How to prepare for Shapeoko 3 - New to CNC

[CastIrony]

I wonder how many people will be using a Super-PID and how many will manually control the speed

If it's just me I'm going to start wondering if everyone else knows something I don't.

[newtothis]

Curious to know if people who have a Super PID think its worth it? The cost, the performance, the extra little effort to rig it up, ease of use...

Don't get me wrong, cracking the router case and getting to wire something up along with an LED display adds to the fun. Just wondering if its worth it once it's all hooked up.

Also don't know if the Carbide Motion controller board has the connectors to control the SuperPID from software vs the manual dial. Maybe it does. Some board specs have dribbled out in bits but nothing comprehensive and detailed, unless I missed something.

[Hans]

My understanding is that using Super PID is mostly about optimization. While you might be able to change your feedrate or tool diameter to achieve a good cut and finish, that is a workaround and being able to specify tool speed allows one to use the machine to its full potential and opens up options. I think it would be especially helpful with chipload-critical materials like acrylic.

That said, "worth it" is a question of how much time and money one is willing to spend on the machine. A student might have a lot of time and little money, and a hobbyist engineer might have little time but more money, for example. All I can say is that for a spindle motor controller with closed-loop feedback, it's very inexpensive.

[CastIrony]

I'm planning on cutting a decent amount of plastic, so a way to slow the spindle down without sacrificing a ton of torque is welcome.

There's a decent chance that the Carbide board has the right pins broken out. It's not one of the plugs on the top, but there's a header near one of the chips that might be connected. GRBL also needs a small modification to change the 'spindle direction' pin into a 'spindle enable' pin in variable spindle mode. I might end up doing that myself if it doesn't happen before I need it, it's like four lines of code.

Worst case scenario, it works fine the way I have it wired up right now, with a manual switch an knob controlling ON/OFF and RPMs, respectively. Automation would be *nice*, but it's not like I'm going to have a bunch of projects where the spindle will have to change speed in the middle of the run.

[veng1]

You might want to notice that the header near that chip has the same shape and number of pins as the Carbide Motor Control Board.

[CastIrony]

You might want to notice that the header near that chip has the same shape and number of pins as the Carbide Motor Control Board.

Is that board documented?

[veng1]

No, but you can look at the photos.

[WillAdams]

No, but you can look at the photos.

There's an image on Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/0IdoQRhYHt/?taken-by=shapeoko --- can it be enlarged for more detail?

[cvoinescu]

The image from Edward's email is better. The legend I could not read, that for the 6x1-pin header, is obscured by the header in this image. It's the very same board, though (or they managed to make the exact same mess when they de-soldered the 6-pin connector on the right edge of the board).

[reprobubbles]

Any suggestion on buying a reasonable price Digital Video Recorder. I would even buy a used one from eBay. Any suggestions?