GRBL HotWire Mega 5X Update v3.2 - CNC Foam Cutters 

Thank you, nothing more frustrating when you know something should work but it won't. Been there myself and then you have that Eureka moment.😀

Let me know if it's OK, Keith

Hi Timo I've just purchased a MKS Gen L board and the firmware loads with no problems. It only arrived a couple of days ago so I haven't a chance to connect it up and test fully. I'll have a video out soon showing the setup.

Hi, Mike, there is an image on the website here's a link www.rckeith.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/grbl-Mega-5X_Wiring-1024.png The wires go into D8 and polarity doesn't matter for the hot wire. Keith

Hi Don. This is the one you need www.rckeith.co.uk/download/grbl-hotwire-mega-5x-application-v3-2/ I think you mean a macro not a micro. Its just a collection of commands which can be run by a single click. The "slice" macro is on the Macro Tab. If you double click on it it will show the g-code commands. Once you press update it appears in the MDI box on the main inteface page. The cutting speed is set by the g-code command F and some value so for example "G1 X50 Y50 U10 Z10 F120" Which would move at 120mm per minute going to the coordinates give by G1. Sometime the F command is just on a line by itself or can be on every line with slightly different speeds. When its on a line by itself the speed is used on every G1 command until it reaches another one. Sometimes you only see it at the top of the g-code and thats all it needs. The Windows program doesn't control the speed it just runs the commands. The speed is set in the g-code generation software. So I mainly use Dev WIng Foam if you have a look here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fzr_LXEZwcs.html I show you where its set. Once again DevWing Foam controls where the wire enters. The free programs don't have as much control. If you watch the playlist for DevWing Foam it will give you a much better inderstanding. ru-vid.com/group/PLZzVG2q06x20qHRxzo2brX8aBFSikiA4n I can't advise you on Sketchup as I don't use it for g-code generation. Software is always the biggest challenge with CNC and although the free version work and can do basic cuts you soon reach the limits when you want to do things in a certain way. Although the DevWing Foam and DevFuse Foam are not cheap they are worth every penny in my opinion. I don't buy models any more I made the decision about 2 years ago and thats how I can justify the costs. I don't really enjoy flying my ARFT models I still have. Don no questions are stupid beleive it or not I'm quite a slow learner and it has always taken me a while to grasp things but then you have that Eureka momment and it all clicks. Yours will happen soon. May be a while before I get it done so in the meantime just keep asking until then. I have several late projects that I need to finish. The RU-vid videos are quite time consuming to make. Hope that helps Keith

Thank you, have a look at this video I made it covers end-stops ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T2yhzRf1N0w.html

Try a different USB port. I had that problem once and changing to another port fixed it.

SInce this software release I no longer use the Lipo Charger and use the D8 connector and it works really well. I've made many foam projects with it. I've also recently switched to the MKS Gen L V1 board using 24 volts and it works even better. So there is no problem with heating the wire now. I try to make the system as simple to use and build as possible. Hacking the shield isn't the way to approach this as how would other users do this who don't have electrical skills. Many builders are using the machine with the D8 connector and make good wings. Even a race car team in the USA, Have a look here at some of them here with the wings they made rckeith.co.uk/builders-gallery/ Thanks for taking the time to comment maybe your suggestion is sometting you could do and show how its done. I certainly don't have the electronic skills to do that. Keith

Hi Garth. All they are is a collection of g-codes you want to run. So you just add your g-code on the Marcos tab and give it a name and press Update. The name you gave it appears in the MDI panel as a button. If you click the button it runs the g-code you entered. You can only have 4 of them otherwise it clutters up the MDI panel. I added the Slice macro just by working out the g-code and adding in the Marcos tab, You can put any valid g-code in there. You could, for example, have two hot wire setting like M3 S500 as one macro and then M3 S600 as another for a bit more current. and call then Temp1 and Temp2, The range is 0-1000, with 1000 being the max, Perhaps not the best example but should give you the idea. Hope that helps Keith

Not sure I understand your comment.

@@rckeith i thought the Gcode is a Price list since $=Dollar is the same for Gcode and Shopping Items :)

@@hyperhektor7733 Ok I see. All the settings use $ signs in the firmware.