Anyone using an M1 Mac?

The current M1 MacBook Air runs macOS Monterey 12.0.1. The 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports support USB 4 as well as USB 3.1 using a USB-C cable from the MacBook. I am thinking of buying a Shapeoko 4 XL. I assume I need a USB-C to USB-A cable to connect the MacBook to the CNC. I checked out the posts from February ’21 re: M1 chip compatibility and the USB-B/USB-C adaptor issue. Is anyone actually USING an M1 Mac? Using Monterey? Are both USB 3.1 and USB 4 compatible with the Shapeoko hardware?

Yes, we have folks doing this, and it works well.

The official Apple USB-C–A adapter works well, and I’ve found the Insignia adapter to work well on my USB-C machines, including a MacBook Pro.

Any chance car by 3-D will ever switched to USB-C?

I sourced a USB-A–C cable which worked fine on my Nomad — lacked ferrite beads, so didn’t use it much w/ the Shapeokos (but seemed to work fine for short cuts).

I’d like a source for such a cable w/ either ferrite beads or braided wire sleeving.

This would only be a change in connector, given the way the board currently works, and as Will points out, a cable does that too.

It doesn’t use anything that would benefit from an upgrade of the USB protocol, per-se… it currently just simulates an old RS232-like serial connection using USB.

Long-term, yes (I believe the HDM machines ship with a USB-C connector on the board). @Gerry is right though, it’s just a connector so the protocol and functionality will remain the same.

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Thanks for the update. The reason I asked about USB-C is because i’ve read that the CISPR 25 Class 5 USB Type-C standard is far less prone to EMI.

Ferrite beads help suppress high frequency noise. Not sure usb crrates high frequency noise. In consumer devices they should be designed to not transmit high frequency noise. A ferrite bead would do nothing to prevent static discharges because they are passive and not grounded. Nothing wrong with havong belt and suspenders but a belt or suspenders would work equally well by themselves.

The HDM boards are totally different than what we use now. It’s the same USB IC with a different connector but the isolation is done differently.

The next revision of the Shapeoko boards will be some hybrid of the two is everything works as well in the field as it has in testing.

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@robgrz Thank you sharing C3D’s roadmap. While I have your attention, is there any chance C3D will offer a larger HDM? Preferably with a 48 x 30 or 32x32 work area.

As mentioned a couple of times - right now we’re focusing on getting the current model out the door and into people hands. We will re-evaluate March 2022.

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