2-Axis Motorized Camera Scanner

X 0.0 mm

Y 0.0 mm

Frame 0 /32

IDLE

X Position

0.0 mm

Angle: 0°

Y Position

0.0 mm

Angle: 0°

Frame / Grid

0 / 32

Col: 0 Row: 0

Step Size

8.0 mm

Overlap: 20%

Settle Delay

350 ms

Status: Damped

ESP32 Status

Simulated

USB CDC Online

📺 View Mode:

ESP32-C3 Board • Mechanical Rack • Specimen Bed

All-in-One Simultaneous Kinematics • Microcontroller + Dual SG90 + 60×30 mm Slide

Bed + ESP32 + Mech

Orange: PWM Red: +5V Dark: GND Green: Trig Cyan: Bed

Specimen Bed (60 × 30 mm)

Serpentine Snake Grid • 10×10 mm FOV

32 Frames

FOV Done Path

X Position Slider 0.0 mm

Y Position Slider 0.0 mm

Manual Jog (4mm Step)

ESP32-C3 SERIAL LOG

[SYSTEM] 2-Axis Motorized Scanner Online. Ready for commands.

📦 Bill of Materials (BOM) & Parts List

Total 5 core parts • Total cost ~₹1,150 ($14 USD)

All Parts Readily Available

Part 1 • Actuators Qty: 2

SG90 / MG90S Linear Slider Modules

3D-printed linear motion rack and pinion mechanism with dovetail slider.

X Stroke: 60 mm (180° rotation)
Y Stroke: 30 mm (90° rotation)
Pinion: 19.1 mm pitch diameter

Buy on Amazon.in ↗ ~₹350 - ₹450

Part 2 • Controller Qty: 1

ESP32-C3 SuperMini Board

32-bit RISC-V 160MHz controller with native USB-C and built-in hardware PWM.

Pins: GPIO 4 (X), GPIO 5 (Y), GPIO 3 (Trig)
USB: Type-C direct PC connection
Logic: 3.3V (compatible with SG90)

You have this board! ~₹250

Part 3 • Camera Qty: 1

Macro Camera Module

Any light camera under 45g mounted on the sliding X-rack.

Option A: ESP32-CAM (OV2640 2MP)
Option B: USB macro webcam / endoscope
Option C: Smartphone macro lens

Lightweight (<40g) ~₹450

Part 4 • Power Qty: 1

5V 2A DC Power Adapter

Dedicated power supply for both SG90 servos. Never power servos from ESP32 3.3V!

Output: 5.0 Volts DC, 2.0 Amps
Source: Any standard phone USB charger
Ground: Connect to ESP32 GND

Standard Charger ~₹150

Part 5 • Passives Qty: 1 Kit

1000 µF Capacitor & Jumper Wires

Connects across 5V and GND near servos to absorb electrical current spikes.

1× 1000 µF 10V electrolytic capacitor
10× Dupont jumper wires (M-to-F)
Base: 10×12 cm acrylic or MDF plate

Small Components ~₹80

⚠️ 3 Golden Rules for Wiring

1. Share Common GND: Tie ESP32 GND and 5V Power Supply GND together.

2. Don't use 3.3V for motors: Power SG90 servos strictly from external 5V.

3. Add 1000µF Capacitor: Place across +5V and GND to stop sudden voltage drops.

SG90-X Motor Left/Right (60mm)

Orange (Signal) GPIO 4

Red (Power) 5V Rail

Brown (GND) GND Rail

SG90-Y Motor Up/Down (30mm)

Orange (Signal) GPIO 5

Red (Power) 5V Rail

Brown (GND) GND Rail

Camera Shutter Trigger Pulse

Green (Trigger) GPIO 3

Black (Ground) GND Rail

Fires a 120 ms active pulse when vibration settles.

Power Supply 5V 2A Dedicated

+5V Positive Servos VCC

Negative GND ESP32 GND

Add 1000 µF cap across 5V and GND.

📐 How the Scanner Moves (Simple & Clear)

Four simple concepts explain the entire system

Motor to Distance

Every 1 degree of motor rotation slides the rack by 0.33 mm.

• X Axis: 0° to 180° = 60 mm

• Y Axis: 0° to 90° = 30 mm

8 mm Step Size

Camera view is 10×10 mm. With 20% overlap, it moves 8 mm per step.

• Columns: 8 steps across 60mm

• Rows: 4 steps down 30mm

• Total: 8 × 4 = 32 Photos

Snake (Serpentine) Path

The camera alternates direction so it never has to travel backwards all the way.

• Row 0: Left → Right

• Row 1: Right → Left

• Saves 46% movement time!

350 ms Vibration Pause

Servos shake slightly when they stop. A 350 ms pause prevents motion blur.

• Sequence:

Move → Settle 350ms → Photo!

• 100% sharp macro focus

💻 ESP32-C3 Firmware (esp32c3_firmware.ino)

Smooth servo motion • Serpentine raster scan • Serial G-code parser

Download .ino

Quick 3-Step Upload Guide:

1. Install ESP32 Board:
In Arduino IDE, open Board Manager and install esp32 by Espressif.

2. Install Library:
Under Tools → Manage Libraries, install ESP32Servo by Kevin Harrington.

3. Select & Upload:
Select ESP32C3 Dev Module, plug in USB-C, and click Upload (→).

Loading firmware code...