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Grbl (CNC Controller) For ESP32

ESP32

Project Overview

Build Status

This is a port of Grbl for the ESP32. The ESP32 is potentially a great target for Grbl for the following reasons

  • Faster - At least 4x the step rates over Grbl
  • Lower Cost -
  • Small footprint -
  • More Flash and RAM - A larger planner buffer could be used and more features could be added.
  • I/O - It has just about the same number of pins as an Arduino UNO, the original target for Grbl
  • Peripherals - It has more timers and advanced features than an UNO. These can also be mapped to pins more flexibly.
  • Connectivity - Bluetooth and WiFi built in.
  • Fast Boot - Boots almost instantly and does not need to be formally shutdown (unlike Raspberry Pi or Beagle Bone)
  • RTOS (Real Time operating System) - Custom features can be added without affecting the performance of the motion control system.

Issues / Changes

  1. Direction pin delay - Not implemented yet. Some drivers require a couple of microseconds after the direction pin is set before you start the step pulse. The original plan was to use the RMT feature, but that has issues when trying to use it in an Interrupt. This is typically a option in Grbl that is not used.
  2. Limit Switch debouncing is not supported yet. It does not seem to be a problem on my test rigs. The dev board uses R/C filters on all inputs.
  3. Step Pulse Invert: This has not been fully tested. I suggest...leaving $2=0

Using It

The code should be compiled using the latest Arduino IDE. Follow instructions here on how to setup ESP32 in the IDE. The choice was made to use the Arduino IDE over the ESP-IDF to make the code a little more accessible to novices trying to compile the code.

I use the ESP32 Dev Module version of the ESP32. I suggest starting with that if you don't have hardware yet.

For basic instructions on using Grbl use the gnea/grbl wiki. That is the Arduino version of Grbl, so keep that in mind regarding hardware setup. If you have questions ask via the GitHub issue system for this project.

Be sure you have external pullup resistors on any GPIO34-39 that you use. These default to door, start, hold and reset functions.

Using Bluetooth:

Using SD Card

Roadmap

The roadmap is now on the wiki.

Credits

The original Grbl is an awesome project by Sungeon (Sonny) Jeon. I have known him for many years and he is always very helpful. I have used Grbl on many projects. I only ported because of the limitation of the processors it was designed for. The core engine design is virtually unchanged.

The Wifi and WebUI is based on this project.

Contribute

There is a slack channel for the development this project. Ask for an Invite

FAQ

Start asking questions...I'll put the frequent ones here.

Donation

This project requires a lot of work and often expensive items for testing. Please consider a donation to it.