# MDI - more than one line of Gcode at a time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Controller (Buildbotics) Discussion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975 "2021-11-16T15:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alphonse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/alphonse/32/3408_2.png) [@Alphonse](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Alphonse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/1 "2021-11-16T15:00:05Z")
Using the Manual Data Input (MDI) function of the controller control screen, can you input more than one line of G Code and then run it? I have tried to enter a few lines of G-code and it appears that you can enter only one line at a time and hit run. If you can enter more than one line at a time, what is the syntax for separating the lines in the input screen? I have tried all sorts of things from semicolons to Alt Return to . . . . . . ![Capture](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/2X/f/f81e18bf1374ecb0c31afef865ca4300654a5b18.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Alphonse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/alphonse/32/3408_2.png) [@Alphonse](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Alphonse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/2 "2021-11-17T01:53:03Z")
The answer is that it only executes one line at a time. Enter the G-code in the MDI input window and press the play icon; then enter the next line of code and so on as you step it through. Be sure and hit the stop icon in the MDI section when you are finished. Otherwise you can induce errors into the controller that will show up in homing, etc. Ask me how I know! Yes, I had to reset to the controller defaults to get my scrambling of the eggs to clear. ---
**Author:** ![349iq2345](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/bb73d2/32.png) [@349iq2345](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/349iq2345)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:07am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/3 "2021-11-17T04:07:03Z")
Hey Alan, > [@Alphonse](#): > > I have tried all sorts of things from semicolons to Alt Return to . . . . . . me I would instinctively have tried “\n” 🙂 Anyway the [Documentation is silent about this](https://buildbotics.com/manual-v1-1/#ControlPageMDITab) ---
**Author:** ![Alphonse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/alphonse/32/3408_2.png) [@Alphonse](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Alphonse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 1:39pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/4 "2021-11-17T13:39:20Z")
The support person at 1F that I talked said it only takes one line at a time. Naturally I would like more! I will try your suggestion. I did look at the Buildbotics website and didn’t find the answer. I have also wondered if the Buildbotics documentation is totally applicable to the 1F controller?? I understand, again from support, that the 1F firmware is “forked” from Buildbotics and that they are not the same. ---
**Author:** ![OnefinityCNC](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/onefinitycnc/32/7_2.png) [@OnefinityCNC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/OnefinityCNC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 1:49pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/5 "2021-11-17T13:49:08Z")
Most of it would apply since we’ve forked from their firmware, but not all. ---
**Author:** ![Alphonse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/alphonse/32/3408_2.png) [@Alphonse](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Alphonse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/6 "2021-11-17T14:02:22Z")
Can you confirm that the MDI accepts only one line of G-code at a time? ---
**Author:** ![MikeH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@MikeH](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/MikeH)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 10:11pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/7 "2021-11-17T22:11:23Z")
It’s pretty easy to just make a small gcode file with the commands you want to run, and just run it like any other carve. I made a “warmup.nc” file for warming up my spindle, 11 lines of g-code: ```auto S8000 M3 G04 P60. S12000 G04 P60. S16000 G04 P60. S20000 G04 P60. S24000 G04 P60. M5 ``` If you’re handy at a Unix shell prompt (and have a keyboard handy) - you can escape into a shell and use vi to create the file right on the 1F… ---
**Author:** ![Alphonse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/alphonse/32/3408_2.png) [@Alphonse](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Alphonse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/8 "2021-11-17T22:54:23Z")
Thanks Mike, Agreed but I am trying to run just a few lines via the Manual Data Input (MDI) screen. ---
**Author:** ![MikeH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@MikeH](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/MikeH)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/9 "2021-11-18T02:09:59Z")
I understand what you’re trying to do - but the OneFinity UI just doesn’t allow that. ---
**Author:** ![Alphonse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/alphonse/32/3408_2.png) [@Alphonse](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Alphonse)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/10 "2021-11-18T02:33:50Z")
Okay. Looks like you have been down this road too. Thanks for the warmup code example. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_D](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/bob_d/32/4732_2.png) [@Bob\_D](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Bob_D)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/11 "2021-11-18T22:18:42Z")
I was wondering if anyone had done this. ---
**Author:** ![pmozz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@pmozz](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/pmozz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:30am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/12 "2024-09-12T06:30:03Z")
Hey mate, I know this is an old forum, but I receive errors when I try to home, and I am wondering if it is because I didn’t hit stop when I finished? I am using universal G-code sender and GRBL, there isn’t a stop button only a disconnect… How would I reset my controller? ![Screenshot 2024-09-12 at 3.24.33 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/3X/1/7/174c1bec475a2f8bd2fec445942c2bab70e40f96.png) ---
**Author:** ![pmozz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@pmozz](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/pmozz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:32am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/13 "2024-09-12T06:32:10Z")
Hey mike, just wondering the best program to write up a g-code file, and what file type should I use? .h .txt or is .nc best? Cheers ---
**Author:** ![349iq2345](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/bb73d2/32.png) [@349iq2345](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/349iq2345)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/mdi-more-than-one-line-of-gcode-at-a-time/8975/14 "2024-09-12T06:47:21Z")
Hey pmozz, the buildbotics-derived Onefinity controller expects .ngc files.