Tindie
Bart Dring
Overall Rating:
All Reviews
James | Dec. 9, 2019
Amazing little plotter!
For midTbot ESP32 V2 Controller Kit
I am in love with my midTbot esp32! This little guy was fun to build and easy to source parts for. I have it drawing all kinds of things but mainly art to gift to friends. The ability to control via WiFi is really a great feature, I can drop files over WiFi to the SD card and completely control it with the built is esp3D interface. This is not just a plotter but a whole ecosystem of grbl on the esp32. Favorite project I have completed this year, hands down. Thanks Bart!
George | Nov. 6, 2019
Nice Quality Board!
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
I have had no problems with this board. My time was spent studying the firmware code from GitHub......but for me it was a fun challenge. I have limited and outdated programming skills but I was determined to crack that code!
I did have one question for Bart and he responded right away. It was regarding the proper memory allocation used uploading to the esp32. The information is online if you do the research. He pointed me right to it. (Thanks Bart)....It is here: https://github.com/bdring/Grbl_Esp32/wiki/Compiling-the-firmware
If you are unsure about your project and just want to get GRBL running on an esp32, I would suggest spending a week or two and get GRBL uploading in Demo Mode (which is default to insure that no shorts will fry any components). After you reach that point, you are only a few minutes away from enabling GRBL to run your machine.
I tested it with four G-Code senders and they all work. Universal G-Code sender 2.0 is fine. If you want more features, the board will also run with GrblGru using Grbl-Mega-5x mode.
The extra grounds provided on the inputs are very handy and make it easier to keep your wiring organised.
I wired my board for external drivers to use larger motors. That part is easy. Only 3 wires per axis will get your motors moving.
I am looking forward to watching and learning as Bart's project continues to grow.
I did have one question for Bart and he responded right away. It was regarding the proper memory allocation used uploading to the esp32. The information is online if you do the research. He pointed me right to it. (Thanks Bart)....It is here: https://github.com/bdring/Grbl_Esp32/wiki/Compiling-the-firmware
If you are unsure about your project and just want to get GRBL running on an esp32, I would suggest spending a week or two and get GRBL uploading in Demo Mode (which is default to insure that no shorts will fry any components). After you reach that point, you are only a few minutes away from enabling GRBL to run your machine.
I tested it with four G-Code senders and they all work. Universal G-Code sender 2.0 is fine. If you want more features, the board will also run with GrblGru using Grbl-Mega-5x mode.
The extra grounds provided on the inputs are very handy and make it easier to keep your wiring organised.
I wired my board for external drivers to use larger motors. That part is easy. Only 3 wires per axis will get your motors moving.
I am looking forward to watching and learning as Bart's project continues to grow.
Shawn | Oct. 20, 2019
This thing is awesome
I bought a Twang32 almost ready to go. All I needed was LED strips, power supply, and to clip one end of the LED strips and attach it inside the Twang32. Super easy to do.
Hard to believe a game on a single LED wide strip can be so much fun, but everyone loved it. The sound is pretty loud.
The only reason I dinged it 1 star is the quality of the 3D print isn't the best. Looks like it was done on an old MakerBot or something. Does not affect performance or playability and is still highly recommend this.
Hard to believe a game on a single LED wide strip can be so much fun, but everyone loved it. The sound is pretty loud.
The only reason I dinged it 1 star is the quality of the 3D print isn't the best. Looks like it was done on an old MakerBot or something. Does not affect performance or playability and is still highly recommend this.
Response from Bart Dring | Oct. 22, 2019
FWIW: The parts are printed on a Lulzbot Ta6 and a Matterhackers Pulse XE. I print with the maximum layer height possible for best durability. At public Maker Faire type events, people Twang the heck out of them, so they need to be tough.
Doug | Oct. 8, 2019
All-around fantastic
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
I had a minor issue with my board, and it was very quickly resolved after contacting Bart.
Assembly was a breeze. The firmware building process is very well documented and was likewise very easy.
By default, the code can be built in "test drive mode" so you can quickly take one variable out of the equation before testing on your hardware.
And on top of that, you get an open source code base that is being actively developed against a nice road map.
No complaints!
Assembly was a breeze. The firmware building process is very well documented and was likewise very easy.
By default, the code can be built in "test drive mode" so you can quickly take one variable out of the equation before testing on your hardware.
And on top of that, you get an open source code base that is being actively developed against a nice road map.
No complaints!
Damian | Feb. 6, 2019
Great CNC Board - ESP32 is a perfect fit for GRBL
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
This is a great board - being able to use Bluetooth/Telnet instead of having to have a PC tethered to an Arduino is fantastic. I made some changes to the GRBL_ESP32 code in order to support XY wall plotters that deal in Polar co-ordinates and everything is working perfectly. Grab one yourself, you won't be disappointed.
Owen | Dec. 15, 2018
Fantastic CNC controller,
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
Well made and good looking board; exactly as described. Arrived fast and well packed.
I have installed an AliExpress ESP32S and LV7829 stepper drivers, they simply plugged in and worked; initial software load went horribly awry due to me shortcutting stuff and corrupting the index file I uploaded then fighting that instead of going to sleep. Following morning I started by erasing the flash on the ESP32 using esptool; and then following the instructions linked above from scratch I arrived at a working box with a local access point half an hr later.. :-)
Software is still evolving, plenty usable right now, with more to come of course. Only thing I miss is 'Go To Zero' buttons for the axes; but these are normally done via macros so it's not an issue. Connectivity via the serial/USB works as normal for GRBL, and I even telnetted to it successfully. I have not tried the bluetooth features; I left them disabled in source since it's not in my roadmap.
Youtube video review and demo of it in action is here:
https://youtu.be/jcl5qk3Hnro
I have installed an AliExpress ESP32S and LV7829 stepper drivers, they simply plugged in and worked; initial software load went horribly awry due to me shortcutting stuff and corrupting the index file I uploaded then fighting that instead of going to sleep. Following morning I started by erasing the flash on the ESP32 using esptool; and then following the instructions linked above from scratch I arrived at a working box with a local access point half an hr later.. :-)
Software is still evolving, plenty usable right now, with more to come of course. Only thing I miss is 'Go To Zero' buttons for the axes; but these are normally done via macros so it's not an issue. Connectivity via the serial/USB works as normal for GRBL, and I even telnetted to it successfully. I have not tried the bluetooth features; I left them disabled in source since it's not in my roadmap.
Youtube video review and demo of it in action is here:
https://youtu.be/jcl5qk3Hnro
Matthew | Oct. 2, 2018
Best thing since sliced bread
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
Fantastic quality board and soldering. It includes all the headers for any future 3 axis CNC routing application, including door switch, start and hold, probe, and both flood and mist cooling in the same setup.
The future support for uSD cards on a grbl board is awesome, no more tether needed, and the development pace on adding features such as control over WiFi and Bluetooth is pretty incredible.
Support for 24v steppers is appreciated, and so is the included barrel jack for power. The buck converter was included with the board though it isn't listed as an included item, an appreciated addition.
Even if this was a finished product with no more software updates, it is a awesome deal for such a good quality grbl board. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone in the market for a desktop CNC controller.
The future support for uSD cards on a grbl board is awesome, no more tether needed, and the development pace on adding features such as control over WiFi and Bluetooth is pretty incredible.
Support for 24v steppers is appreciated, and so is the included barrel jack for power. The buck converter was included with the board though it isn't listed as an included item, an appreciated addition.
Even if this was a finished product with no more software updates, it is a awesome deal for such a good quality grbl board. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone in the market for a desktop CNC controller.
Dave | Sept. 24, 2018
An excellent board , that's now being used full time.
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
An excellent board for prototyping , that has made it as a permanent resident for my DIY CNC Router.
I bought this board as I was keen to tryout an alternative hardware platform to the mega, as I felt I was reaching the "speed limit" of the Mega2560.
Having purchased an ESP32 , which isn't very breadboard friendly, I was pleased to find this board , It even came with PCB standoffs which is a good idea to prevent shorts. I quickly cobbled up some fairly long leads to run my CNC Router to try it out , I've also added a RS485 link to control VFD Spindle and It seems to work very well.( it took a little time to add the software to control the VFD )
The patch leads were shortened and It is now resident at the heart of my CNC router.
The board has been well thought out , it contains additional pads, which I ended up using as my ESP32 board was 0.1" wider than the vendor's.
Its nice that all of the pins have an associated ground with them , making it easier to connect up. I've also asked for a power supply for each of the limit switch pins, as I use opto switches for these, though it was quite easy to add.
I'm also using off board stepper drivers , but these were quite easy to connect to with a few pin headers.
Many thanks for an excellent product and great support.
I bought this board as I was keen to tryout an alternative hardware platform to the mega, as I felt I was reaching the "speed limit" of the Mega2560.
Having purchased an ESP32 , which isn't very breadboard friendly, I was pleased to find this board , It even came with PCB standoffs which is a good idea to prevent shorts. I quickly cobbled up some fairly long leads to run my CNC Router to try it out , I've also added a RS485 link to control VFD Spindle and It seems to work very well.( it took a little time to add the software to control the VFD )
The patch leads were shortened and It is now resident at the heart of my CNC router.
The board has been well thought out , it contains additional pads, which I ended up using as my ESP32 board was 0.1" wider than the vendor's.
Its nice that all of the pins have an associated ground with them , making it easier to connect up. I've also asked for a power supply for each of the limit switch pins, as I use opto switches for these, though it was quite easy to add.
I'm also using off board stepper drivers , but these were quite easy to connect to with a few pin headers.
Many thanks for an excellent product and great support.
James | Sept. 23, 2018
Perfect for testing!
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
This board works perfect and is great for testing out the features of GRBL_ESP32. It is a good jumping off point to learn from before I design and make a custom PCB for my laser cutter. My custom board will certainly be influenced by what I learn from this one. Thanks for all the work you've done, Bart, and I'm glad I was able to support this awesome project!
Response from Bart Dring | Sept. 23, 2018
Thanks James,
God luck with your design. We have a Slack channel where we collaborate on designs. Let me know if you want an invite.
God luck with your design. We have a Slack channel where we collaborate on designs. Let me know if you want an invite.
Douglas | Sept. 20, 2018
ESP32 is being used solely as an alternative MCU
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
The expectation was that there would be built in wifi support. It might be there with alternate software but there appears to be no example of using it. The SD card use requires the sacrifice of CNC features. It looks WiFi feature rich but offers little over the dirt cheap Arduino UNO approach.
Response from Bart Dring | Sept. 20, 2018
Douglas, I am sorry you are disappointed. This is the first I am hearing about that.
- The wifi support is currently available as a branch of the master version. It is downloadable at Github. You can also see the WiFi features in action on this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtWNn9jyDs&t=4s
- The state of the SD features were explained in the description of this product. With that said, SD features are now fully functional and in the master branch of the code. As stated in the product description, you do need to sacrifice some features to use it, but those are very seldomly used features on DIY CNC of spindle reverse and spindle enable.
I am happy to refund your purchase if you like.
- The wifi support is currently available as a branch of the master version. It is downloadable at Github. You can also see the WiFi features in action on this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtWNn9jyDs&t=4s
- The state of the SD features were explained in the description of this product. With that said, SD features are now fully functional and in the master branch of the code. As stated in the product description, you do need to sacrifice some features to use it, but those are very seldomly used features on DIY CNC of spindle reverse and spindle enable.
I am happy to refund your purchase if you like.
Mukunda | Sept. 18, 2018
Really well designed board, works flawlessly.
For Grbl_ESP32 CNC Development Board V4.1
This board is exactly what I have been looking for. grbl on the esp32 is the ultimate low-cost cnc controller. I hope to get it working with the wrover module to take advantage of 4MB psram.
Brian | Feb. 15, 2018
Stop thinking about it, BUY THIS KIT NOW! Tremendous FUN!
For TWANG Shield Kit
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Bart!!!! I received my TWANG kit today and just finished building my first unit using the kit and instructions. Perfection! Everything went together and works smoothly, and is much better than expected! Thanks so much. Sure, I could have tried to build this without the kit, but that would have been much more time consuming, this made it super easy, everything works perfectly, and I can't believe how much fun it is to play TWANG. I'm using the APA-102 144 LEDs / m from Amazon that cost $29.99 each, which is pricey but worth it. Already thinking about adding a second strip. I'm using an inexpensive 5Volt, 6Amp power supply also from Amazon and working great with this kit. By far the best sketch I have ever loaded on my Arduino Mega 2560 that was getting dusty. Now it's happily powering my TWANG / line wobbler game. I never write reviews on any site, but after buying and building this kit and having a really great time, I felt I should spread the word. Where do I upload my pics? Cheers!
Response from Bart Dring | Feb. 16, 2018
I would love to see pictures and videos
You can send them directly to me bdring (at) buildlog (.) net. Or you can post on Twitter or Instagram and tag @buildlog.
Cheers!
You can send them directly to me bdring (at) buildlog (.) net. Or you can post on Twitter or Instagram and tag @buildlog.
Cheers!
Wesley | Nov. 17, 2017
Works GREAT!
For CNC Controller for Grbl and Raspberry Pi - Kit
What a great board! Easy to assemble however apparently not enough attention was made calling out the one piece that gets soldered to the reverse side of the board. You know how it is once you get into the soldering mode... Things go along rather quickly. I suck at desoldering so this was quite an issue. Totally my fault but I think that one little snippet of instruction could be BOLDed or something. As far as the operation of the board. Pretty straightforward. Get to know your Pi and the grbl software and it's a cinch. Board is well made, fits great, works great, Love it. Nicely done!
Would be great if maker posted a pic of the underside of the assembled board. Might also have prevented my mistake.
Would be great if maker posted a pic of the underside of the assembled board. Might also have prevented my mistake.