MCB / Seedling: How to use the opto endswitches?

Hello everyone!

I am assembling a RepStrap "Seedling" and I am going to stick to the plans and instructions provided in the RepRap Wiki.

One thing I am wondering about is this: How do the opto endswitches get switches on? What moves between the two sides of the sensor on the PCB and blocks the switch?

I have already soldered and tested the switches, now I am wondering how to really use them once I have solderes the other boards.

This might once be written down in the wiki page: [reprap.org] , but at the moment it is not there and I just don't get it.

Regards,
Daniel

just about everything that you'd like to trigger the switch.
Use some sheet of crapmetal for example and bend it nicely that it'll trigger the switch at the right point.
The flag can be made of almost everything : metal, plastic, strong paper...

'sid

Quote

Use some sheet of crapmetal for example

What a splendid material name. I shall try to use it in conversation more often. Typo or deliberate?

Sorry, isn't that correct?
crap metal ?

what do you call it, those pieces of sheet metal you normally dispose?
*kopfkratz*
Maaan st

that would be scrap metal, I think

Danke / Thanks anyway.

uups, na klar

then my answer must be yes indeed (answering an or-question with yes is extremly useful )
I just messed up with crap and scrap (is there any difference technically?)
Nevermind, I'm talking **** the one or other day,
so just let me know whenever I use a wrong term

'sid

PS I'd be interested in how much such McWire will be when it's done, just to know if my very own try is cheaper or not.

Well, scrap isn't necessarily useless whereas crap implies a serious lack of quality or worth. In this context, I guess they're interchangeable, though crap is a little less technical or polite

Ah, now I get it scrap is the offcut, the carrieover just what remains.
(mostly it remains on my shelf... i don't know why )
and crap is seriously to be disposed.

thanks for lighting this up

'sid

btw: Daniel, you now do have flaps for your opto endswitches, don't you?

sid: Well at least I know what I will have to do now, thanks

I am still waiting for parts in order to construct my equivalent of the plumbing pipes. I am building my repstrap as a university project and still waiting for parts from a supplier...

Meanwhile I am halfway through soldering all the electronics. I have only two stepper motor drivers and the dc motor driver to go. I finished testing the first board only minutes ago - what a great feeling to have a moving motor in the hand

true!

I was afraid to test my completed kit for almost a week!
fortunately everything works as it should.
At least that's what I guess (didn't checked the temp sensor but that isn't the most complicated pcb, is it ?)

I'll have to wait for the steel rods to finish myself,
but I'm in no hurry, so that I take this one really slow (did I just say that?)
I still have no clue how to build the extruder out of nothing, but we'll see.
Maybe my cartesian is stiff enough for some minor milling, maybe I'll find some help

'sid