Printer From a CD Reader

This is an easy printer made from parts of a cd reader.
It prints using a regular marker of any color.
Maybe it doesn't have a great resolution but this is a project that I really wanted to do.

Step 1: Materials

The most important is the cd reader, also a dvd reader will work.
Try to find one with a bipolar motor for the laser, mine used a regular dc motor and I changed it later for a stepper motor.
Also you will need another stepper motor with a rubber wheel and a wooden base.
Electronic stuff is detailed in other step.

Step 2: First Motor

Remove this motor with the metal support and the horizontal guides.
The pick up laser and the other motor are not used.

Step 3: Second Motor

This motor have to be removed with all the reduction gears.
Cut the plastic with a dremell and then use a sand paper to remove the excess.

Step 4: Finish the Cartridge

This is not actually a cartridge. But this is where the marker will be attached.
Use a piece of plastic, attach the dc motor to one of the sides and then glue all this over the guides of pick up laser.

Step 5: Marker Holder

This little piece will allow you to change the marker.
Is a plastic tube with a hole on one side. Over that hole I glued a plastic nut with a screw.
This piece must be glued to the last reduction gear.

Step 6: New Motor

This is because my cd reader used a dc motor, and it is not very efficient, so I changed it for a bipolar stepper motor.

Step 7: Electronic Board

The circuit was made using a perfboard. The three switches in the image are to used in the final project

Step 8: Finish the Hardware

Step 9: Basic Code

Define CONF_WORD = 0x3f70
AllDigital 'Todos los pines del PORTA como E/S
TRISA = 0x00
TRISB = 0x00 'Configuro el PORTB completo como salida.

Symbol motorpen1 = PORTA.0
Symbol motorpen2 = PORTA.1
Symbol motora1 = PORTB.0
Symbol motora2 = PORTB.1
Symbol motorb1 = PORTB.2
Symbol motorb2 = PORTB.3
Symbol bobina1 = PORTB.4
Symbol bobina2 = PORTB.5
Symbol bobina3 = PORTB.6
Symbol bobina4 = PORTB.7

PORTB = 0x00
PORTA = 0x00
Dim sleeptime As Byte
Dim sleeppap As Byte
Dim cambio As Bit
Dim fila As Byte
Dim fila2 As Byte
Dim fila3 As Byte
Dim fila4 As Byte
Dim fila5 As Byte
Dim bipo As Byte

bipo = 1
sleeppap = 2

fila = 255
fila2 = 255
fila3 = 255
fila4 = 255
fila5 = 255

cambio = True

inicio:
botones:

Gosub avanzarmotor1
Gosub avanzarmotor1
Gosub ecribirletra
Gosub ecribirletra
fila = 0
fila2 = 0
fila3 = 0
fila4 = 0
fila5 = 0
Gosub ecribirletra
Gosub ecribirletra

'aca empieza el codigo

'aca termina el codigo

fila = 0
fila2 = 0
fila3 = 0
fila4 = 0

Goto botones

End

ecribirletra:

If fila5.7 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.6 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.5 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.4 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.3 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.2 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.1 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila5.0 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.7 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.6 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.5 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.4 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.3 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.2 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.1 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila4.0 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.7 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.6 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.5 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.4 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.3 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.2 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.1 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila3.0 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.7 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.6 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.5 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.4 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.3 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.2 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.1 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila2.0 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.7 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.6 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.5 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.4 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.3 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.2 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.1 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub moverhorizontal
If fila.0 = True Then
Gosub bajarlapicera
Endif
Gosub volvertodo
Gosub avanzarmotor1
Return

bajarlapicera:
motorpen1 = 1
motorpen2 = 0
WaitMs 102
motorpen1 = 0
motorpen2 = 1
WaitMs 102
motorpen1 = 0
motorpen2 = 0
WaitMs 102
Return

moverhorizontal:
bipo = bipo + 1
If bipo = 5 Then bipo = 1
PORTB = 0
motora1 = 1
motorb1 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
motora1 = 1
motorb2 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
motora2 = 1
motorb2 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
motora2 = 1
motorb1 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
Return

moverhorizontalatras:
bipo = bipo + 1
If bipo = 5 Then bipo = 1
PORTB = 0
motora2 = 1
motorb1 = 1
WaitMs 6
PORTB = 0
motora2 = 1
motorb2 = 1
WaitMs 6
PORTB = 0
motora1 = 1
motorb2 = 1
WaitMs 6
PORTB = 0
motora1 = 1
motorb1 = 1
WaitMs 6
PORTB = 0
Return

volvertodo:
Dim y As Byte
For y = 0 To 41
motora2 = 1
motorb1 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
motora2 = 1
motorb2 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
motora1 = 1
motorb2 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
motora1 = 1
motorb1 = 1
WaitMs sleeppap
PORTB = 0
Next y
PORTB = 0
Return

avanzarmotor1:
If cambio = True Then
cambio = False
Else
cambio = True
Endif

If cambio = True Then
PORTB = 0
bobina1 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina1 = 1
bobina2 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina2 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina2 = 1
bobina3 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
Else
PORTB = 0
bobina3 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina3 = 1
bobina4 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina4 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina4 = 1
bobina1 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
Endif
Return

retrocedermotor1:
If cambio = True Then
cambio = False
Else
cambio = True
Endif
If cambio = True Then
PORTB = 0
bobina4 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina3 = 1
bobina4 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina3 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina2 = 1
bobina3 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
Else
PORTB = 0
bobina2 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina2 = 1
bobina1 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina1 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
bobina4 = 1
bobina1 = 1
WaitMs sleeptime
PORTB = 0
Endif
Return

Step 10: Code Generator

For an easy drawing I made this program in Java language.
You just need to open it and make your draw, when you finish it just press "p" and you will see a window with the source code that you need. Copy this code and paste it between the labels "'aca empieza el codigo" and "'aca termina el codigo" of your basic code.

Step 11: Examples

Comments

[TerraM5]

¿Con qué aplicación o programa podría ejecutar el archivo "impresora2.jar"?

[snehil.sourabh]

Hi cn any1 tell me how to connect the marker motor and how to connect the circuit to pc via parallel port

[NoynonMayta]

how to use basic code?

[nbáscones]

hola bruno.

gran trabajo !! me gustaría hacer este instructable pero los cd que tengo tienen motores dc regulares con encoder magnético. el cable tiene 6 contactos ¿conoces como se pueden conectar a arduino para operar con esos motores?

muchas gracias!

[snehil.sourabh]

hi bro can u send me a detailed circuit diagram at my e mail [e-mail] i will be very thankful to u

[arcomp]

Fantastic!

[rramesh1]

can u make an instructable on making a dot matrix printer using parallel ports

[AndyGadget]

I've only just seen this - Absolutely Brilliant!
I was involved with designing dot-matrix printers way back in the 'eighties - Our fastest one did 320 characters per second but had nowhere near the appeal and style of yours.

[babu1423]

how do u connect the circuit to the computer to upload the program and the image? awsome project man .

[subhradeep3000]

Can u give me a link to the full circuit diagram i don't know where to connect the switches and the marker motor.

[kevinmaru28]

can u plz upload a video showing connections of your printer to PC

[kevinmaru28]

If I want to write some other text so i need to change code

[lyakunina]

Awesome project!! Just one question.
"The three switches in the image are to used in the final project". What for?

[brunoip]

While debbugging that switches were for moving the paper or the pen or something like that. Now in the last program they are meaningless. Sorry for the late reply

[brunoip]

The java program generates de basic code for the pic, then you have to assembly this code and upload it into the pic

[aigotinsane]

looks like we just got a new definition to printers anyways its awesome and im amazed

[kivster]

Can I buy one

[brunoip]

you can make one

[Blake1995]

could you tell me the names of all the components and connections you used please. And also how did you connect it to the computer.

[brunoip]

You connect it to the computer when you load the program into the pic