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TinyG Configuration for 0.94 and Earlier
The settings on this page are for firmware version 0.94 and later. See TinyG Configuration for 0.95 and later if your firmware is 0.95 (or later) You can check your firmware version by looking for the "fv":0.950 or similar string in the startup message after a reset
This page describes how configuration works in text mode from the [Command Line]. The settings on this page are for versions 0.94 and 0.93. Some of the command definitions have been changed from 0.92 and earlier. These are labeled as [$xNN 0.92] where this occurs.
TinyG comes with a set of defaults pre-programmed to a specific machine profile. Currently this is set for a relatively slow screw machine such as the Zen Toolworks 7x12 by default. Other default profles are settable at compile time by including the right .h file.
But you will want to set up for your particular machine, as follows. Firmware configuration is done using the configuration editor through the text-mode command line. So connect to the USB port and issue "$" <enter> to test.
Configuration is as simple as we could make it given the following features, assumptions, and constraints:
- Supports 6 gcode axes (XYZABC)
- Has 4 on-board motors and is designed so that multiple TinyG boards can be networked to drive more than 4 motors
- Implements controlled jerk motion (and therefore needs to be configurable for it)
- Treats each axis' contribution to the dynamics independently (i.e. dynamics are not set globaly for the machine)
- Can be used for cartesian or non-cartesian kinematics - ie. you can't safely assume that motors and axes and axes are motors.
- Supports 6 coordinate systems + absolute (machine) coordinates, and support G92 offsets.
TinyG configuration is organized into the following groups of related settings:
- Motor groups: Settings specific to a given motor. There are 4 motor groups, numbered 1,2,3,4 as labeled on the TinyG board. Settings include:
- Motor mapping (to axis)
- Step angle
- Travel per motor revolution
- Microsteps
- Polarity
- Power management mode
- Axis groups: Settings specific to a given axis. There are 6 axis groups, one for each of X,Y,Z,A,B,C. Settings include:
- Axis mode
- Velocity maximum (aka traverse rate or seek)
- Feed rate maximum
- Travel maximum
- Jerk maximum
- Junction deviation (for cornering control)
- Radius setting (rotational axes only)
- Switch mode
- Search velocity (homing speed on initial approach)
- Latch velocity (homing speed on second approach)
- Zero offset (offset from switch for zero in absolute coordinate system)
System group: The system group contains global machine and communication settings, including:
- Versions
- Firmware version (read-only)
- Firmware build (read-only)
- Gcode defaults - These are the initial values that machine will power up with or revert to for a Program End (M2 or M30), reset or abort. Setting these does NOT change the current machine mode, only the initial mode.
- Default units - mm or inches
- Default plane selection
- Default coordinate system
- Default path control mode
- Default distance mode
- Machine and software global parameters
- Acceleration planning enabled / disabled
- Junction acceleration (global cornering value)
- Minimum line length
- Arc segment length
- Segment timing (interpolation interval)
- Communications settings configure the serial port behaviors
- Ignore CR for RX chars
- Ignore LF for RX chars
- Append CR to TX chars
- Enable / disable command line echo
- Enable / disable XON/XOFF flow control protocol
- Status Report Settings
- Status report interval (disable = 0)
- Status report parameters (Settable in JSON only - see JSON mode for details)
The following commands will display settings groups.
$s Show system settings $1 Show motor 1 settings (or whatever motor you want 1,2,3,4) $x Show X axis settings (or whatever axis you want x,y,z,a,b,c) $m Show all motor settings $n Show all axis settings $$ Show all settings $h Show this help screen
The $ must be the first character of the line, and input is case insensitive. Configuration is non-moded; that is, configuration lines and Gcode blocks can be freely intermixed without changing modes
CAVEAT: At the current time because of various limitations of the Xmega errata we recommend pausing transmission for at least 30 milliseconds after each line containing a $ command. This gives the system enough time to persist the data to EEPROM, during which time the system cannot receive new serial input. We are working on a workaround to this issue.
To update a setting enter a token and a value. Most tokens are a 2 or 3 letter mnemonic plus a motor number or axis prefix. System settings have no prefix and may be 2 to 4 letters. The following are examples of valid inputs. The setting is taken and the value is echoed on the next line
tinyg[mm]ok> $yfr=800 Set feed rate for Y axis to 800 mm/min Y axis - Feed rate 800 mm/min $YFR800
tinyg[mm]ok> $yfr = 1,600 Set feed rate for Y axix to 1600 mm/min Y axis - Feed rate 1600 mm/min $YFR1600
tinyg[mm]ok> $2po=1 Set polarity for motor 2 to inverted Motor 2 - Motor polarity 1 [0,1] $2PO1
tinyg[mm]ok> $ja=100000 Set junction acceleration global value to 100,000 Junction corner accel 100000 mm/min^2 $JA100000
If there is an error there will be no echo or a line like one of these:
#### Unknown config string: YGR800 It didn't recognize the mnemonic
{21} Bad number format: XFR1200.2.3 The value had 2 decimal points
TinyG operates in either inches or millimeters mode depending on the prevailing setting of G20 (inches) or G21 (mm). All values will be input and displayed in the units system selected. Most of the examples below are in mm, but could just as easily be input in inches.
Note: the settings are case insensitive - they are shown in upper case for emphasis only.
$1MA MAp motor to axis. Axes must be input as numbers, with X=0, Y=1, Z=2, A=3, B=4 and C=5. As you might expect, mapping motor 1 to X will cause X movement to drive motor 1.The example below is a way to run a dual-Y gantry such as the LumenLabs micRo v3. Movement in Y will drive both motor2 and motor3. The mapping illustrated causes movement in X and Z to drive motors 1 and 4, respectively.
$1ma=0 Maps motor 1 to the X axis $2ma=1 Maps motor 2 to the Y axis $3ma=1 Maps motor 3 to the Y axis $4ma=2 Maps motor 4 to the Z axis
$1SA Step Angle for the motor. This is often 1.8 degrees per step, but should reflect the motors in use. You might also find 0.9, 3.6, 7.5 or other values.
$1sa=1.8 This is a typical value for most motors.
$1TR This is the amount of travel per motor revolution in mm or inches for X, Y or Z axes, or in degrees for A, B and C axes. The XYZ value will be interpreted and echoed in the prevailing units; G20 sets inches, G21 sets mm. ABC values are always in degrees.
For XYZ this value is usually the result of the lead screw pitch or pulley circumference. A 10 TPI leadscrew moves 0.100" / revolution. A 0.500" pulley will travel 3.14159" per revolution, absent any other gearing. A typical value for a Shapeoko of Reprap belt driven machine is on the order of 35 mm per revolution. Don't take this as exact - you will need to calibrate your machine to get this setting.
For ABC the travel is entered in degrees. This value will be 360 degrees for an axis that is not geared down. The value for a geared rotary axis is 360 divided by the gear ratio. For example, a motor-driven rotary table with a 4 degree table movement per handle rotation has a gear ratio of 90:1. The Travel per Revolution value should be set to 4.
Note that Travel per Revolution is a motor parameter, not an axis parameter as one might think. Consider the case of a dual Y gantry with lead screws of different pitch (how weird). The travel per revolution would be different for each motor.
$1tr=2.54 Sets motor 1 to a 10 TPI travel from millimeters (2.54 mm per revolution)
$1MI MIcrosteps. The following values are supported:
- 1 = no microsteps (whole steps)
- 2 = half stepping
- 4 = quarter stepping
- 8 = eighth stepping
Despite common wisdom, higher microstep values are not always better (It's like watts in the 80's - the more the better, right?). In a typical setup the total power delivered to the motor (and hence torque) will go down as you increase the microsteps. Also, using microsteps to set the finest machine resolution is source of error as the shaft angle isn't necessarily going to be at the theoretical point. Don't just assume that 1/8 microstepping is the right setting for your application. Try out different settings to balance smoothness and power.
$3mi=8 Set 1/8 microsteps for motor 3
Note: Values other than 1,2,4 and 8 are accepted. This is to support some people that have crazily wired TInyG to other drivers (you know who you are) like those running 10x or 16x steps. If you are using the drivers on TInyG this will cause them to malfucntion, so please don't do this unless you are one of those hacker types that soldered up your TinyG.
$1PO Set to one of the following: 0 = Normal motor polarity, 1 = Invert motor polarity. Polarity sets which direction the motor will turn when presented with positive and negative Gcode coordinates. It's affected by how you wired the motors and by mechanical factors. Set polarity so the indicated axis travels in the correct orientation for your machine. Travel in X and Y is dependent on the conventions for your particular machine and CAD setup. Typically X is left/right movement, and Y is towards and away from you, but people often set up the machine to agree with the visualization their CAD program provides, and can depend on where you stand when operating the machine. Typically X+ moves to the right, X- to the left, Y+ away from you, and Y- towards you. Z is by convention the cutting axis, which is the vertical axis on a typical milling machine. Z+ should move up, and Z- should move down, into the work.
$3po=0 Set polarity to normal
$1PM Power Management mode [$1PW 0.92]. Set to one of the following: 0 = Leave motor powered on when stopped, 1 = Turn motor power off when stopped. Stepper motors actually consume maximum power when idle. They hold torque and get hot. If you shut off power the motor has (almost) no holding torque. Some machine configurations are OK if you shut off the power on idle (like most leadscrew machines), others are not (some belt/pulley configs and some non-cartesian robots)
$4pm=1 Set low-power idle for motor 4
$xAM Axis Mode. [was $xMO in version 0.92] Sets the function of the axis. The following modes are supported for all axes.
- 0 = Disable. All input to that axis will be ignored and the axis will not move.
- 1 = Standard. Linear axes move in length units. Rotary axes move in degrees.
- 2 = Inhibited. Axis values are taken into account when planning moves, but the axis will not move. Use this to perform a Z kill.
$zmo=2 will inhibit the Z axis; $zmo1 will restore standard operation
Rotary axes can have these additional modes.
- 3 = Radius mode. In radius mode gcode values are interpreted as linear units; either inches or mm depending on the prevailing G20/G21 setting. The conversion of linear units to degrees is accomplished using the radius setting for that axis. See $aRA for details.
- 4 = Slave X mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in X dimension
- 5 = Slave Y mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in Y dimension
- 6 = Slave Z mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in Z dimension
- 7 = Slave XY mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in XY plane
- 8 = Slave XZ mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in XZ plane
- 9 = Slave YZ mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in YZ plane
- 10 = Slave XYZ mode - rotary axis slaved to movement in XYZ space
Slave modes use the distance traveled in one or more linear dimensions as the linear input to the rotational axis. The linear travel is converted to degrees using the radius value set by $aRA. Any value that is provided in the Gcode block for the axis is ignored.
$xVM Velocity Maximum (also known as traverse rate or seek rate) [$xSR 0.92]. Sets the maximum velocity the axis will move during a traverse (G0). This is set in length units per minute for linear axes, degrees per minute for rotary axes. The max velocity will be used for all G0's from the time of reset onward. Note that the max velocity is per-axis. Diagonal / multi-axis traverses will actually occur at the fastest speed the combined set of axes and the geometry will allow, and may be faster than the individual axis max velocities. For example, max velocity for X and Y are set to 1000 mm/min. For a 45 degree traverse in X and Y the toolhead would travel at 1414.21 mm/min.
$xvm=1200 sets X maximum velocity (G0) to 1200 mm/min - assuming G21 is active (i.e. the machine is in MM mode) $zvm=30.0 sets Z to 30 inches per minute - assuming G20 is active $avm=3600 sets A to 10 revolutions per minute (360 * 10)
$xFR Maximum Feed Rate. Sets the maximum velocity the axis can move during a feed (G1, G2, G3). Units work similarly to traverse rate (maximum velocity). Axis feed rates should be equal to or less than the maximum velocity. See Setting Feed Rate and Maximum Velocity for more details. Note: The feed rate setting is NOT used to set the Gcode's F value; it is only a maximum. A reset machine will have a zero feed rate for safety reasons.
$xfr=1000 sets X max feed rate to 1000 mm/min - assuming G21 is active (i.e. the machine is in MM mode)
$xTM Travel Maximum. [$xTS 0.92] Defines the maximum extent of travel in that axis. This is currently only used during homing but will also be used for soft limits when that feature is implemented.
$xJM Jerk Maximum. Sets the maximum jerk value for that axis. Jerk is settable independently for each axis to support machines with different dynamics per axis - such as Shapeoko with belts for X and Y, screws for Z, or Probotix with 5 pitch X and Y screws and 12 pitch Z screws. The planner calculates the resultant jerk for the move given the contributions of each axis to the move. Jerk is in units per minutes^3, so the numbers are quite large. Some common values are shown in millimeters in the examples below
$xjm=50000000 Set X jerk to 50 million MM per min^3. This is a good value for a moderate speed machine $zjm=25000000 A reasonable setting for a slower Z axis $xjm=5000000000 X jerk for Shapeoko. Yes, that's 5 billion
The jerk term in mm is measured in mm/min^3. In inches mode it's units are inches/min^3. So the conversion from mm to inches is 1/(25.4). The same values as above are shown in inches are:
50,000,000 mm/min^3 is 1,968,504 in/min^3 2,000,000 would suffice 25,000,000 mm/min^3 is 984,251 in/min^3 1,000,000 would suffice 5,000,000,000 mm/min^3 is 196,850,400 in/min^3 200,000,000 would suffice
$xJD Junction Deviation. [$xCD 0.92] This one is somewhat complicated. Junction deviation - in combination with Junction Acceleration ($JA) from the system group - sets the velocity reduction used during cornering through the junction of two lines. The reduction is based on controlling the centripetal acceleration through the junction to the value set in JA with the junction deviation being the "tightness" of the controlling cornering circle. An explanation of what's happening here can be found on [Sonny Jeon's blog](http://onehossshay.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/improving_grbl_cornering_algorithm/ onehossshay.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/improving_grbl_cornering_algorithm/). It's important to realize that the tool head does not actually follow the controlling circle - the circle is just used to set the speed of the tool through the defined path. In other words, the tool does go through the sharp corner, just not as fast. This is a Gcode G61 - Exact Path Mode operation, not a Gcode G64 - Continuous Path Mode (aka corner rounding, or splining) operation.
JA is set globally and applies to all axes. JD is set per axis and can vary depending on the characteristics of the axis. An axis that moves more slowly should have a JD that is less than an axis that can move more quickly, as the larger the JD the faster the machine will move through the junction (i.e. a bigger controlling circle). The following example has some representative values for a Probotix Fireball V90 machine. The V90 has 5 TPI X and Y screws, and 12 TPI Z. All values in MM.
$xJD 0.05 Units are mm $yJD 0.05 $zJD 0.02 Setting Z to a smaller value means that moves with a change in the Z component will move proportionately slower depending on the contribution in Z. $JA 200000 Units are mm/min^2. As before, commas are ingored and are provided only for clarity
$aRA [$x_radius value] Radius value. The radius value is used by a rotational axis to convert linear units to degrees when in radius mode or in a slaved mode. For example; if the A radius is set to 10 mm it means that a value of 6.28318531 mm will make the A axis travel one full revolution - as 62.383... is the circumference of the circle of radius R ( 2PIR, or 10 * 2 * 3.14159...) (Assuming $nTR = 360 -- see note below). Receiving the gcode block "G0 A62.83" will turn the A axis one full revolution (360 degrees) from a starting position of 0. All internal computations and settings are still in degrees - it's just that gcode units received for the axis are converted to degrees using the specified radius.
Note that the Travel per Revolution value ($1TR) is used but unaffected in radius mode. The degrees per revolution still applies, it's just that the degrees were computed based on the radius and the Gcode axis values. See Travel per Revolution (See $1TR) in the motor group.
$aRA=1.00 Setting the radius to 1" means that the Gcode block G0 A6.283 (inches) will make the A axis perform one revolution (1" * 2 * pi).
$xSM Switch Mode [$xLI 0.92] Sets mode for limit and homing switches. Currently, the following modes are supported:
- 0 = switches are disabled. No actions will occur for either homing or limit operations
- 1 = Normally Open (NO) switches enabled for homing only. No action will occur for limits
- 2 = Normally Open (NO) switches enabled for homing and limits
See also $xTM and $xSM
'''$xSV ''' [$x_search_velocity] Homing Search Velocity - velocity for initially finding the homing switch. Set negative for travel in negative direction, positive for travel in positive direction. See Projects:TinyG-Homing for more details.
'''$xLV ''' [$x_latch_velocity] Homing Latch Velocity - velocity for homing second pass (latching phase). Sign is ignored. latch will aways move in the same direction as search.
'''$xLB''' [$x_latch_backoff] Homing Latch Backoff -amount to back off switch prior to latch operation
'''$xZB''' [$x_zero_backoff] Homing Zero Backoff - machine coordinate system zero position defined as backoff (offset) from homing switch
== Coordinate System and Origin Offsets ==
Coordinate system offsets are the values used by G54, G55, G56, G57, G58 and G59 to define the offsets from the machine (absolute) coordinate system for X,Y,Z,A,B and C. G54-G59 correspond to coordinate systems 1-6, respectively. These can be set from Gcode using the G10 command (e.g. G10 P2 L2 X20.000 - the P word is the coordinate system, the L word is accoding to standard, but is ignored).
In addition to using G10, the G54-G59 offsets can be set from the config system using the following conventions:
$g54x=20.000 $g54y=20.000 etc, all the way through... ... $g59b=1800 $g59c=1800
Or they can be set in a single command using using JSON mode. Only those axes specified are set.
{"g55"":{"x":20.000,"y":20.000,"z":"0.000","a":0.000}}
They can be displayed individually:
'''$g54x''' - returns a single value
...or as a group:
'''$g54''' - returns all 6 values in the G54 group
'''$g92''' - returns all 6 values of the origin offset group
...or all together:
'''$o''' or
'''$ofs''' - returns all 6 groups of 6 values, plus the G92 origin offsets
Note: the G54-G59 settings are persistent settings that are preserved between resets (i.e. in EEPROM), unlike the G92 origin offset settings which are just in the volatile Gcode model and are thus not preserved.
== System Settings
==
'''$FV''' Firmware Version: Read-only value. Can be queried.
'''$FB''' Firmware Build number: Read-only value. Can be queried.
'''$SI''' Status Interval in milliseconds. Set to 0 to disable automatic status reports. Minimum is about 100 ms.
'''$SR''' Status Report. Returns a starus report in line form (use ? to return one in multi-line report firm)
'''Gcode Default Parameters'''
These parameters set the values for the Gcode model on power-up or reset. They do not affect the current gcode model state. For example, entering $gun=0 will not change the system to inches, but it will cause it to come up in inches during reset.
'''$GPL''' Gcode Default Plane Selection for reset and power-on.
$gpl=0 - G17 (XY plane) $gpl=1 - G18 (XZ plane) $gpl=2 - G19 (YZ plane)
'''$GUN''' Gcode Default Units for reset and power-on.
$gun=0 - G20 (inches) $gun=1 - G21 (millimeters)
'''$GCO''' Gcode Default Coordinate System for reset and power-on.
$gco=0 - (absolute coordinate system) $gco=1 - G54 (coordinate system 1) $gco=2 - G55 (coordinate system 2) $gco=3 - G56 (coordinate system 3) $gco=4 - G57 (coordinate system 4) $gco=5 - G58 (coordinate system 5) $gco=6 - G59 (coordinate system 6)
'''$GPA''' Gcode Default Path Control for reset and power-on
$gpa=0 - G61 (exact stop mode) $gpa=1 - G61.1 (exact path mode) $gpa=2 - G64 (continuous mode)
'''$GDI''' Gcode Distance Mode for reset and power-on
$gdi=0 - G90 (absolute mode) $gdi=1 - G91 (incremental mode)
'''Motion Parameters'''
'''$EA''' Enable Acceleration (NOTE: as of 0.93 this setting is disabled. Acceleration is always enabled)
$ea=0 - Disable acceleration $ea=1 - Enable acceleration
'''$JA''' Junction Acceleration
$ja=50000 - 50,000 mm/min^2 - a reasonable value for a modest performance machine $ja=200000 - 200,000 mm/min^2 - a reasonable value for a higher performance machine
'''$ML''' Minimum Line Segment
$ml=0.08 - Do not change this value
'''$MA''' Minimum Arc Segment
$ma=0.10 - Do not change this value
'''$MS''' Minimum Segment time in microseconds - Refers to S-curve interpolation segments
$ms=5000 - Do not change this value
'''Communications Parameters'''
'''$IC''' Ignore CR on RX.
$ic=0 - Disable $ic=1 - Enable
'''$IL''' Ignore LF on RX.
$il=0 - Disable $il=1 - Enable
'''$EC''' Enable CR expansion on TX.
$ec=0 - Disable $ec=1 - Enable
'''$EE''' Enable Echo.
$ee=0 - Disable $ee=1 - Enable
'''$EX''' Enable XON/XOFF protocol
$ex=0 - Disable $ex=1 - Enable
Connect to the TinyG USB at 115,200 baud.
To see a value enter $cmd. To set a value enter $cmd=value.
Most commands are self explanatory. See the sections following the cheat sheet for those that require further explanation.
##Motor Groups Settings specific to a given motor. There are 4 motor groups, numbered 1,2,3,4 as labeled on the TinyG board.
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$1ma | Motor mapping to axis| Typically: $1ma=0, $2ma=1, $3ma=2, $4ma=3 to map motors 1-4 to X,Y,Z,A, respectively
$1sa | Step angle | Typical setting is $1s1=1.8 for 1.8 degrees per step (200 steps per revolution)
$1tr | Travel per revolution | How far the mapped axis moves per motor revolution. E.g 2.54mm for a 10 TPI screw axis
$1mi | Microsteps | TinyG uses 1,2,4 and 8. Other values are accepted but warned
$1po | Polarity | 0=clockwise rotation, 1=counterclockwise - although these are dependent on your motor wiring.
$1pm | Power management mode | 0=power shuts off when axis is not moving, 1=axis remains powered when idle
Settings specific to a given axis. There are 6 axis groups, one for each of X,Y,Z,A,B,C. Not all axes have all parameters.
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$xam | Axis mode | See details for setting. Normally this is =1 "normal"
$xvm | Velocity maximum | Max velocity for axis, aka "traverse rate" or "seek"
$xfr | Feed rate maximum | Sets maximum feed rate for that axis. Does NOT set the F word
$xtm | Travel maximum | Used by homing to know when to give up
$xjm | Jerk maximum | main parameter for acceleration management (Note: takes the place of a max acceleration value)
$xjh | Jerk homing | jerk used during homing operations. On axes XYZA only
$xjm | Junction deviation | For cornering control
$ara | Radius setting | Rotational axes only (ABC only)
$xsn | Minimum switch mode | 0=disabled, 1=homing-only, 2=limit-only, 3=homing-and-limit (XYZA only)
$xsx | Maximum switch mode | 0=disabled, 1=homing-only, 2=limit-only, 3=homing-and-limit (XYZA only)
$xsv | Search velocity | Homing speed during search phase (drive to switch) (XYZA only)
$xlv | Latch velocity | Homing speed during latch phase (drive off switch) (XYZA only)
$xzb | Zero backoff | offset from switch for zero in absolute coordinate system (XYZA only)
The system group contains the following global machine and communication settings. The system group can be listed by requesting $sys or {"sys":""} in JSON mode
Identification Settings These are reported on the startup strings and should be included in any support discussions.
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$fb | Firmware build | Read-only value, e.g. 351.05
$fv | Firmware version | Read-only value, e.g. 0.95
$hv | hardware version | Read-write value, set to 6 for v6 and earlier boards, v7 for version 7 and later boards
$id | Unique ID | Each board has a read-only unique ID
Global System Settings
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$ja | Junction acceleration | Global cornering acceleration value
$ct | Chordal tolerance | Sets precision of arc drawing. Trades off precision for max arc draw rate
$st | Switch type | 0=NO, 1=NC
Communications Settings Set communications speeds and modes.
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$ej | Enable JSON mode | 0=text mode, 1=JSON mode
$jv | JSON verbosity | 0=silent ... 5=verbose (see details)
$tv | Text mode verbosity | 0=silent, 1=verbose
$qv | Queue report verbosity | 0=off, 1=filtered, 2=verbose
$sv | Status report verbosity | 0=off, 1=filtered, 2=verbose
$si | Status report interval | in milliseconds (50 ms minimum interval)
$ic | Ignore CR / LF on RX | 0=accept CR or LF as line terminator, 1=ignore CRs, 2=ignore LFs
$ec | Enable CR on TX | 0=send LF line termination on TX, 1= send both LF and CR termination
$ee | Enable character echo | 0=off, 1=enabled
$ex | Enable XON/XOFF | 0=off, 1=enabled
$baud | Baud rate | 1=9600, 2=19200, 3=38400, 4=57600, 5=115200, 6=230400 -- 115200 is default
Gcode Initialization Defaults Gcode settings loaded on power up, abort/reset and Program End (M2 or M30). Changing these does NOT change the current Gcode mode, only the initialization settings.
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$gun | Default units mode | 0=inches mode (G20), 1=mm mode (G21)
$gpl | Default plane selection | 0=XY plane (G17), 1=XZ plane (G18), 2=YZ plane (G19)
$gco | Default coordinate system | 1=G54, 2=G55, 3=G56, 4=G57, 5=G58, 6=G59
$gpa | Default path control mode | 0=Exact path mode (G61), 1=Exact stop mode (G61.1), 2=Continuous mode (G64)
$gdi | Default distance mode | 0=Absolute mode (G90), 1=Incremental mode (G91)
##Commands and Reports These $configs invoke reports and functions
Command | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$sr | Request status report | SR also sets status report format in JSON mode
$qr | Request queue report |
$qf | Flush planner queue | Used with '!' feedhold for jogging, probes and other sequences. Usage: {"qf":1}
$rx | Query space in serial RX buffer |
$test | Invoke self tests | $test=n for test number; $test returns help screen in text mode
$defa | Reset to factory defaults | $defa=1 to reset
$boot | Enter boot loader | $boot=1 enters boot loader
$help | Show help screen | Show system help screen; $h also works
Note: Status report parameters is settable in JSON only - see JSON mode for details
Hidden System Settings
The following settings are accessible but do not appear in the system group listings. This is because they really should not be messed with.
Setting | Description | Notes
--------|-------------|-------
$ml | Minimum line length |
$ma | Arc segment length |
$mt | Segment timing |
$qvh | Queue report hi water mark | set between 0 and 24; default is 20
$qvl | Queue report low water mark | set between 0 and 24; default is 2
# Settings Details Settings are case insensitive - they are shown in upper case for emphasis only. The leading '1' can be any motor, 1-4, and the leading 'x' can be any axis (with some restrictions as noted).
Axes must be input as numbers, with X=0, Y=1, Z=2, A=3, B=4 and C=5. As you might expect, mapping motor 1 to X will cause X movement to drive motor 1. The example below is a way to run a dual-Y gantry such as a 4 motor Shapeoko setup. Movement in Y will drive both motor2 and motor4.
$1ma=0 Maps motor 1 to the X axis $2ma=1 Maps motor 2 to the Y axis $3ma=2 Maps motor 3 to the Z axis $4ma=1 Maps motor 4 to the Y axis
This is a decimal number which is often 1.8 degrees per step, but should reflect the motor in use. You might also find 0.9, 3.6, 7.5 or other values. You can usually read this off the motor label. If a motor is indicated in steps per revolution just divide 360 by that number. A 200 step-per-rev motor is 1.8 degrees, a 400 step-per-rev motor has 0.9 degrees per step.
$1sa=1.8 This is a typical value for many motors
This is the amount of travel of the mapped axis per motor revolution. It is in mm or inches for X, Y or Z axes, or in degrees for A, B and C axes. The XYZ value will be interpreted and echoed in the prevailing units; G20 sets inches, G21 sets mm. ABC values are always in degrees. (Note: this last bit is in error right now - rotaries are reported in linear terms)
For XYZ this value is usually the result of the lead screw pitch or pulley circumference. A 10 TPI leadscrew moves 0.100" / revolution. A 0.500" diameter pulley will travel 3.14159" per revolution, absent any other gearing. A typical value for a Shapeoko or Reprap belt driven machine is on the order of 36.540 mm per revolution. Don't take this as exact - you will need to do your own calibration on your machine to get this setting exact.
For ABC the travel is entered in degrees. This value will be 360 degrees for an axis that is not geared down. The value for a geared rotary axis is 360 divided by the gear ratio. For example, a motor-driven rotary table with 4 degrees of table movement per handle rotation has a gear ratio of 90:1. The Travel per Revolution value should be set to 4.
Note that Travel per Revolution is a motor parameter, not an axis parameter as one might think. Consider the case of a dual Y gantry with lead screws of different pitch (how weird). The travel per revolution would be different for each motor.
$1tr=2.54 Sets motor 1 to a 10 TPI travel from millimeters (2.54 mm per revolution)
TinyG microsteps are set in firmware, not as hardware jumpers as on some other systems. The following microstep values are supported:
- 1 = no microsteps (whole steps)
- 2 = half stepping
- 4 = quarter stepping
- 8 = eighth stepping
It is a misconception that higher microstep values are better - beyond a certain point they are a detriment to performance. In a typical setup the total power delivered to the motor (and hence torque) will go down as you increase the microsteps, especially at higher speeds. Also, using microsteps to set the finest machine resolution is source of error as the shaft angle isn't necessarily going to be at the theoretical point. Don't just assume that 1/8 microstepping is the right setting for your application. Try out different settings to balance smoothness and power.
$3mi=8 Set 1/8 microsteps for motor 3
Note: Values other than 1,2,4 and 8 are accepted. This is to support some people that have crazily wired TinyG to other drivers like these crazy 1.3 Kw servos Saci's wired up and like some of the common commercial stepper driver running 10x or 16x steps. If you are using the drivers on TinyG this will cause them to malfunction, so please don't do this unless you are one of those hacker types that soldered up your TinyG.
Set to one of the following:
- 0 = Normal motor polarity
- 1 = Invert motor polarity
Polarity sets which direction the motor will turn when presented with positive and negative Gcode coordinates. It's affected by how you wired the motors and by mechanical factors. Set polarity so the indicated axis travels in the correct orientation for your machine.
Travel in X and Y is dependent on the conventions for your particular machine and CAD setup. Typically X is left/right movement, and Y is towards and away from you, but people often set up the machine to agree with the visualization their CAD program provides, and can depend on where you stand when operating the machine. Typically X+ moves to the right, X- to the left, Y+ away from you, and Y- towards you. Z is by convention the cutting axis, which is the vertical axis on a typical milling machine. Z+ should move up, and Z- should move down, into the work.
$3po=0 Set polarity to normal
Set to one of the following:
- 0 = Leave motor powered on when stopped
- 1 = Turn motor power off when stopped
Stepper motors actually consume maximum power when idle. They hold torque and get hot. If you shut off power the motor has (almost) no holding torque. Some machine configurations are OK if you shut off the power on idle (like most leadscrew machines), others are not (some belt/pulley configs and some non-cartesian robots)
$4pm=1 Set low-power idle for motor 4
Sets the function of the axis.
- 0 = Disable. All input to that axis will be ignored and the axis will not move.
- 1 = Standard. Linear axes move in length units. Rotary axes move in degrees.
- 2 = Inhibited. Axis values are taken into account when planning moves, but the axis will not move. Use this to perform a Z kill or to do a compute-only run.
- 3 = Radius mode. (Rotary axes only) In radius mode gcode values are interpreted as linear units; either inches or mm depending on the prevailing G20/G21 setting. The conversion of linear units to degrees is accomplished using the radius setting for that axis. See $aRA for details.
$zmo=2 Inhibit the Z axis; $zmo1 will restore standard operation
(aka traverse rate or seek rate). Sets the maximum velocity the axis will move during a traverse (G0). This is set in length units per minute for linear axes, degrees per minute for rotary axes. The max velocity will be used for all G0's from the time of reset onward. Note that the max velocity is per-axis.
Diagonal / multi-axis traverses will actually occur at the fastest speed the combined set of axes and the geometry will allow, and may be faster than the individual axis max velocities. For example, max velocity for X and Y are set to 1000 mm/min. For a 45 degree traverse in X and Y the toolhead would travel at 1414.21 mm/min.
$xvm=1200 sets X maximum velocity (G0) to 1200 mm/min - assuming G21 is active (i.e. the machine is in MM mode) $zvm=30.0 sets Z to 30 inches per minute - assuming G20 is active $avm=36000 sets A to 100 revolutions per minute (360 * 100)
Sets the maximum velocity the axis will move during a feed in a G1, G2, or G3 move. This works similarly to maximum velocity, but instead of actually setting the speed, it only serves to establish a "do not exceed" for Gcode F words. Put another way, the maximum feed rate setting is NOT used to set the Gcode's F value; it is only a maximum that may be used to limit the F speed provided in a gcode file.
Axis feed rates should be equal to or less than the maximum velocity. See Setting Feed Rate and Maximum Velocity for more details.
$xfr=1000 sets X max feed rate to 1000 mm/min - assuming G21 is active (i.e. the machine is in MM mode)
Defines the maximum extent of travel in that axis. This is used during homing. See Homing for more details on how this is used.
Sets the maximum jerk value for that axis. Jerk is settable independently for each axis to support machines with different dynamics per axis - such as Shapeoko with belts for X and Y, screws for Z, or Probotix with 5 pitch X and Y screws and 12 pitch Z screws.
Jerk is in units per minutes^3, so the numbers are quite large. Some common values are shown in millimeters in the examples below
$xjm=50,000,000 Set X jerk to 50 million MM per min^3. This is a good value for a moderate speed machine $zjm=25,000,000 A reasonable setting for a slower Z axis $xjm=5,000,000,000 X jerk for Shapeoko. Yes, that's 5 billion
The jerk term in mm is measured in mm/min^3. In inches mode it's units are inches/min^3. So the conversion from mm to inches is 1/(25.4). The same values as above are shown in inches are:
50,000,000 mm/min^3 is 1,968,504 in/min^3 2,000,000 would suffice 25,000,000 mm/min^3 is 984,251 in/min^3 1,000,000 would suffice 5,000,000,000 mm/min^3 is 196,850,400 in/min^3 200,000,000 would suffice
Sets the jerk value used for homing to stop movement when switches are hit or released. In most cases the same value as $xJM is OK. However, if your $xJM is very low you may need a higher value for homing in order to prevent damage to the switches.
This one is somewhat complicated. Junction deviation - in combination with Junction Acceleration ($JA) from the system group - sets the velocity reduction used during cornering through the junction of two lines. The reduction is based on controlling the centripetal acceleration through the junction to the value set in JA with the junction deviation being the "tightness" of the controlling cornering circle. An explanation of what's happening here can be found on [Sonny Jeon's blog: Improving grbl cornering algorithm] (http://onehossshay.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/improving_grbl_cornering_algorithm/ onehossshay.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/improving_grbl_cornering_algorithm/).
It's important to realize that the tool head does not actually follow the controlling circle - the circle is just used to set the speed of the tool through the defined path. In other words, the tool does go through the sharp corner, just not as fast. This is a Gcode G61 - Exact Path Mode operation, not a Gcode G64 - Continuous Path Mode (aka corner rounding, or splining) operation.
While JA is set globally and applies to all axes, JD is set per axis and can vary depending on the characteristics of the axis. An axis that moves more slowly should have a JD that is less than an axis that can move more quickly, as the larger the JD the faster the machine will move through the junction (i.e. a bigger controlling circle). The following example has some representative values for a Probotix Fireball V90 machine. The V90 has 5 TPI X and Y screws, and 12 TPI Z. All values in MM.
$xJD 0.05 Units are mm $yJD 0.05 $zJD 0.02 Setting Z to a smaller value means that moves with a change in the Z component will move proportionately slower depending on the contribution in Z. $JA 200,000 Units are mm/min^2. As before, commas are ingored and are provided only for clarity
The radius value is used by rotational axes only (A, B and C) to convert linear units to degrees when in radius mode.
For example; if the A radius is set to 10 mm it means that a value of 6.28318531 mm will make the A axis travel one full revolution - as 62.383... is the circumference of the circle of radius R ( 2PIR, or 10 * 2 * 3.14159...) (Assuming $nTR = 360 -- see note below). Receiving the gcode block "G0 A62.83" will turn the A axis one full revolution (360 degrees) from a starting position of 0. All internal computations and settings are still in degrees - it's just that gcode units received for the axis are converted to degrees using the specified radius.
Note that the Travel per Revolution value ($1TR) is used but unaffected in radius mode. The degrees per revolution still applies, it's just that the degrees were computed based on the radius and the Gcode axis values. See Travel per Revolution (See $1TR) in the motor group.
Please see TinyG Homing for the following homing settings
- $xSN - Minimum switch mode
- $xSX - Maximum switch mode
- $xSV - Homing Search Velocity
- $xLV - Homing Latch Velocity
- $xLB - Homing Latch Backoff
- $xZB - Homing Zero Backoff
By way of example, my Shapeoko is set up this way:
Setting | Description | Example
--------|-------------|--------------
$ST | Switch Type | 1=NC
$XJH | X Homing Jerk | 10000000000 (10 billion)
$XSN | X Minimum Switch Mode | 3=limit-and-homing
$XSX | X Maximum Switch Mode | 2=limit-only
$XTM | X Travel Maximum | 180 mm
$XSV | X Homing Search Velocity | 3000 mm/min
$XLV | X Homing Latch Velocity | 100 mm/min
$XLB | X Homing Latch Backoff | 20 mm
$XZB | X Homing Zero Backoff | 3 mm
||
$YJH | Y Homing Jerk | 10000000000 (10 billion)
$YSN | Y Minimum Switch Mode | 3=limit-and-homing
$YSX | Y Maximum Switch Mode | 2=limit-only
$YTM | Y Travel Maximum | 180 mm
$YSV | Y Homing Search Velocity | 3000 mm/min
$YLV | Y Homing Latch Velocity | 100 mm/min
$YLB | Y Homing Latch Backoff | 20 mm
$YZB | Y Homing Zero Backoff | 3 mm
||
$ZJH | X Homing Jerk | 100000000 (100 million)
$ZSN | Z Minimum Switch Mode | 0=disabled (with NC switches it's important all unused switches are disabled)
$ZSX | Z Maximum Switch Mode | 3=limit-and-homing
$ZTM | Z Travel Maximum | 100 mm
$ZSV | Z Homing Search Velocity | 1000 mm/min
$ZLV | Z Homing Latch Velocity | 100 mm/min
$ZLB | Z Homing Latch Backoff | 10 mm
$ZZB | Z Homing Zero Backoff | 5 mm
||
$ASN | A Minimum Switch Mode | 0=disabled
$ASX | A Maximum Switch Mode | 0=disabled
## System Group Settings These are general system-wide parameters and are part of the "sys" group.
####Identification Settings
Read-only value. Can be queried. Currently this is something above 370.02.
Read-only value. Can be queried.
Read-write value. Set to 6 for version 6 or earlier board, Set to 7 for version 7 board. Used to configure switch and output ports which are somewhat different between revs. This is set to v7 by default.
Read-only value. Can be queried.
####Global System Settings
In conjunction with the global $jd setting sets the cornering speed. See $jd for explanation
$ja=50000 - 50,000 mm/min^2 - a reasonable value for a modest performance machine $ja=200000 - 200,000 mm/min^2 - a reasonable value for a higher performance machine
Arcs are generated as sets of very short straight lines that approximate a curve. Each line is a "chord" that spans the endpoints of that segment of the arc. Chordal tolerance sets the maximum allowable deviation between the true arc and straight line that approximates it - which will be in the middle of the line / arc.
Setting chordal tolerance high will make curves "rougher", but they can execute faster. Setting them smaller will make for smoother arcs that may take longer to execute. The lower-limit of $ct is set by the minimum arc segment length, which really should not be changed (See hidden parameters).
Sonny Jeon of the grbl project pointed this one out.
Sets the type of switch used for homing and/or limits. All switches must be of the same type (mixes are not supported).
$st=0 - Normally Open switches (NO) $st=1 - Normally Closed switches (NC)
####Communications Settings
This sets the startup mode. JSON mode can be invoked at any time by sending a line starting with an open curly '{'. JSON mode is exited any time by sending a line starting with '$', '?' or 'h'
Please note: The two startup lines on reset will always be in JSON format regardless of setting in order to allow UIs to sync with an unknown board.
$ej=0 - Disable JSON mode on power-up and reset (e - Set Baud Ratenables text mode) $ej=1 - Enable JSON mode on power-up and reset
If you are using JSON mode with high-speed files (many short lines at high feed rates) you probably want setting 3 or 4. You may also want to change the baud rate to 230400.
$jv=0 - Silent - No response is provided for any command $jv=1 - Footer - Returns footer only - no command echo, gcode blocks or messages $jv=2 - Messages - Returns footers, exception messages and gcode comment messages $jv=3 - Configs - Returns footer, messages, config command body $jv=4 - Linenum - Returns footer, messages, config command body, and gcode line numbers if present $jv=5 - Verbose - Returns footer, messages, config command body, and gcode blocks
We recommend using Verbose, except for very special cases.
$tv=0 - Silent - no response is provided $tv=1 - Verbose - returns OK and error responses
Queue reports return the number of available buffers in the planner queue. The planner queue has 24 buffers and therefore can have as many as 24 Gcode blocks queued for execution. An empty queue will report 24 available buffers. A full one will report 0.
Using the planner queue depth as a way to manage flow control when sending a Gcode file is actually a much better way than managing the serial input buffer. If you keep the planner full to about 2 blocks available it will run really smoothly. You also want to make sure the queue doesn't starve, say - more than 20 blocks available.
Verbosity settings are:
$qv=0 - Silent - queue reports are off $qv=1 - Filtered - returns reports when depth changes and is above hi water mark or below low water mark $qv=2 - Verbose - returns queue reports for every block queued to the planner buffer
Set high-water mark for reporting. Set to 20 by default. This is a hidden setting and will not show up in $sys listings.
Set low-water mark for reporting. Set to 2 by default. This is a hidden setting and will not show up in $sys listings.
Please see Status Reports for a discussion of $sv and $si status report settings.
$sv=0 - Silent - status reports are off $sv=1 - Filtered - returns only changed values in status reports $sv=2 - Verbose - returns all values in status reports
The minimum is 50 ms. Trying to set a value below the minimum will set the minimum value.
$si=100 - Status interval in milliseconds
$ic=0 - Don't ignore CR or LF in received data $ic=1 - Ignore CR in received data $ic=2 - Ignore LF in received data
This should be disabled for JSON mode. In text mode it's optional either way.
$ee=0 - Disable character echo $ee=1 - Enable character echo
$ex=0 - Disable XON/XOFF protocol $ex=1 - Enable XON/XOFF protocol
The default baud rate for the USB port is 115,200 baud. The following additional baud rates may be set. The sequence for changing the baud rate is: (1) Issue the $baud command, (2) wait for a response verifying the command, (3) change to the new baud rate.
$baud=0 - Illegal baud rate setting. Returns an error $baud=1 - 9600 $baud=2 - 19200 $baud=3 - 38400 $baud=4 - 57600 $baud=5 - 115200 $baud=6 - 230400
####Gcode Default Parameters These parameters set the values for the Gcode model on power-up or reset. They do not affect the current gcode dynamic model. For example, entering $gun=0 will not change the system to inches mode, but it will cause it to initialize in inches mode during reset or power-up.
These are also part of the "sys" group.
$gpl=0 - G17 (XY plane) $gpl=1 - G18 (XZ plane) $gpl=2 - G19 (YZ plane)
###$GUN - Gcode Default Units
$gun=0 - G20 (inches) $gun=1 - G21 (millimeters)
###$GCO - Gcode Default Coordinate System
$gco=1 - G54 (coordinate system 1) $gco=2 - G55 (coordinate system 2) $gco=3 - G56 (coordinate system 3) $gco=4 - G57 (coordinate system 4) $gco=5 - G58 (coordinate system 5) $gco=6 - G59 (coordinate system 6)
###$GPA - Gcode Default Path Control
$gpa=0 - G61 (exact stop mode) $gpa=1 - G61.1 (exact path mode) $gpa=2 - G64 (continuous mode)
$gdi=0 - G90 (absolute mode) $gdi=1 - G91 (incremental mode)
Coordinate system offsets are the values used by G54, G55, G56, G57, G58 and G59 commands to define the offsets from the machine (absolute) coordinate system for X,Y,Z,A,B and C. G54-G59 correspond to the Gcode coordinate systems 1-6, respectively.
By convention G54 is set to no offsets (all zeroes) so it is the same as the machine's absolute coordinate system. This is true because the G53 command "move in absolute coordinates" is only in effect for the current Gcode block. After that the dynamic model reverts to the coordinate system previously in effect. So if you want to say in absolute coordinates you need a persistent machine coordinate system, by convention G54.
Another convention is to set G55 to your common coordinate system, we set this to be 0,0 in the middle of the table. So once you have zeroed issuing g55 g28 will set to this system and position the head in the middle of the table. (Note: this can be done on one line of gcode - it does not need to be 2 separate commands).
G54-G59 offsets can be set per the following example:
$g54x=0 Set G54 to be the same as the machine coordinate system $g54y=0 $g54z=0 $g54a=0 $g54b=0 $g54c=0 $g55x=90.0 Set G55 to be in the middle of the table $g55y=90.0 $g55z=0 $g55a=0 $g55b=0 $g55c=0
In JSON mode you can set a coordiante system in a single command. Only those axes specified are changed.
{"g55"":{"x":90,"y":90,"z":"0"}}
Offsets can be displayed individually
$g54x - returns a single value
...or as a group:
$g54 - returns all 6 values in the G54 group
$g92 - returns all 6 values of the origin offset group
...or all together:
$o - returns all offsets in the system (not available in JSON)
Note: the G54-G59 settings are persistent settings that are preserved between resets (i.e. in EEPROM), unlike the G92 origin offset settings which are just in the volatile Gcode model and are thus not preserved.
Gcode provides the G10 L2 command to perform this same function. Coordinate offsets can be set from Gcode using the G10 command, e.g. G10 P2 L2 X20.000 - the P word is the coordinate system numbered 1-6, the L word =2 is according to standard, but is ignored by TinyG (for now)
TinyG does not persist G10 settings, however. This is not in accordance with the Gcode spec. Any G10 settings that are provided will be used until reset, power cycle, or they are overwritten by a $g5xx command or another G10 command.
These commands cause various actions, and are not technically "settings".
Returns a status report or set the contents of a status report (JSON only). Identical to ? command. See Status Reports for details.
Sends a queue reports. $QV $QV for details.
Removes all Gcode blocks remaining inb the planner queue. This is useful to clear the buffer after a feedhold to create homing, jogging, probes and other cycles.
Execute $test to get a listing of available tests. Run $test=N, where N is the test number.
TinyG comes with a set of defaults pre-programmed to a specific machine profile. The default profile is set for a relatively slow screw machine such as the Zen Toolworks 7x12. Other default profles are settable at compile time by including the right .h file. If you are having trouble with your settings and want to revert to the default settings enter: $defa=1 This will revert all settings to defaults. Do a screencap of the $$ dump if you want to refer back to the current settings
These parameters are not part of any group and generally should not be changed. Serious malfunction can occur if these are not set correctly
Don't change this unless you are seriously tweaking TinyG for your application. It can cause many things to break. This value does not appear in system group listings ($sys)
$ml=0.08 - Do not change this value
Don't change this unless you are seriously tweaking TinyG for your application. It can cause many things to break. This value does not appear in system group listings ($sys)
$ma=0.10 - Do not change this value
Don't change this unless you are seriously tweaking TinyG for your application. It can cause many things to break. This value does not appear in system group listings ($sys)
$ms=5000 - Do not change this value