Wireless adaptation for a standalone CNC controller

Abstract

Togheter with Elias Verstappe I worked on this thesis. We are two students at the university of applied sciences Vives in Bruges, Belgium. This thesis has been worked out at the University of Valladolid in Spain where we are both on Erasmus. A Bachelor’s thesis aims to solve a specific problem. In our case this is a problem which is related to electronics because we are both students electronics. The aim of this thesis is to control an old CNC machine with an electronic system designed by Elias and I. As technological developments follow each other in rapid succession in recent years, some outdated devices are no longer supported by the latest control systems. Dr. Jesús Arias Álvarez and Dr. Jesús M. Hernández Mangas, both professors at the University of Valladolid, suggested the following problem: They currently have an old CNC machine that is controlled by an old MS-DOS computer. Our assignment is to control the CNC machine on the basis of a selfdesigned control unit. The CNC machine must also be capable of being controlled via a website. To replace the functionality of the old MS-DOS computer, we designed a printed circuit board ourselves. You can control the machine in two different ways: on one hand everything can be operated by means of a touchscreen, on the other hand the CNC machine can be fully controlled on the basis of a website. Now that the project is finished, I can conclude that the functionality of a program on an old computer can be applied fairly easily in a website. The only additional costs that the website entails are the working hours of the person who develops the website. Once the WiFi module has been purchased and the website has been developed, the website does not incur any additional costs. This thesis shows that many old machines can be controlled via a printed circuit board and can also be controlled by a website. This method could be applied to other machines where newer technology is desired.