Surface scan
- Install a probe at your machine which triggers the Probe pin (A5 at arduino) when touching the work piece surface. A NO (normally open) switch, connected to ground and A5, is what we need. (Or when using a NC (normally closed) switch change $6=1). Note: if the probe is triggered, the Z axis needs some time and distance to decelerate which could cause mechnical stress to your probe (depending on mounting).
- Be sure the max. speed settings $110, $111, $112 are not too high - causing step loss
- A homing of the machine is recommended
- Find the needed travel range downwards for the Z axis. Manual probing can be started via the command G38.3 Z-5 (probe toward workpiece, stop on contact), where Z-5 the max. travel deepth defines. If the probe is not triggered until z-5, a deepth of -5 will be assumed.
- Setup and run the surface scan
Some examples of DIY probes:
1 with micro-switch, 2, 3 using a needle, 4, 5 made of brass
The machine can be controlled via
- mouse at the user interface inside the virtual joystick control
- external game pad
The control range of the analoge joysticks are divided into 6 segments to get same functionality as the virtual joystick has. Using the same settings, described below. - control via keyboard is not supported up to now.
The idea is to get a continuous movement as long as the joystick is triggered, and to stop directly. With grbl 0.9 it wasn't easy to implement. My solution was to send every 0.5 seconds a command for a short movement - a distance which could be reached almost within 0.5 seconds. To avoid an extra edit box for the feed rate I designed the control above, which offers 5 different speeds for each direction.