I place mine under the machine via a hole for cables to pass through. also it is outside my enclosure. and is not effected my any vibrations as if it was on the rail or attached in some way. Less effected by dust and , less cables moving near it. you canāt control how everyone runs there wires. but having it attached will cause more issues i believe. 3D printers have them attached but i donāt consider this in the same category. If you look at larger CNC machines. I believe the controller is not attached as such but standalone like the LongMill.
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@chrismakesstuff Not to quibble, Chris, but I quibble. 
My 30 x 30 is mounted on a 48 x 48 table. The right hand feet are in 1" from the right hand edge of the table.
This means that the distance from the outside of the left hand Y rail is 4 1/4" from the left hand edge of the table.
The controller is 5" wide. So, before I mounted it under the table, I had to add a short shelf to the top of the table to hold the controller. I didnāt want the controller butted up tight to the rail. Leaving an inch, that meant the controller was 6" wider than the rail. Since I only had 4 1/4", I needed a shelf.
The X motor only protrudes 2" from the left hand edge of the Y rail. So, it protrudes 3" less than the controller.
Couple all that with the fact that I didnāt want the controller to be so close to where all the dust is produced. So, I slung it under the table on bungees upside down so the Uno connection to the long board is not fighting gravity.
Since I had never used the buttons on the controller anyway, I lost no functionality. I have a remote car tail light bulb powered by the 12v outlet on the controller that shows me when the controller is powered up, so I donāt need to see lights on the controller. (My version of the controller has no easily visible lights anyway, so, again, I lost nothing by mounting the controller under the table.)
I did say that I was quibbling, right?
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I would be fine with either option, I have mine on left side of table so I can see power light. I have never used buttons. I believe ethernet connectivity is better than usb, wifi would be problematic at best. HDMI so laptop is not required woul be the seller for me. Also ability to replace/add drivers would be nice.
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I believe the stand alone board is the preferred method. This allows the individual maker the opportunity to place it where it works for their situation. This is one of the many features that make choosing the LongMill a great option when working with a large CNC.
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I actually really like the new concept.
Could we have the option of an adapter of some sort that would connect it to a MK1 Y rail? Maybe replaces one of the feet with the console holding adapter piece or uses one of the foot bolts?
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I could go either way. I chose to mount my controller on the side of the table to keep it away from chips and dust, and give myself a little more room on the table for bins of tools, bits, hold-down clamps, etc. That said, my tableās left side it close to a wall, so I donāt press any of the buttons (except for the remotely mounted Oops one) or need to see controller lights except once in a blue moon when Iām optimizing power wiring.
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This is a tough choice. As an original owner (#149ish?) Iāve mounted my machine near vertical and built a dust-control cabinet for the controller. Itās a messy shop, meaning I donāt use a vacuum for dust because gravity and a broom takes care of most of the mess. Iāve never had to hit the e-stop button on the controller. The wiring is all fed through the underside of my setup and through an access hole that keeps it all well out of any accidental contact.
However, I did vote for the side mount idea. Conditionally. My hope would be that it is well sealed from a harsh, dusty shop environment and can take a blast from an air compressor from time-to-time. Also, the wiring needs really good protection with solid connectors at the control box that resist pullout.
Also, would I still be able to connect my laptop?
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My controllers are all tucked to the side of the machine. I am still trouble shooting connectivity and need to have a stable machine before I am going to install the machine in a more permanent setting.
I have two metal cabinets saved from a fuji pick and place machine and intend to install the controllers and the power supplies in seperate cabinets, hoping to reduce any potential interference.
I am planning to have the stopplaypause-buttons on the outside of the cabinet door. It would have been great if there where connectors like the em button has for the other buttons too, saving me some soldering on the longboard, but thats only a tiny inconveniance.
Flexibillity to me is key. As long as the integratable controller is still flexible enough, I donāt mind having it. It would have made for easy setup. My test setup looks awefull.
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Hello All,
I favor a stand-alone Long Board myself. Like the idea you can free mount it anywhere and it can be used with multiple machines besides a Longmill. Currently using with a Sainsmart 4030 machine. DIdnāt know about the Longmill when I bought it. Liked it so much I recently purchased a second controller as a backup. Works so much better than the stock controller and way quieter. Pretty much plug and play other than some added wiring for the Limit Switches. Personally, have never used the top mounted switches on Longboard. Have a game controller sitting close by that works well for these same functions.
Kudos to the design and development team for all you do!
Thanks,
Lorne
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Iām good either way as long as the retrofit for current MK2 is not to hard.
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Hi @chrismakesstuff You have seen my set up. It hasnāt changed alot. I still have the control board on the wall. Mainly to ensure the wires donāt get caught on the gantry or other parts. It would have to be pretty compact for it to make a difference to keep it on the rail for my set up. As you know there isnāt a lot of room on my table. Keep up the great work.
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Edit. HMI not HDMI. Would really like to get rid of laptop.
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Personally I would prefer the stand alone system as I also have my machine in an enclosure so if the controller was inside there would defeat the purpose of have it closed in. I have the Mk 1 and very happy with it so i would not benefit from any new system
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Iāve never found a need for the buttons on the controller because I always use those buttons in G-Sender itself. Iām running G-Sender on a Raspberry PI so I have a big TV on the wall and a wireless mouse right on the spoilboard so G-Senderās buttons are more convenient. If I ever have an emergency then I just use the big Emergency Stop (Oops) button.
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hi Chris,
I have an MK1 30-30 and am planning on future addition of a new 30 x 48. I voter for remount mount. I currently have the controller in a drawer under my longmill. I do not watch or use any buttons or lights on the controller. I have the shut off mounted out on front of drawer and have only used it once. I would prefer the stand alone controller. What about making it convertible? Make a short cable to connect to controller if mounted on rail and make a 30 inch extension if you mount it remote. You could also add a plug for a remote button box or indicator light panel. Just a thought. Thanks, Jared
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I love the integrated version the best! The only thing I would change or have as an option is the ability to have it on either āYā rail as I currently have all my electronics on the right side.
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@chrismakesstuff If there is one thing I can derive from the comments is that it is impossible to please everyone.
I believe that your current design of mounting the controller on the Y-axis by keeping it low profile enough to fit within the machine footprint is a brilliant idea. I believe that this configuration would be ideal for the vast majority of people by keeping the footprint smaller. Consideration for wire management is also an excellent idea.
Understanding that some people built enclosures, I can understand that they would rather install their controller elsewhere. In such cases, I would recommend that you create an adapter/bracket (that could be provided or sold separately) to enable mounting of the controller somewhere else. I feel that this way, it would make everyone happy.
On my MK1 30x30, I am using a raspberry pi to avoid having to use my expensive laptop in the dusty shop. I like your idea of creating a āsmartā solution like that. I always thought than Onefinity got it right with their solution and it makes me happy that you are moving in this direction as well.
If there is one thing that I would look into potentially implementing in a new controller would be the ability to home both sides of the Y axis simultaneously. The new Onefinity Elite with the Masso controller does that ensuring that the machine is square every time. I am honestly regularly worried that the machine gets out of square as I am machining parts that need to be assembled and even slightly off, the parts wonāt assemble properly.
I am glad to see that you are in touch with the community.
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I voted to keep it stand alone. I like to keep as much of the wiring as possible off the table top so I mounted mine on a shelf on the side of the table a foot or so down from the top. I have never touched the play or pause or whatever other buttons are there, I do that all through Gsender. I mounted the big yellow panic button where it was handy and that is how I turn it on and off. Didnāt even know there were status lights.
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Hello,
Thank you very much for the opportunity to give feedback.
I voted to keep the controller separate too. I mount mine under my bench and this keeps the controller dust free and allows me to hide all the cables - not possible mounted to the rail.
I would like to see alternate methods to connect to the controller from a distance. My vote would be for ethernet rather than wifi, as my wifi connection is not particularly stable.
USB has always been a bit sketchy even for the few months I have had the machine.
Being able to run projects direct from the board would be great, as long as the board can handle big complex projects.
Thanks again, I LOVE my machine, best money I have spent.
I look forward to moving through the upgrades with you.
James
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Iāve got the original 30x30 MKI. After reading problems that people had with their machines being inoperable at some times, and finding out that a dip switch had jostled out of position from vibration, I decided to mount mine on the wall beside the machine to alleviate that problem. Not only did I not have a dipswitch problem, it also allowed me access to the buttons on the front. You guys never give long enough wire to be completely flexible though. My placement is maxed out on wire length, a few extra feet would have made hiding the wires under the table possible, as well as controller placement having more options.
I have to go wireless for internet in my workshop using a wireless USB stick. Because of the concrete, I have to use an extension wire and hang it higher to get good reception. If it was integrated into the Longboard, I have no idea how I would get internet to it.
I like having the computer hooked up to it because I can access everything I need during the design process, even accessing email while itās working. Itās an all-in-one workstation.
Add a light to let us know, or remind us when the controller is on so it is not left on accidently.
I donāt have the e-stop that came with the newer machines, I canāt see the need for it. I have used the buttons on the front of the controller though. Better LED visibility would be good though. What I mean is if the āPlayā was green, āStopā was red, and maybe yellow for āPauseā, like stoplights.
I know this isnāt a Laser topic, but. If you are making any changes to the Laser, put a selector switch in to change power. Those insanely small switches, that feel like they are going to break at any moment, that are tucked away in a little recess, are a slight pain. Also, youāve left no way that I can see to mount the laser controller. The Longboard has a flange with holes to be able to screw it to the wall.
Happy Easter!
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