Like some of you might know… My LR# cut on fire and I’m currently rebuilding it.
I spoke with the V1 shop team and realized that the Jackpot board doesn’t connect to a LCD screen. Instead it uses any device that has a web browser, so from my understanding a cellphone, tablet or PC could be connect to it.
Can we speak about what our workflow would look like with the Jackpot board before I purchase it and also is there any insights/facts that I’m missing here. I was wondering too if you still need to upload .gcode from a SD card or you can directly send some to the board?
It is still best to physically transfer your Gcode output from your CAM computer to the micro SD card. You can wirelessly transfer but it can be slow or have issues. I think it mostly depends on file size at this point. I physically transfer all my files.
I can see what my ideal workflow might look like, but there are a series of small issues to overcome first.
It is possible to transfer files to the Jackpot/ESP32 wirelessly, but since I’m still routinely using AP mode rather that STA mode, the device can’t be on both my network and the ESP32 at the same time. Transferring directly to the SD card prevents the need to log onto my network, download my files locally to the interface device, log off my network, log onto the ESP32, transfer files. (doable but clunky.)
Otherwise I love the FluidNC interface, even though I gave up the local screen. The interface is so much more intuitive for me, but your mileage may vary.
I think the long term answer for me and my workflow is to be able to use STA mode. I have a travel router that may end up mounted inside the beam so I can ensure really good WiFi to the ESP32. But that is a project for another day…
I don’t leave my CNC on so using the SD card is my preferred way. Seems most would have to walk out to turn it on, at that point grabbing the SD card is a good option. I don’t see it taking any extra work at all.
Wireless transfers are doable but I have seen it error out with large files. It still leaves a partial file behind, so please pay attention if you do it so you do not wreck a job with a partial file.
I would say use the SD card directly until we get into V3 of the UI and hopefully file errors are treated differently.
Well, because wifi is my preffered method, I leave the board powered on all the time, so I can do my CAD/CAM at my desk, transfer the power, then when I go out tonthe machine, I just have to worry about material. My printers are also on most of the time for the same reason.
Fun fact: a piece of 24" square 12mm plywood is heavy enough to snap an SD card in half if it rests on an edge… yeah…
I use RepRap firmware on my CNCs. They boot with motors powered down. I also have a motor power down timer (a couple hours) so they aren’t constantly energized. When I finish a job, I also park the machine and use M84, so they stay powered down.
Generally not a problem.
My MP3DP repeat is still on Marlin, though I intend to move it to RRF. I use M84 on it to park it, too. The laser is actually still on GRBL-ESP32, though I have a test of FluidNC to try with it. I just want to be sure that it will work before re-flashing the ESP32, and haven’t taken the time to check that everything will work with the old 2209 pen/laser board
For me it’s because I’m pretty inexperienced on the CAM side. So I still often “air cut” the first time I’m running a job. If I want to make any changes, I need to upload the new file. I often don’t shut down the machine while I make the changes and re-generate the gcode.
I’ve absolutely had it fail WiFi transfers. But I’ve been lucky in that most of those files won’t run, and I can just delete and re-upload.
I have left mine in AP mode. I have a computer in my shop that I access the gui with. My board is mounted under my table to pulling the SD card constantly is a pain when the table is down. Haven’t had an issue transferring OTA so far. At least not corrupt files. I have had the SD card unmount a couple of times and had to physically restart the board.
I do have all of my programs installed on the shop computer so I can make updates as I go. I was trying to leave in on my Wifi but it was too unreliable. Because of that, I shut it down between uses.
RepRap Firmware is a different firmware. It does the same job as Marlin, but it’s not the same. It was developed for the Duet mainboards, so it does not run on the variety of boards that Marlin does. I run Duet 2 Wifi boards on both my Primo and LowRider CNC machines now.
It does run on the SKR Pro 1.2 boards, and I believe the Octopus boards, but not on the Jackpot – at least not at present. I believe the ESP32 may have the capacity to run it. Anyway, I’m (very slowly) setting up a port of RepRap firmware on the SKR Pro in order to run my MP3DP Repeat printer on it. I think I have it ready on my spare SKR Pro, just need to finish testing, one of these days.
Yes the motor power down is a feature of the firmware. Idle time-out is definied as a part of the motor current definition. RRF uses g-code for everything, including configuration.
The Jackpot runs on an ESP32 which has wifi. The FluidNC firmware (Also different from Marlin) can set up an access point on that which you can connect to, ornit can connect to your wifi network. At present, some.people are having trouble with that mode, particularly if your wifi network has a lot of traffic on it, so access point mode is the current reccomendation.
The ESP32 PCB antenna isn’t great, so expect that range is somewhat limited. Once connected though, you should be able to upload files from any computer connected to the wifi network.
The wifi user interface allows full control of the machine. Start/stop, pause, home, and jog movements all from a web page interface. You would be expected to use a phone or tablet instead of a TFT screen or controller.
You could use a relay/booster. Some people run a separate wifi router for an isolated wifi connection to the FluidNC connection.
Please do not run a CNC machine unattended. The 700+ watts (the Kobolt is 1.25 horsepower which is over 900 watts) that a router has can and will start a fire very quickly if something goes wrong and that power gets translated to heat from friction.
