I’ve started sourcing parts for the Lowrider 2. When it come to the controller Id like to have Bluetooth or wifi connection. So I’ve hunted around and found Bart Dring’s completely open source Esp32 based board .
Nothing I’ve found matches it cost-wise. Gerber file is provided and the Esp32 wifi/ bluetooth SOC’s cost around $7. But I’d like to hear from anyone who may be using it. And I’d especially like to hear about any dramas involved with setting up Grbl and configuration on the Lowrider.
Bart is actually a member here! You can also get the 5 driver esp32 board he makes on Tindie actually. He’s very quick with emails as well, don’t hesitate to email him.
I have one of the mpcnc ones, but I haven’t messed with it.
I have a 3 channel one that I’m using for my zenxy. It works pretty darn well. I didn’t have trouble flashing it, but it wasn’t as easy as installing Marlin from Ryan’s github.
Flashing an ESP32 is a little more complicated than an arduino, but I found Bart’s distribution to be pretty much ready to go.
I was converting from an arduino/ramps and already had endstops wired as NC. The default in ESP32_grbl was NO. Easy to switch, but I’m not sure I got the dual motor homing to work. I didn’t try too hard as I quickly switched back to my ramps board so I could rerun some marlin g-code files for a project, but I’m sure it’s no big deal.
With esp32_grbl, what machine type would you choose? I can probably work this out over some time. Just trying to get a hint on where to start.
I am going through the discord for esp32_grbl right now and there are 2 posts that mention zenxy. I am familiar with marlin and have yet to use grbl at all.
I will have to dig further to try and plan this out. I saw some posts about homing and some other things but only one had any configuration information.
I used the tmc pen board, so I started with that configuration. I don’t remember how I configured it for corexy, but there is another config with corexy (midibot?). I also had to make sure it homed in the right order. There is a homing sequence setting in the machine configuration. I think everything else is in handled in the $ config, which is done after flashing. In grbl, there are about 1/10th the number of config options.
I have ordered a 6 axis board from Bart’s tindie. The 2 axis board came in but, they aren’t correctly working so he isn’t selling them.
I purchased a grbl controller to play around with and have my corexy setup working with it. No table yet, just the kinematics.
Question- is there anyone using an esp32 to interface with a grbl board to send the gcode? I like the interface that exists with Bart’s setup. If I could use the same and just send the information to the grbl board using serial, then I could buy the cheap grbl boards whenever needed instead of hoping that I can get the boards from tindie. I wish adafruit or someone like that would get wind of Bart’s project and offer to manufacture them in bulk. It could be a huge thing for CNC in the future. Especially for the newly initiated. The mpcnc stuff is getting pretty big already.