It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we launched this venture - and what an intense and exciting year it has been. 

Since then we have shipped 289 Kickstarter rewards and many, many retail units. We've ramped up production, and have worked and partnered with numerous vendors and suppliers during the course of the year to get this dialed in. So, just over a year later, we're now able to remove the "backorder" status from the website and produce kits and machines to order. As long as we can keep inventory out ahead of orders we should be good to go. Transitioning out of what has seemed like a perpetual backorder status is a huge deal for us and signifies a new phase in our fledgling company.

As we move forward, our USB interface development is coming along very well. We partnered with a company in the golfing industry to design and build an engraving machine for them. It depends on the same USB interface that so many have been waiting on. We took on this project because it is underwriting this development and accelerating it's progress. Without this project's revenue we simply wouldn't have had enough funds in the Kickstarter project to design and produce the caliber of USB interface, electronics and desktop application we wanted to provide. For those very patient backers waiting for the USB version we hope the very long wait will be well worth it.

At this stage the hardware works great, the firmware works great and just needs some refinement and ancillary features implemented, and the desktop app, in prototype form, can do engraving by simply typing in text and clicking a button. The foundation routines are in place to process gcode files, visualize them and send them to the CNC machine. Currently the engraving version of the app generates g-code from the font outline and streams it out the USB port to our microprocessor interface which then interprets it and drives the machine. 

Because of the serial nature of the USB port it was critical to have a microprocessor on the other end of the USB cable to parse, process and time out each instruction, and then request the next instruction from the app. Having our own desktop application to communicate and sync with the interface firmware was also a necessity and a complexity we didn't foresee back at the beginning. You can see pictures of the engraver and an engraved piece below. The bottom line with all of this is that the USB interface and software application that comes with it will be far better than we originally planned, - much more capable and will result in a great stand-alone product for the CNC hobbyist (as well as a USB version of our machines). If all goes well and this development keeps on-track, we hope to have USB packages available in May.

For those that have read the DIY Desktop CNC Machine's Comprehensive Plans and Manual eBook, you'll see directions in there for expanding the machine to create a larger workspace. We've built a few of these in-house to order, and they work really well. Below you can see a picture of a 24x14 unit. Depending on the demand for this machine we may carry it as a new kit and turnkey product. You can also see how this monster really doesn't fit in the trunk of my MG, though with a few bungee cords that's how it got to the UPS store that day.

That's about it for now. We'll be adding items to the online store, such as the new spindle, individual motors and other items. They have been on hold until we passed that "backorder" milestone, so keep an eye out for those changes over the next few days.

What a crazy Holiday period this has been, both at home and at MyDIYCNC. 

We've been working with our new subcontractor and should be getting complete sets of parts very soon. This will free us from the parts manufacturing tasks and allow us more time for more important developments. We've taken delivery of most of the aluminum parts and will soon have the HDPE and HDF laminate components with which to make kits and machines. So far we're very pleased with the parts and how this is working out. They look sharp (as you can see in the pics) and the machine shop even engraved part numbers on each piece. If all goes well we'll soon have all products off-the-shelf and be able to remove the "backorder" status from our online store. 

To coincide with our imminent supply of machined parts we're stocking up on inventory at the moment, re-up'ing our precision rod, threaded rod, fasteners and hardware, enclosures, cables, connectors, stepper motors and electronics boards supplies. The logistics are daunting. The overall plan is to enter 2012 with a consolidated, smooth-running production, allowing for more time to devote to R&D and refinement.

In addition to the new parts, we just received a shipment of a new spindle we'll be offering as an upgrade from the standard unit. I mentioned before that we've been evaluating many spindle candidates. The unit we've chosen provides more torque (110 g-cm vs. 70 g-cm) than our standard unit and while it doesn't spin as fast, it does offer manual variable speed (5K to 14K RPM). The keyless chuck also provides a lot of flexibility in end mill choices. These key features along with internal cooling fan and ball bearing driveshaft make it a nice unit for a wide range of milling applications. It will pop up on out website soon as an optional upgrade.

Development on the USB interface has picked up steam as we carve more time away from manufacturing parts. Focus is now on an all-in-one board that incorporates the MPU, USB interface and stepper drivers on a single board (see pic of breadboard proto). The purpose of this development work is to provide a USB solution at the lowest price point. Our current working prototype of the MPU/USB interface version adds-on to our existing stepper driver modules. While it works well it's looking like a costly solution. We may end up with both as they each have a place and a role to play. Both solutions are dependent on a desktop app written in Processing to communicate with the firmware. That app may be transitioned to C# pending the outcome of some testing. Lots of activity and good progress on that front. The goal is to get to a point as soon as possible where we can determine an ETA and therefore a delivery time for the remaining Kickstarter rewards.

All in all, and whatever the path ahead may hold for us, 2012 promises to be a very busy and exciting year, and one where we hope to consolidate this venture to evolve from Project to Company.....fingers crossed.

Thank you all again for your patience and support, especially those who still await their USB version of their reward. You are very much appreciated.

Just a quick update on the Laser Driver Module/Head...

I had an opportunity to mill out the redesigned Laser Driver Module PCB, build and test it. The last version had issues holding a constant current - this one is nice and stable.

So we fired it up and ran some tests on the prototype. We had wanted for some time to try decal cutting from automotive permanent decal vinyl and this seemed like a perfect time. The end results are in a video posted to the MyDIYCNC YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/xRrZYX16p9Q

The video gives the technical details and other info as it plays. Next up is a 1W IR Laser Diode to see how well that cuts, but not until we get a break from USB interface development work. Hopefully soon.

If you haven't spotted it already, the schematic, circuit diagram, instructions and PCB art for the MyDIYCNC Stepper Exerciser Module are posted in the Resources section of our website. This module can drive (provides step/direction/enable signals for) one of our stepper modules without the need for a PC to be hooked up. It's handy to have it you want to isolate your electronics from the PC and test your axes, or if you simply need to move the axis without having to turn the threaded rod manually. In addition we have posted the PCB track isolation milling and through-hole drilling g-code files for creating your own MyDIYCNC Stepper Exerciser Module on your MyDIYCNC Desktop CNC Machine. If you need a test file or simply wanted to try your hand at milling PCB's on your MyDIYCNC Desktop CNC Machine these files will get you started. Now that we're starting to farm-out our manufacturing (see below) we'll have more time to post additional g-code files for our users to play with.

We've mentioned in the past about our long search for a good manufacturing partner company to whom we can sub-out most of the manufacturing tasks. We've been trying hard to keep this project local-built. Well, we're delighted to be able to say that we've found such a company in our area and as I type they are busy making MyDIYCNC Desktop CNC Machine parts for us in their factory.  This news is none-too-soon, as it's been getting freakin' cold in our workshops these days. This should enable us to finally clear the backlog status (soon) and concentrate on what we do best (and prefer) which is innovation and development. We'll post pictures/news as this develops, and we expect our first batches of machined parts within a couple of weeks. In the meantime we're still hand-building and shipping as we have been - slowly but surely. 

On the production/shipping front, we're in the last batch of Standard Complete Turnkey systems and as soon as they're out the door we'll regroup, reassess and replenish inventory, stock up with the manufactured parts and lift the backlog status off the website. At that point we'll be able to also add additional parts items to our catalog to assist builders who need individual modules, components and parts.

The R&D on the USB interface is coming along nicely. Focus is now on a complete intelligent USB controller module (as opposed to an add-on module to our existing divers modules) with partner desktop application for sending and visualizing the g-code output. The current prototype drives our electronics successfully, but the lower cost of a complete integrated system as opposed to a collection of modules is pushing us towards that solution.  Having a manufacturing partner to take on the heavy-lifting aspects of this project should accelerate our efforts on this and our other development work, such as the Laser and 3D printing heads. More news to come...