Raspberry Pi Pico CNC Shield xSB

make sure you have a backup of your previous version!

Why am I mention this now? Well ...

Yesterday I reserved some time, to prepare the instructions on how to compile grblHAL for the Raspberry Pi Pico CNC Shield. Everything went fine, I do have downloaded the latest source code, made the required modifications, compiled everything and at the end I finished writing the instructions. Even so I used this time my Linux machine, I had no trouble ... until I  run the exact G-Code, from the initial test, with the newly build firmware ... a new error:24 (or was it 23?). basically the same setup like a few days back, with "only" the firmware been changed ... Shit.

Anyhow, I do have to check the previous firmware. If needed, I would have to compare the different source code versions. bla bla bla ...

Even if I would have compiled everything on my Windows box, which I had used for the initial firmware version, I would still have the previous version. As I do the following, when "updating" the source code with the latest changed from Github. (Might be old-school, but that's how I do it)

--- to make it clear ... always downloading the complete source code is not the ideal way; better create a local backup and just download the new and updated files --- 

mkdir <current date>
cd <newly created directory>
git clone -b master https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-sdk.git
cd pico-sdk
git submodule update --init
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
cd ..
cd ..
git clone -b master https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-examples.git
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/grblHAL/RP2040.git
cd RP2040
git pull --recurse-submodules
cd ..

I do have published the 3D Model, for the case of the Single Side Board (SSB) version, on Raspberry Pi Pico CNC Shield SSB + Case + 80mm fan by DD-Y_41613 - Thingiverse . I have published it there to honor the two members, whose work I took and adjusted to my needs.

Before I continue with the grblHAL firmware configuration and compilation, I wanted to be sure that the board itself is working as designed.

So I wrote a simple application in the Arduino IDE ... "Test_Board.ino"

After uploading the simple application and starting the Serial Monitor in the Arduino IDE, the Pico application reports the following:

Controller Stepper Motors (Step +1/Step -1): X/x, Y/y, Z/z, A/a
Controller Disable Stepper Driver (Step +1/Step -1): 1 (X-Axis), 2 (Y-Axis), 3 (Z/A-Axis)
Controll Output (On/Off): C/c (CoolEn), D/d (SpnDir), E/e (SpinEn)
Read Status: S/s
Show this information: ?

By sending the mentioned character and numbers to the Pico, the related actions are fired and the result is reported back.

So in an easy way ...

• I am able to test the Stepper Motor driver and outputs, but also
• can check the inputs.

All went fine (*

(* Well I had trouble with two of the motor driver modules DRV8825. For what ever reason, they did not do their job. I replaced them and everything was fine.

This is part I, on what could go wrong.

Even though sitting in from of your PC and using mouse/keyboard to interact with your CNC Router software, in my case bCNC, you do control something in the reality. This something is your CNC Router, with its motors, lead screw, drill/milling, ... And in really things can break, damage something or injure you.

I do have ruined a couple of bits and some PCBs, so ...

Please be patient. Yes, I know it is all so exciting ... Do, especially at the beginning, everything slowly.

The photo "PCB v0.1 good and bad together.jpg" shows a good example of what can go wrong port II.

I had chosen a smaller size for auto leveling than the PCB had been. I had increase X-Min, because  near the top (Y) the milling bit would be outside the PCBmaterial.
And I had ignored review the result of the auto leveling the 3D view.

In result, bCNC had calculated the surface  around the edge of X-Min is higher ... so the mill did not touched the 10mm strip on the left (X-Min).

A few days ago, I milled the first version of the PCB. The result of the milling was on one hand satisfying and on the other hand disappointing. The text and some other fine detailes (of the more relevant parts) were awesome. Unfortunately there was a kind of a "blind spot" on the PCB, where - based on my incorrect auto leveling - the V-shape bit didn't mill anything in an area of 2x4mm. That's when I decided to share my experiences, in the hope it will be of some benefit for you (the reader).