Hi, I wanted to know if anyone had issues with the bitzero for the shapeoko 5 Pro.
The first one I ordered arrive with 2 of wires disconnected at the connector. Carbide sent me a replacement which I got today and everything seems fine until I plug it in and as soon as I moved the plate, one of the wire came out. I have a full size 4x8 Avid CNC, and I use my Zxy finder plate everyday, a dozen time a day, with no issues. I have got to say, I am a little frustrated right now, the wiring on the shapeoko 5pro is amateur-ish at best. and the bitzero isnāt well design for the rigor of a āproā CNC use. I am an industrial Designer, I have build many CNC machines, from 3d printers, to CNC mill and everything in between, and frankly I would never dare to sale a machine labeled as pro with such a wiring. Wire that thin should be sleeved, wrapped, and aviation type connectors should have been used in my humble opinion.
This is my second Shapeoko by the way, my first one was the Shapeoko 3, which worked great including the ZXY finder plate they had for it. I bought the Shapeoko 5 Pro based on my flawless experience with the 3.
I would love to hear other people experience and thoughts.I am including the pictures of the first and second bitzero. I canāt imagine I am the only one with this issueā¦
Standard 3 pin molex connector, with what looks like 22 gauge wire. The heat shrink is added to keep the outer jacket from sliding around, rather than really protecting the wires. The wires themselves have been overcrimped, you can tell because they were crushed and the jacket crimp didnāt come out of the connector attached to the wire. It wasnāt a mechanical break from vibration or abuse, the wires were cut during crimping and very little tension is enough to break the remaining strands. Unfortunately if the crimp machine was set up and not inspected, a thousand of these wires could have been run off with nobody noticing. A proper organization building these cables for carbide3d would have a QC department checking the crimps before they were inserted into the connector, but if theyāre like where I worked, the QC department gets phased out in the name of lowering costs, and āQAā gets implemented. Which means check your own work, except everyone believes they are perfect, or some newbie is on the line and doesnāt know what the ipc standards are. Itās easy enough to recrimp the wires, if you have a manual crimper and a pin popper, and if youāre really keen you can add something like a cable gland that holds onto the wire at the housing and relieves tension. Sometimes itās hard moving from a hobby design mentality to a commercial mentality, but I doubt anything in these units are a Class 3 level.
Looks like a TA3F Mini-XLR connector on the Nomad version.
I havenāt received my SO5 yet to see how hackable it is, but thatās a pretty standard audio connector, you should be able to pick up a set from Mouser or B&H for like $10.
It would be difficult to hack, unfortunately the 3pin connector the bitzero plugs to is soldered to a board which is flushed against the plastic housing on the Cnc, in other word there is no room. So you canāt switch the molex connector to something better/stronger. I am sure I will figure out something, but itās frustrating when things break before you ever use them, especially twice in a row.
Thank you for your feed back.
This is the type of plug they should be using IMO:
I have an SO5 ordered and my decision was based on good reviews of Carbide 3D, U.S. based company and customer support. After reading this and other user issues I am starting to have real concerns over the quality of this machine. Sounds like quality shortcuts to reduce costs were and are being taken. Are there any good reports on this machine thus far and are my concerns justified?
I just assembled my 4x2 5 Pro (with a Bit Zero on order) and my only real issue was a proximity switch with similarly severed wires (and a general sense that the wiring harnesses felt too delicate.)
I did some research and it appears that a properly installed/crimped 3-pin 22-24 awg Molex microfit connector should be able to hold up to at least 5-8 lbs of pulling force, sufficient for the Bit Zero IMO ā but clearly the QC on these harnesses is lacking.
Iām thinking Iāll probably invest in a decent crimping tool and a box of spare connectors, eventually replacing (and reinforcing/heat-shrinking) any of the connections that look suspect.
My x-rail stepper motor had the molex sheared off during shipping. Simple enough to fix, and the parts are cheap, but the tools arenāt. Iām also pondering adding some wire loom to the exposed parts of the harness. It wouldnāt take much to snag a wire in a workshop.
Looks like itās my turn today. I ordered a bitzero v2 from robotshop, because shipping across the border is crazy. Itās called a Bitzero v2, manufacturer part #C3DSOPROBE-V2. Check the carbide3d website, itās still called Bitzero v2, except thereās a drop-down on the order page to choose āfor Shapeoke 5 proā. Choose that, itās still called Bitzero v2, picture still looks the same. So naturally I assume itās the same part. Got my order yesterday, try to hook it up today. Itās not the same part. The old v2 has a white connector for attaching to pins on a board. New version has a 3 pin molex like what @Somewhereinla shows in the first picture. Much eye-rolling ensued. In the industry, if you make an iteration change on a part, the part gets a new part number. Otherwise, resellers and customers will be left wondering if the part inside the box will work with the new design. Now what I would like to know, @WillAdams, is if this part is electrically compatible with the 5 pro, and just changing the connector (need a pin-out diagram) will fix it, or if I have to return the v2 I have and order a different v2.
That would be a question for the folks who know something about the electronics ā if you write in to support@carbide3d.com we should be able to assist ā could you check your packaging to see if thereās an adapter cable which would make this work?
Itās not the Molex connectors, it is the poor workmanship terminating the wires into the connectors, crimped too tight, not crimped at all. Between this issue and the use of different colored wires from one connector to another, it is an absolute disaster for Carbide! I have had my share of issues in this regard.
When a wire harness is stationary and is not subject to a nondesirable environment, the Molex connectors used are fine. You have dozens in your vehicle! Sure aircraft connectors are great and look cool, I use them myself in various applications, but donāt believe they are necessary on stationary harnesses that are not subject to a harsh or abnormal environment. In the case of the Nomad using an aircraft connector, it was more than likely due to the regular movement of the wire when using the Bitzero. If you donāt secure the harness on the 5 Pro, there certainly could be a problem in the future. I ran mine under the deck and is secured from ming at the connector. I am confident that Carbide is working on cleaning this up with its suppliers. Possibly they would like to chime in on the issue.
