Trying to Add a Spindle

Trying to follow @dandangerous post from a few years ago. I got the same spindle and have the spindle set up and the Optocoupler wired on the in side. I haven’t wired it to the H100 yet because I’m trying to figure out the board mod part. Link to Spindle portion: How to: H100 VFD & 1.5KW Air-Cooled Spindle Setup - Zhong Hua Jiang
Link to board mod portion: Router on/off and speed control with SuperPID and cncjs
His board is the 2.4 but I have the 3.0. I’m getting lost with the downloading and modding vanilla board script. Not sure why I can’t connect to my board and save a copy of what is there and then mod it and upload it. Any thoughts? Hopefully Dan will chime in. I have a Shapeoko Pro XXL.
Thanks!

Hey Bob - it’s been a while since I did that setup and you’re on a different board than I am. However, it looks like the latest GRBL version is still 1.1h, so assuming it would all hold true still. I’m not sure if you can download the current config from the board, modify, and re-upload. I think it’s because it uses the config.h file to compile GRBL into a hex file to upload to the board. I honestly can’t remember. Either way, the work needed is the same and I liked being able to read through all the settings and understand what they were doing.

I did notice the links I posted for the Carbide Updater are dead. Not sure if that exists anymore or is a part of the CM software now. I don’t use CC/CM, my preferred programs are Estlcam and cncjs on a r-pi. I’d search around on the forums or in CM to make sure you know how to flash back to stock just in case.

The good news is I did this setup almost three years ago now and it has been running flawlessly with no other mods. It looks like the Pro XXL shipped with the Z-Plus head, you may want to consider upgrading to the HDZ, much more robust. Check my rebuild on the Z-Plus Z-Plus Leadscrew Nut Replacement - How To Guide. Z-Plus works well, but with the heavier demand of a true spindle, the HDZ let’s you really capitalize on why you bought a spindle. I’d also recommend checking your x-y belts. My S3 shipped with steel core belts. The steel is just not meant to take the tight radius over the stepper cogs over and over. Dealt with stretching and broke two sets of steel core. Finally switched to aramid/kevlar and have not had an issue in 3 years, same belts on the machine. My S3 uses GT2-9mm.

Good luck with your upgrades! :slight_smile:

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Bob, I was thinking about this this morning. If you’re nervous about modifying the GRBL settings, you can technically skip that part and either jumper X1 to ground, or even better bring a simple control switch up to your setup.

As I noted in the original post, this is how a lot of people do their setup. This will still auto stop/start your spindle through the software. Your PWM pin wired to AI1 on the VFD will stop the spindle when RPM goes to 0. Then put a manual switch on X1 for an extra measure of safety when doing a bit change.

I see X1 as kind of the “keys in the ignition” and AI1 as “foot on the gas”. If you have an electric car, pressing the accelerator is analogous to the PWM signal to AI1. Take your foot off, the car stops : PWM to 0 and your spindle stops. Similar, X1 is like the start/stop on your car. Press stop on your car, the accelerator doesn’t respond : trigger X1 (manual or through software) and the PWM doesn’t respond. And again similar, this doesn’t fully turn off either - the button on your electric car has just triggered software that says “don’t go any more even if the accelerator is pressed”, but there are still lots of things powered and doing things behind the scenes. Same with X1, spindle VFD still has power, but software says “don’t do anything even if there is PWM signal”.

Chances seem very low that something could send voltage from the PWM and start the spindle errantly. However, electronics fail, static happens, etc. So, IMO - put a manual switch on X1. Flip it when you do a bit change.

With that, you can skip the opto-relay and software updates to your board and get to using that new spindle!

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