Holy Grail of CNC Connectivity - ETHERNET!

Machines (Elite W/ Masso) Controller (MASSO) Discussion
42

Thanks for posting the update on this Avocado Scott.

I have not tried to make a wireless USB solution work, but in working through my solution, I can see two potential drawbacks to using a wireless USB style device…

  • You can’t post to the USB unless Masso is on, and
  • You can’t post to the USB while Masso is executing a program.

I’ve since iterated my pi-based design to resolve these drawbacks, as these would be unacceptable conditions in a production shop.

1 Like
43

The real problem is that the Masso cannot use a FAT partition, only FAT32. The FAT partition only supports up to 4GB.

The battery on the Maypole only lasts for a few hours. While it is charged, it is possible to write to it through WiFi but a few hours is not enough. This could probably be addresses by powering it through a buck converter but i dont even want to try as 4GB is not enough.

2 Likes
44

Hello Mike nice work. will you be sharing the setup? would love to give it a try.

45

@darchetti Thanks for checking! This project is still progressing, but not completed yet.
This past week I was able track down a stability issue that had been causing it to randomly disconnect. It took a little debugging wizardry from my software partner on this to ultimately figure it out.

Current state of the project:

  • I’ve got the pi working via wifi just fine.
  • There’s a button on my Masso touch that now works reliably, that refreshes the files on the Pi.
  • I’m currently using it as-is, to ensure it works flawlessly before adding each new feature I’d like to see in the final version.

Next up on the project:

  • I will change the power source from USB over to a typical power wall adapter. This involves using a barrel jack interface with the Pi.
  • I will re-add the ethernet port to the Pi, and begin reliability testing.
  • I will design an enclosure to hold everything in a nice package, then test again to ensure a consistent, stable and reliable connection.

ETA?
Well the testing portion of this is the longest part of the project. I want to make sure there’s sufficient mileage on the unit to be certain of it’s reliability. From time to time, I get pulled away on other projects that need attention. The more voices express interest, the more resources I put towards the device.

2 Likes
46

I will say, I had to revert back to the typical USB method for a short while. Once I go the Pi system back installed it was a breath of fresh air. It is just so nice to post programs and not mess with USB sticks. The benefits are really apparent when making frequent updates to a program as it’s running.

2 Likes
47

For this i just use masso link. I figured the advantage of an external device was the ability to send to it even if the masso is currently off.

I was also looking into a raspberry pi with usb gadget enabled to have an always on device that can catch the files even if the controller is off, it seems the simplest hardware stack.

48

I would love to take my PI off of my 3D printer and hook to my Elite. Let use know if you get this going as I would purchase, test, or whatever. I have an ethernet cable running to my machine area doing nothing.

1 Like
49

+1 voice expressing interest!

3 Likes