Creating a topic for my progress of migrating from 1F Controller (Buildbotics) to SLB + gSender.
So far, I was able to install gSender on Raspbery Pi 4, configured it to auto start and enable the web server. This is one of my requirements for a new setup, to have a headless setup.
You can see from the screenshot below that I can access it remotely using the hostname I assigned to the PI.
Here’s the video of the installation:
Francis,
What is your motivation for moving from the Buildbotics controller to the SuperLongBoard? The reason I am asking is that I have a Taig Mini Mill that needs an upgrade from Mach3.
Dirkus
Mainly because the 1F controller stopped working for some of my I/O (such as M8 and RS-485), my CNC is almost unusable for my workflow. The new 1F controller costs $500 USD, which, in my opinion, is quite steep. The SLB, on the other hand, is just under $200 shipped, and I already have a couple of 24V power supplies. Having individual parts is better for my situation because I do a lot of tinkering, and when I make a mistake, replacing a whole $500 package is hard to justify.
Another issue is the software and firmware. The 1F firmware is a bit buggy. If it thinks the G-code is invalid, it halts the system, requiring a reboot. This forces you to home the machine again and lose your offset, which is extremely frustrating. There’s also limited customization—for instance, I’d like to change my homing location to the back-left instead of the front-left.
The SLB + gSender, on the other hand, is backed by a company with good resources to improve it, and the best part is that it’s still open source.
Here are a few other reasons why I’m considering migrating:
If you compare gSender to the 1F controller, gSender is far ahead. For example, for something as simple as surfacing your bed, gSender has a built-in CAM feature that generates G-code just by inputting the dimensions of your bed and a few other parameters. This is a very common workflow, and gSender makes it much quicker and easier to complete.
By the way gSender also works with other controller not just SLB, as long its grbl or grblHal based firmware.
Finally adding limit switches. The stall homing is not so reliable for getting consistent coordinates. This is really critical if you are relying to G53 g-code such as ATC.
Decided to go with the hall-effect sensors.
And 3D printed a mount for it.
Thank you for your feedback. I think the logic behind your selection is solid. I will explore the SLB as an option for my Taig Mini Mill upgrade. The price point on the SLB is very attractive. Adding a RPi4 as a headless gSender machine is also very cost effective.
Progress update:
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