line, a rectangle, a rounded rectangle, a star, and any object of my choice.

Task Complete! Just have to disassemble it for the next people to use.