Just ordered a SO3 XXL. I’m a crabby old engineer that’s owned several CNC routers and mills, but downsized to a smaller home and needed a smaller router to fit a basement workshop.
My primary question is: Can I use both homing switches and a Z-axis touch plate with the SO3? Are there enough GPIO pins and does the shipping software have support for it?
I’m a little nervous about starting over with a new motion control package after using Mach 3 and MultiCam-style controllers for years, but I’m going to give it a try.
Hi @audioguy - Yes, the board has discrete inputs for your limit switches as well as for a touch probe/plate.
I hear you about being nervous on “downsizing.” I’m actually heading in the opposite direction as I’ll likely be modding my XXL to use a Pokeys57CNC and Mach4 in the nearish future. You should be able to find much, if not all, of the capabilities for the new system using the various open-source utilities which are readily available.
I’d be curious to hear what you are nervous about losing, or is it more of a learning curve kind of thing?
Yes and yes.
After working with heavy routers, I’m not quite sure what to expect. If I can get 20 IPM and 1/16" DOC in 6061 aluminum with a couple of thousandths of flex I’ll be happy enough. More flex and I’ll be progressively less happy. I’m not expecting 200 IPM @ 1/4" DOC and .001" worst-case deflection in that 6061 with the SO3. I gave that up for a more sustainable lifestyle in my dotage.
And the 2nd yes - I worked as a motion control engineer with Forth-based industrial controllers for larger routers and mills, and used Mach 3 on a few of my own retrofit machines. I’m not sure what to expect from grbl - a couple of months ago I would have thought someone forgot a few letters and left the cage door open.
I did NOT spend $200K on this machine and don’t expect it to work like I did. I do hope I’ll get some useful prototyping done with it without too much cussing, however.
If you had an SO3, rather than an XXL, I’d strongly advocate that you get the threaded metal bed — as it is, even w/ the XXL, I believe that you’ll be happier if you can work out some way to replace the MDF — it’s fine for basic work, esp. in wood or plastic, but as a base for metalwork, it leaves a bit to be desired. The problem of course, is that’s a rather large expanse of area to cover, and even using aluminum extrusion, that’s going to be a fair chunk of change.
I’ve been looking at t slot tables. I can get a 600x400 mm cast iron table ground to .002" / 8" for $750 or so plus shipping, or an aluminum table ground to .005" for $250 that I can surface myself if I’m slow and careful and keep the ambient temp within bounds.
Before I do any of that, though I need to get a “feel” for the machine and whether it would be worth going to those routes. If not, something bolt-together than maybe TIG welded and surfaced might be in order.
