UNO in MPCNC

Mostly Printed CNC - MPCNC Advice
#1

I searched through the forums and found some information but nothing to satisfy my simple question…

What are the drawbacks of using a UNO vs Mega on my MPCNC? Pros vs. Cons?

I have had my machine up and running for a few years but would like to take advantage of all the features @Christian offers with Estlcam.

Curt

#2

Sorry, I’m not answering your question directly. But I thought the newer EstlCAM supported the mega/ramps board.

#3

Not all features are available per Christian

#4

If you do not plan on 3D printing you probably will not notice a difference.

I am not sure about the processing power and his firmware, but the basics for cnc are all there.

#5

Hello,

in regards to Estlcam Arduino UNO and Arduino Nano are the only options if you like to use all features without limitations.

  • The Estlcam firmware for the Mega has some limitations and will not be developed any further.
  • At least not with RAMPS pin layout as it is a total mess - e.g. the step and dir outputs for X Y Z are at ports F0 F1 F6 F7 L3 L1 - WTF???
  • (More than one port / not in order / and port L is in extended address space where changing a single bit takes 3 instructions and clock cycles instead of one and thereby renders skip instructions unusable which adds even more clock cycles -> very inefficient code)
  • This is part of the reason why most Ramps firmware versions aren't even able to achieve 10kHz step rate on an Arduino Mega. Estlcam achieves 160kHz on Arduino UNO and Nano - even in worst case situations.
  • I personally prefer the Nano with a screw terminal shield.
  • Both items cost around $5 each if you use cheap clones.
  • Then add some reasonable stepper drivers like Leadshine M542. (Around $50 each - not cheap but powerful and hassle-free: I use 13 M542: most of them close to 10 years old and in daily use.)

Christian