Just had my X Carve x-controller gave out on me and was told by a friend to check this site out. I found that you guys came out with the blackbox motion control system and was wondering if its compatible with the X-carve from Inventables. If i plan on ordering it, what modifications or equipment/components do I have to order as well. Need some help here since I'm new to this.

 

Good Evening Peter,
Do you have any information to share regarding the connecting of Inductive proximity sensors to the black box.
I have purchased L12A3-4-Z/BY Normally Open inductive sensors and I want to add them to the X,Y,Y1 and Z axis on my CNC (total of 10) and I am unsure how they are to be connected.
I am new to this forum so I hope that I am able to get a reply from you; I do not know how to drive this forum so please excuse my ignorance.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Lazzo

 

Thank you Peter,
It's amazing how much you can appreciate the details if you just remove the plugs and look at the signage under them.
I had not removed them and that information was not readily visible to me.
having now read the details on the black box I am a little embarrassed to having posted the question on line in the first place.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to someone who must obviously appear to be a bit of a drip to you.
I'll make sure that I look at all the available information before I commit to the Internet in Future.
Regards Kevin Lazarus (Lazzo)

 

Thank you Peter,
It's amazing how much you can appreciate the details if you just remove the plugs and look at the signage under them.
I had not removed them and that information was not readily visible to me.
having now read the details on the black box I am a little embarrassed to having posted the question on line in the first place.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to someone who must obviously appear to be a bit of a drip to you.
I'll make sure that I look at all the available information before I commit to the Internet in Future.
Regards Kevin Lazarus (Lazzo)

 

The only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.
Alex.

 

Thanks very much for that Peter.
I have already digested that info.
It is now full steam ahead and see if I can get my beast running.
I will keep you in the loop, as I am sure that it should, but past experience has proved that it won't, be plain sailing.
I daresay that I will be communicating with you a fair bit in the future.
Cheers Lazzo.

 

I'm sure sure if this is the best place to post but I'm having an issue with my Blackbox. I've been using it to run my WorkBee build for over a year now. I just switched the Microstepping from 1/8 to 1/32 and now my X-Axis will only move one direction. If I tell it to move x- it moves x- and if i tell it to move x+ it moves x-.

Any ideas what the issue might be? All i did was use an xacto to cut the jumper to run at 1/32 and vacuum the inside of the box.

EDIT: its definitely a controller issue since when I plug my z axis stepper into the x axis spot on the blackbox it behaves the same way.

 

Potentially? I was pretty careful. It moves smoothly and if I invert the axis it moved the opposite direction, but again only in the one direction regardless of the command

 

No I just took the back cover off. On closer inspection there is a nick in one of the traces so this might be on me. Would I be able to get a replacement board without the whole kit?

 

Do you know how long it usually takes to hear back from them? I have a job I was supposed to start this week and need to get a new board on order ASAP.

 

Yeah, I messaged them twice, yesterday and this morning, I haven't heard back and there's nothing in my spam.

 

Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

 

Hi,
Can the black box be used to make the next movement after being triggered? I'd like the system to start at position 1, wait for a signal then move to position 2, wait for a signal then move to position 3, etc etc.

Best,
Sanjay

 

It depends on what you mean by a "signal".

If you mean " Move, then wait for the user to hit 'Ok' ", then it could be as simple as inserting an M0 (or M00) stop into your gcode wherever you want it to stop, which should put the machine into pause - or feed hold - mode, at which point you can hit continue to move on until the next M0 is reached.

It doesn't seem to work quite that way in CONTROL at the moment, though (at least in my slightly dated version). It pauses execution, but the UI doesn't seem to notice, so you have to hit pause-then-unpause to continue. Peter could probably clarify whether this is a bug or if I'm just misinterpreting the intended behavior, but it shouldn't be a major inconvenience either way.


-Bats
( NOTE: M00 Program Stop should not, under any circumstances, be confused with MOO Cow Stop )

 

I know it comes as a stupid question but have had the Blackbox controller suggested for my cnc build but the connectors aren't the same that are on my stepper motors I am in the UK so unless I pay extortionate postage cant seem to find them, also the limit switches are being a problem

 

Unless you have special connectors on your steppers you just need to strip the wires and use the connectors that come with the blackbox.

 

Openbuilds tends to be pretty good about supplying the mating connectors any time they use their "Xtension" plugs, and I imagine the situation will be the same if you're buying the kit from (I assume?) Ooznest in the UK - something they could probably confirm if you drop them a line.

After that, as Rob indicated, you generally just have to remove (or snip & strip) the old connectors and pull out a small screwdriver* to attach the (included) new ones.

They're pretty nice connectors too. It would've been nice to see something with a clip instead of just a friction fit, but they're solid enough that I went ahead and replaced everything else on my system with them when I set up my BlackBox.


-Bats

* the screwdriver, on the other hand, is not included. what a ripoff!

 

that's great thank you for the help

 

is there a site where we can order parts, rather than the whole thing, like if I fried the brains board, or the muscle board?