Hacking the OpenBuilds BlackBox X32
Unimpressed with GrblHAL, maybe you want to run a version of Grbl you used on another ESP32 based controller such as Grbl_Esp32, or maybe you want to get all that you can out of your new controller by using the latest and greatest Grbl firmware out there (FluidNC)?
Before proceeding, I highly recommend you make a base (as-built) backup of your BlackBox X32. You can follow the procedure documented here to do so: https://openbuilds.com/threads/blackbox-x32-manually-backup-your-stock-firmware.19874/
Installing FluidNC is very easy and well documented. Head over to the FluidNC Releases page and download a distribution that matches your host computer (Windows == win64, Linux == posix). I recommend grabbing the latest and greatest release.
Follow the full install guide and then come back here for uploading and setting up your base config.yaml.
board: OpenBuilds BlackBox X32
name: BlackBox_X32_XYYZ-DOOR
meta: Handcrafted by Shell M Shrader
stepping:
engine: RMT
idle_ms: 255
pulse_us: 2
dir_delay_us: 1
disable_delay_us: 0
axes:
shared_stepper_disable_pin: gpio.17:low
x:
steps_per_mm: 200.000
max_rate_mm_per_min: 1000.000
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 100.000
max_travel_mm: 300.000
soft_limits: false
homing:
cycle: 2
feed_mm_per_min: 100.000
seek_mm_per_min: 500.000
settle_ms: 500
seek_scaler: 1.100
feed_scaler: 1.100
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.35
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 1.000
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.12
direction_pin: gpio.14
y:
steps_per_mm: 200.000
max_rate_mm_per_min: 1000.000
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 100.000
max_travel_mm: 300.000
soft_limits: false
homing:
cycle: 2
feed_mm_per_min: 100.000
seek_mm_per_min: 500.000
settle_ms: 500
seek_scaler: 1.100
feed_scaler: 1.100
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.34
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 1.000
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.27
direction_pin: gpio.26
motor1:
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.33
direction_pin: gpio.32
z:
steps_per_mm: 200.000
max_rate_mm_per_min: 300.000
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 100.000
max_travel_mm: 50.000
soft_limits: false
homing:
cycle: 1
feed_mm_per_min: 100.000
seek_mm_per_min: 200.000
settle_ms: 500
seek_scaler: 1.100
feed_scaler: 1.100
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.39
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 1.000
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.15
direction_pin: gpio.2
spi:
miso_pin: gpio.19
mosi_pin: gpio.23
sck_pin: gpio.18
sdcard:
card_detect_pin: NO_PIN
cs_pin: gpio.5
probe:
pin: gpio.22:low
check_mode_start: true
control:
safety_door_pin: gpio.16:pu
macros:
startup_line0:
startup_line1:
macro0:
macro1:
macro2:
macro3:
start:
must_home: false
coolant:
mist_pin: gpio.21
delay_ms: 0
PWM:
pwm_hz: 5000
output_pin: gpio.25
enable_pin: gpio.13
direction_pin: gpio.4
disable_with_s0: false
s0_with_disable: true
spinup_ms: 30000
spindown_ms: 10000
tool_num: 0
speed_map: 0=0.000% 1000=100.000%
The above config.yaml assumes you are running NC limit switches and a NC safety door
...
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.35
...
control:
safety_door_pin: gpio.16:pu
...
If you run your limits NO, you'll need to add the :low modifier to the appropriate pin entries. For example, to run your X axes with a NO limit switch, you would configure it like so:
x:
...
homing:
...
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.35:low
...
standard_stepper:
...
If you do not have a safety door you can omit the safety_door entry entirely or flip it to :low (same can be done if yours is NO):
If you need to reverse any of your steppers directionally, the same procedure applies to them. Simply add the :low modifier for the applicible motorX: direction_pin value.
If you are driving a laser, replace the PWM spindle entry with Laser. The FluidNC wiki goes into all of this in further detail.
The below config.yaml example is what I am running on my own 750x750 Queen Bee Pro. You will notice I have homing enabled and hard/soft limits both turned on as well. Lastly, take a look at the PWM speed_map entry. This is a cool feature that enables you to rescale your spindle speed on a custom curve.
board: Open Builds BlackBox X32
name: BlackBox_X32_XYYZ-DOOR
meta: Handcrafted by Shell M Shrader
stepping:
engine: RMT
idle_ms: 255
pulse_us: 2
dir_delay_us: 1
disable_delay_us: 0
segments: 12
axes:
shared_stepper_disable_pin: gpio.17:low
shared_stepper_reset_pin: NO_PIN
x:
steps_per_mm: 200.0
max_rate_mm_per_min: 3000.0
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 100.0
max_travel_mm: 505.0
soft_limits: true
homing:
cycle: 2
allow_single_axis: true
positive_direction: true
mpos_mm: 0.0
feed_mm_per_min: 100.0
seek_mm_per_min: 2000.0
settle_ms: 500
seek_scaler: 1.1
feed_scaler: 1.1
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.35
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: true
pulloff_mm: 5.0
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.12
direction_pin: gpio.14
disable_pin: NO_PIN
y:
steps_per_mm: 200.0
max_rate_mm_per_min: 3000.0
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 100.0
max_travel_mm: 505.0
soft_limits: true
homing:
cycle: 2
allow_single_axis: true
positive_direction: true
mpos_mm: 0.0
feed_mm_per_min: 100.0
seek_mm_per_min: 2000.0
settle_ms: 500
seek_scaler: 1.1
feed_scaler: 1.1
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.34
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: true
pulloff_mm: 5.0
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.27
direction_pin: gpio.26
disable_pin: NO_PIN
motor1:
limit_neg_pin: NO_PIN
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: false
pulloff_mm: 5.0
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.33
direction_pin: gpio.32
disable_pin: NO_PIN
z:
steps_per_mm: 200.0
max_rate_mm_per_min: 600.0
acceleration_mm_per_sec2: 100.0
max_travel_mm: 105.0
soft_limits: true
homing:
cycle: 1
allow_single_axis: true
positive_direction: true
mpos_mm: 0.0
feed_mm_per_min: 100.0
seek_mm_per_min: 300.0
settle_ms: 500
seek_scaler: 1.1
feed_scaler: 1.1
motor0:
limit_neg_pin: gpio.39
limit_pos_pin: NO_PIN
limit_all_pin: NO_PIN
hard_limits: true
pulloff_mm: 5.0
standard_stepper:
step_pin: gpio.15
direction_pin: gpio.2:low
disable_pin: NO_PIN
kinematics:
Cartesian: null
spi:
miso_pin: gpio.19
mosi_pin: gpio.23
sck_pin: gpio.18
sdcard:
cs_pin: gpio.5
card_detect_pin: NO_PIN
control:
safety_door_pin: gpio.16:pu
reset_pin: NO_PIN
feed_hold_pin: NO_PIN
cycle_start_pin: NO_PIN
macro0_pin: NO_PIN
macro1_pin: NO_PIN
macro2_pin: NO_PIN
macro3_pin: NO_PIN
coolant:
flood_pin: NO_PIN
mist_pin: gpio.21
delay_ms: 0
probe:
pin: gpio.22:low
check_mode_start: true
macros:
startup_line0: null
startup_line1: null
macro0: null
macro1: null
macro2: null
macro3: null
start:
must_home: true
deactivate_parking: false
check_limits: true
parking:
enable: false
axis: Z
target_mpos_mm: -5.0
rate_mm_per_min: 800.0
pullout_distance_mm: 5.0
pullout_rate_mm_per_min: 250.0
user_outputs:
analog0_pin: NO_PIN
analog1_pin: NO_PIN
analog2_pin: NO_PIN
analog3_pin: NO_PIN
analog0_hz: 5000
analog1_hz: 5000
analog2_hz: 5000
analog3_hz: 5000
digital0_pin: NO_PIN
digital1_pin: NO_PIN
digital2_pin: NO_PIN
digital3_pin: NO_PIN
arc_tolerance_mm: 0.002
junction_deviation_mm: 0.01
verbose_errors: false
report_inches: false
enable_parking_override_control: false
use_line_numbers: false
planner_blocks: 16
PWM:
pwm_hz: 5000
direction_pin: gpio.4
output_pin: gpio.25
enable_pin: gpio.13
disable_with_s0: false
s0_with_disable: true
spinup_ms: 10000
spindown_ms: 10000
tool_num: 0
speed_map: 0=0.000% 0=30.000% 6000=30.000% 24000=100.000%
off_on_alarm: false
For more information on FluidNC's config.yaml setup, take a look at the configuration section of their wiki: http://wiki.fluidnc.com/en/config/overview
I've created a set of machine files for Grbl_Esp32 you can flash on your BlackBox X32. Once you have it installed, you are able to apply OTA firmware updates directly from the WebUI moving forward -- even if you want to jump to FluidNC.
Grab the machine file that matches your setup. If your setup isn't listed, create a discussion and I'll do my best to accommodate your request.
Follow the FluidNC installation guide documented above. This will give us a nice clean spiffs partition for us to install Grbl_Esp32 on via an OTA. Once the install is done, open the WebUI and use the Firmware OTA update option in ESP3D:
Select the machine file you downloaded for your configuration and wait for the installation to complete.
Lastly, it is a good idea to install the Grbl_Esp32 WebUI instead of the FluidNC one. To do so, grab the Grbl_Esp32 index.html.gz archive and upload it via the spiffs file upload option in ESP3D:
As of v2.3.0, bgs fully supports FluidNC settings and configuration file management.
Better Grbl Support is also 100% compatible with Grbl_Esp32 (GrblHAL too). All error, alarm, and settings descriptions are up to date, supporting all flavors of Grbl available today.