I realized I ended up migrating to a different forum topic for several posts. I should do a better job keeping this stuff organized.
Here is another status update.
- I put the catenary (chain-sag) equations into GC kinematics.py. I spent some time validating it, and I believe everything to be correct. I created a script to plot how much the chain-sag displaces the sled across the work surface. Below is the plot. I still need to post the machine parameters that produced this result.
- I put the elasticity equations into GC kinematics.py. Everything appears correct here, as well. However, I haven’t validated it as substantially.
Here are some future activities:
- I would like to create the same displacement surface-plot for the elasticity effect. We may find this is as significant as chain-sag, maybe more.
- I am still thinking it makes sense to change the hole-pattern. I have thought about it for a while, and am considering a six-hole pattern. My thought is: there should be a point in the top-center of the work-surface, since this point is most sensitive to calibration changes.
- It still makes sense to simulate all the updates, before trying anything on hardware.
- We need to get these calculations into a firmware branch. It has been a while since I have written code in any C language, so doing the work will require some learning on my part.
- Physical calibration and test.
- Some have requested these simulations be put into the GC simulator: chain-sag displacement, chain-elasticity displacement, and calibration evaluation.