Increasing Rapids on 5 (5.1)

4wm · July 28, 2026, 12:51pm

Is there a controller setting that can be modified to increase X and Y rapids? I thought I read this here somewhere that it can bump up from 200im to 250im or their metric equivalents but I can’t find it now.

It just feels like the machine is so very slow when I run a program like drilling a series of small holes spread out across a large area. It’s like 75% of the run time is moving between holes and only 25% is cutting them. I’m not trying to cut any faster. Thank you.

Tod1d · July 28, 2026, 1:31pm

github.com

gnea/grbl/blob/master/doc/markdown/settings.md

## Getting Started

First, connect to Grbl using the serial terminal of your choice.

Set the baud rate  to **115200** as 8-N-1 (8-bits, no parity, and 1-stop bit.)

Once connected
 you should get the Grbl-prompt, which looks like this:

```
Grbl 1.1d ['$' for help]
```

Type $ and press enter to have Grbl print a help message. You should not see any local echo of the $ and enter. Grbl should respond with:

```
[HLP:$$ $# $G $I $N $x=val $Nx=line $J=line $SLP $C $X $H ~ ! ? ctrl-x]
```

The ‘$’-commands are Grbl system commands used to tweak the settings, view or change Grbl's states and running modes, and start a homing cycle. The last four **non**-'$' commands are realtime control commands that can be sent at anytime, no matter what Grbl is doing. These either immediately change Grbl's running behavior or immediately print a report of the important realtime data like current position (aka DRO).

This file has been truncated. show original

$110, $111 and $112 – [X,Y,Z] Max rate, mm/min

4wm · July 28, 2026, 4:07pm

Thanks. They lost me at the first sentence. How does one connect to Grbl using the serial terminal?

I’ve seen those values in machine settings and I know how to use MDI. I just don’t know how to get into edit mode to change them.

Tod1d · July 28, 2026, 4:16pm

You can use MDI. Make sure the log is open to see the responses.

$$ [list all variables]
$110=250
$111=250
$$ [List to verify]

jtclose · July 28, 2026, 4:38pm

Look at the retract height you are using, you may want to reduce the retract height and/or increase the speed of retract. It can make a large difference in time.

A change of 200 to 250 ipm is 25% time savings.

4wm · July 28, 2026, 4:56pm

Oh gosh that was it. I didn’t have the log open. Thanks.
Can you tell I’m new at this part?

Settings are all metric right? I see 500 for all 3 which must be cm.

I’m not in a rush I might start with 10% more and see how it goes.

4wm · July 28, 2026, 5:01pm

thanks I do use .200" above material for rapids whenever possible for the reason you said. Does the $112 Z value control both up and down?

I read that increasing it could cause problems on the rapid plunges toward material because of the the spindles weight .

Tod1d · July 28, 2026, 5:50pm

$112 controls all Z rapid motion, up & down. Plunges into material are usually G1 linear with the programmed plunge feedrate.

4wm · July 28, 2026, 6:01pm

thanks I mistakenly looked at $120-122 first Made me think it was cm. All good now.

4wm · July 29, 2026, 8:18am

I set $110 and $111 to 6000mm/min. Working properly.

I noticed the change doesn’t affect jogging. Jogging at Fast speed still tops out at 5000mm/min or 196.3in/min. The log shows F5000.

Is this expected?