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Black Box, GRBL, Pi and the cnc.js - Questions

Discussion in 'Controller Boards' started by Blyn3D, Jan 24, 2022.

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  1. Blyn3D

    Blyn3D New
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    What I am wondering is if I can hook a Raspberry Pi to an OpenBuild's Black Box controller and use something like cnc.js to send projects for cutting over wifi?

    I know that lots of people are doing it with homebuilt GRBL controllers, I am just wondering about the Black Box. Is it compatible with using a Pi as a web server?

    Any points to projects or useful information on the subject would be most helpful.
    Thanks for your time and effort on my behalf (-:

    -Tim
     
    #1 Blyn3D, Jan 24, 2022
  2. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Unofficially: CONTROL can kind of run on a Pi4 Installing on Pi4 · OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL Wiki (no tech support provided, not an official platform)

    Officially: Pi's are complicated, get yourself an Interface: INTERFACE CNC Touch - doesn't get easier :)

    See docs:interface:usage-instructions [OpenBuilds Documentation] -> Video near the bottom of the page for a quick demo

    Also see: docs:software:openbuilds-control [OpenBuilds Documentation] and also docs:software:overview [OpenBuilds Documentation] - you can use other 3rd party Grbl hosts too, but do note you'll get better tech support on here with the software/products we know :)
     
    #2 Peter Van Der Walt, Jan 24, 2022
  3. Blyn3D

    Blyn3D New
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    Thank you Peter for the snappy reply.

    Running the risk of making a short story long, about a decade ago I purchased a second-hand CAMTool, CNC router, that came with Aspire 4.5. This CAMTool was built in 1998 and still has the original control box and steppers. It is very accurate but runs like a slug, past time to update the controller and stepper motors.
    Anyway, I have been using Aspire for a long time now and have many designs I produce regularly so I am not very excited about switching design software.
    What I am looking for is a quality GRBL 1.1 control box which I think the BlackBox is, right?

    According to Dr. Google and the YouTubes you plug your Pi via USB to your GRBL1.1 controller, nothing is changed as far as the controller goes, the Pi is just hosting a webpage interface for the controller. That way any device on your local network can send jobs to the BlackBox... in theory anyway :)

    So I guess the question is if the BlackBox has any bells or whistles that would interfere with it being used in such a way?
    The Pi is just going to push whatever gCode in whatever format onto the grbl controller.

    Any insight is greatly appreciated,

    -Tim
     
    #3 Blyn3D, Jan 24, 2022
  4. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    No need to switch: Just use the correct Post Processor: docs:software:vectric [OpenBuilds Documentation]
    We are a Vectric Partner too: Vectric Products - OpenBuilds Part Store


    Absolutely yes!

    Apart from the fact that setting up linux on the Pi is not as easy as the YouTube videos shows, and updates break things, and the Pi is about as slow as that phone you had 8 years ago... Its fun, as a gimmick. But we want to get down and make our machines do actual work. We want to make stuff, not fuss for hours on Linux forums for advice. Note this is coming from my own personal past as a SuSE GmBH engineer for 8 years prior to joining OpenBuilds. Not a linux hater - just - it's inappropriately hard still, for someone who just wants to run a CNC.
    Laptop running CONTROL plugged right into the BlackBox, or if you want to go "computer-less" rather get an interface. Unless of course you want to fuss around with Pi's and find that to be the fix you need to get your fun in for the week - but to me it sounds more like you wants you CNC to run (;

    Of course nothing stopping you from plugging the BlackBox's USB cable into any computer you wish (Pi, Jetson, Mac, Windows, Linux, ARM, x86, whatever!)

    As mentioned above ^




    And in practice, CONTROL, CNCjs, everything other than raw stream.py, stutters a little on a Pi. They aren't fast man (; and streaming gcode fast enough not to starve Grbl's buffer, serving a proper dynamic UI with updates every couple ms, parsing feedback from controller, maintaining a character-counting-buffer, while still running all the kernel background tasks... You'll put the Pi aside about less than a week (; and go back to a computer or an Interface
     
    #4 Peter Van Der Walt, Jan 24, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2022

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