gSender (Win Beta) learning curve

Hello all. New CNC user here. Planning on purchasing a 12x30 Longmill soon, but getting my feet wet with a 3018 in the meantime.

Issues I have experienced so far:

  1. gSender will not connect to machine unless machine USB is plugged into laptop before gSender is turned on. I have to restart gSender to get to the next step. I had to play with baud rates on both the com port and gSender to get gSender to see the machine. Totally normal.

  2. Even after gSender shows ā€œConnected GRBLā€ on the top left the work area says ā€œdisconnectedā€ and I canā€™t do simple things like jog a stepper. Not sure where to go from here; Iā€™ve tried adding tools and clicking around the app to try to find anything that would make sense to me.

I am expecting these issues to be 100% ME on a steep learning curve, but in the event that it isnā€™t would someone be willing to point out the obvious to me please? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is there a WIKI for gSender for people like me?

Can gSender save a userā€™s specific profiles or setups for multiple machines? Could this be added to a later generation?

Iā€™ll have to say the visual aesthetic of gSender is really nicely done. Some of the text on the buttons at the bottom of the work area could be a little bigger, but maybe a larger monitor would help out with that too.

@Cementtruck Welcome to the group, Michael. I love the cementtruck handle.

  1. Mine does the same thing. I donā€™t have an issue with it as my controller is always connected, but you could put a google doc form in raising the issue. Maybe, they could have gsender poll the ports at some interval to see if a controller has been plugged in.

  2. Iā€™ve never had this happen. Are you running windows? Do you have more than one available com port in device manager? If so, make sure that gsender is trying to connect to the right one. It may just be picking the first com port that it sees. I know that UGS does this.

I donā€™t believe that there is a wiki yet. Itā€™s very early days, tough. Until then, Iā€™m sure that other testers here will be able to help you through the learning curve.

Be sure to write up your comments and questions using the google doc form that Chris has set up. That way, you can be sure that Chris and his team see and consider them.

Thanks for the reply.

There is a generic com port (COM1) already on the laptop, but itā€™s odd that the software recognizes the GRBL (COM6) but then has issues with the workspace. Youā€™d think there would be some information handoff to other portions of the program.

Google doc form? Where is this located?

@Cementtruck It is odd that gsender sees the arduino on com6, but does not connect to it. In windows device manager, does it list a com 6? If so, in gsender, make sure the speed is set to 115200.

If you have not signed up for the beta test, do that, and you will get an email with a link to the google doc form.

speed is set to 115200 on both the software and the com port. That was the only way gSender was finally able to see the GRBL COM6.

I did sign up for the beta test. I got the email and it allowed me into this forum. Iā€™m looking through the email I got from Sienci but canā€™t find a link to the google doc but I seem to remember reading something about it somewhere. Iā€™ll keep looking.

@Cementtruck Michael: Here is the link

Re: com port. Are you still at the point where gsender says that you are connected, but you canā€™t do anything?

In the gSender forum category there is a Topic called Closed BETA: Link to Google Form. On my screen itā€™s at the bottom of the list.

Thank you my friend! I put in some feedback.

The link from the closed Beta just errored out for me.

Yes, I am still stuck at that COM Port issue I mention. Back in the old days of Windows I remember anything higher than a COM 4 was problematic. Wondering if this has some bearing on the issue.

Thank you! The link in the Closed BETA errored out for me but another member sent me the link.

Thank you for helping. It is much appreciated.

Yes, sorry I just realized that it is not an actual link but a partial ā€œspelled outā€ link using ā€œdotā€ in stead of ā€œ.ā€. Maybe to keep people out of the link who shouldnā€™t be there.

My bad

I replaced the ā€œdotā€ with a ā€œ.ā€ and it still didnā€™t work for me. No matter, I got through eventually.

Thanks again!

@Cementtruck Can you connect with any other sender - UGS, CNCjs, for example?

Sorry everything after ā€œfileā€ and before "gle needs to be replaced with a ā€œ.ā€ - glad you got to the form.

PROBLEM SOLVED!

I had an ā€œOffline Controllerā€, a pendant of sorts, that allows you to load commands to the 3018 CNC via CF Cards. Apparently you cannot have that plugged in at the same time as the USB cable otherwise the Offline Controller wins out and the COM port will never fully connect. After disconnecting the device I can now jog all axisses, axisā€™, axi (?).

ONWARD!

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