Custom Bart Dring FluidNC controller

Okay with the ease of "one click ordering " with Mr. Dring’s boards I am ready to make a small batch of customs boards. Mr. Dring is willing to help me sort out the details.

Base design, https://www.tindie.com/products/33366583/6-pack-universal-cnc-controller/

So…any requests? Here is the lineup -CNC I O Module List · bdring/6-Pack_CNC_Controller Wiki · GitHub Having them built in is cheaper to make and allows for a smaller footprint.

My idea is a smaller board,
5- 2209’s built in,
6 -8 IO’s built in - https://www.tindie.com/products/33366583/4x-input-cnc-io-module/.
For some pwn signals which is better? Quad MOSFET Module · bdring/6-Pack_CNC_Controller Wiki · GitHub, or 4x 5V Buffered Output Module · bdring/6-Pack_CNC_Controller Wiki · GitHub

Then there can still be 1-2 external ports available for customs stuff. I could hang them off the edge though so if you are not using them the board can be smaller, or maybe have one over some of the board.

EDIT- Everything after this line is after the initial release. 7/23/23

DOCS page - Jackpot CNC Controller - V1 Engineering Documentation
Shop - Jackpot CNC Controller – V1 Engineering Inc

10 Likes

The mosfet one looks better. It needs external power, but if you put 5V on there, I can’t see why the 5V one would be better in any way. But maybe I am missing something.

1 Like

Those “6pack” controllers are Rock solid.

1 Like

Gotcha, I was pretty sure about that but thought I might have been missing something.

Can’t use 2209 the UART takes up too many pins.

1 Like

Please don’t go back to adjusting trim pots :joy:. It has to at least have digipots. Is there any way to combine them or get those uarts or spi on a separate IO chip?

Looks like it only supports FluidNC right now. Will it make you sad that it doesn’t support Marlin?

1 Like

The benefits of marlin are:

  1. It supports a ton of boards
  2. It supports a lot of “headless” ways to run (screen, wifi adapter).
  3. It is possible to edit it to force in new features like auto squaring.

This board has a wifi interface and a lot of flexibility in one board. It has auto squaring and I bet we could fit in some new features if we had to.

But still, ordering and selling a few dozen of these does not mean the rambo or skr pro is going away. It is just a small trial. If it works well, then this might be the first step towards that.

Many of us do have good feelings about Marlin. But we aren’t going to keep it for sentimental reasons. It has to earn its place based on merit.

6 Likes

Maybe you could take some ideas of the CNC shield I and @kockie-nl are using? OPEN-CNC-Shield 2
I am by no means an expert, but the base idea seems to be solid to be able to change the controller.

1 Like

Agree, not suggesting we hold back. Just calling it out as a difference.

I’ll rewire my machine lol

1 Like

NEVER EVER! Well, we can have 2209’s but some things will need to be sacrificed since it takes an extra pin. I think that is fine, because it has two empty module ports. we would have to give one of those up I think. We’ll see what he says. There is SPI for the other drivers but I don’t know if that helps.
Oh and external plug in drivers take up less room because you can tuck the big caps under them. I am cool with that. Replaceable drivers (or a different driver) is fine.

The reason to offer this is to get a GRBL based board. It would be inexpensive and use espui, so no LCD. That saves money with the complexity tradeoff of the initial connection (for some).

That seems similar, is that only running the ESTLCAM firmware? I love the push connects.

On that note I asked for mostly Dupont connections instead of the expensive screw terminals. The screw terminals do open up the possibility of just sending out one long 6 cable wire and letting people make their own wires. (I would love that, I am sure a lot would not like that.)

2 Likes

I regards to more than 4 2209’s. “The only catch with them is that you only get 4 addresses. Using more than 4 requires dynamic control of the addressing pins or multiple UARTs. FluidNC currently supports multiple UART for drivers, but this would require using 2 precious gpio pins. It also uses all of the UARTs, so pendants, RS485, could be out of luck.”

I really think we want locking connectors like JSTs. Or as a compromise, removeable ones like on the SKR Pro 1.2 so people have choice. These machines move around, I don’t want my wires to fall out.

“Pro version” with plug and play wiring harness :slight_smile:

1 Like

I don’t think there is a best option here.

Locking means any axis flipping has to be done in firmware, And I would have to get new custom wires.

The duponts are removable, but they are wht the current custom wires are so they will fit better than the skr’s locking ones.

As for falling out, secure secure secure. I have not had a wire fall out and I am always poking around changing things.

I am imagining these wires, 6/22 Stranded Shielded Wire – V1 Engineering Inc, and some of these to connect the steppers and endstops to them, Solder Seal Heat Shrink Waterproof Butt Wire Connectors AWG 26-24 – V1 Engineering Inc. Pretty clean, not horribly difficult, but more so than what we currently have.

2 Likes

To be honest it’s pretty easy to release the pin terminals on JST plugs and swap them for reversing.
It’s not like micro molex which are a nightmare.

One of these boards and a esp32 touchscreen as a wireless controller would be lush.

2 Likes

The extension from the stepper can be dupont and flipped there. That can be secured with electrical tape.

Nah, it can run any firmware if you exchange the controller module. It can do Arduino Mega (Estlcam), Beamicon, FluidNC, GRBL with a Mega or Uno, WinPC NC. This is the most interesting part about it.

The push connects I don’t really like, I opted for the terminals that I can plug and unplug. The power has got a push terminal that is already a bit loose.

1 Like

Is that a real thing?
What is wrong with ESPUI to a phone or tablet?

Trial by combat!
combat
Not to be confused with:

5 Likes

Or possibly

https://esp32touchdown.com/

2 Likes