2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide
DIYMachining>DIYCNCController>GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

OnceyourgShieldispoweredonandyouhavethesteppermotorsmoving.Itstimetodialinthemachine
movementstocreatethedesiredmotionbyupdatingtheGRBLsettings.Thisisdoneusingthecommandline
interfacewhichinmycaseisaccessedthroughtheUniversalGcodeSender.

StartHere
IfyoudontalreadyhaveUniversalGcodeSenderandGRBLinstalled,clickhereforastepbystepguideto
setupyourDIYCNCController.

http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 1/7
2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

UniversalGcodeSenderMainScreen

DisplayCurrentGRBLSettings
TherearequiteafewGRBLsettingsthatwecanadjusttogetourCNCmachinestodoexactlywhatwewant.I
founditwaseasiertoreferbacktoasinglesheetwhilesettingupmymachineasopposedtogoingbackand
searchingtheGRBLwikipage.Todownloadacopyofthischeetsheet,clickthelinkbleow.

GetYourGRBLPocketGuideHere
Thefirststepistoseeyourcurrentsettings.Type$$todisplaytheavailableuserdefinedsettingsinthe
consolewindow.

ForacompletelistcheckouttheGRBLwikiavailablebyclickinghere.

Here,weareinterestedintheSteps/mmsettings.

$100=314.961(x,step/mm)
$101=314.961(y,step/mm)
$102=78.740(z,step/mm)

Notethesewerenotthedefaultsettingsonmysystem.HowdidIget314.961?Goodquestion.Allittakesis
somequickmathandafewpiecesofinformation.

LeadScrewPitch=.200inches(inchesperrevolution)

http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 2/7
2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

StepperMotor#ofStepsperRevolution=200(steps/revolution)

MicroSteppingSetting=8X

Iamusing.200inchpitchleadscrews,mysteppermotorsare200stepsperrevolutionandmysteppermotor
controllerissetto8Xmicrosteppingforthex&yaxis.

Calculatingthestep/mmValue
Letsbreakitdownonestepatatime.

Examplecalculationsdemonstratinghowtofindthestep/mmvalue

Afterafewquickcalculationsyouhavethevaluesyouneed.UpdatetheGRBLsettingsbytypingthefollowing
intothecommandline.

$100=314.961

ThiswillsettheXaxisstepspermm.RepeattheprocessfortheYandZaxisusing$101and$102
respectively.

NotetheZaxissettingisdifferentbecauseIamrunningalowermicrosteppingcountof2xtogetalittlemore
powertolifttheheadofthemill.

http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 3/7
2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

FinalThoughts
Remember,thesearejustinitialvaluestogetyouinttheballpark.Wewillneedtouseadialindicatorandtweak
thevaluestogetthemostaccuratemotion.Moreonthatinthefuture.

AreyoubuildingaCNCmill?Arethinkingaboutbuildingone?AreyousimplyfascinatedbyCNCmachineslike
me?Telluswhatyouwanttomakeinthecommentsbelow.

Thanksforreading.Untilnexttime

Tim

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8Comments

GARY May25,2016at12:08am

MYGOALISTOBYAMINIMILLANDCONVERTTOCNC.IHAVEAARDUINO/CNCSHIELDWITHACOUPLEOF
STEPPERSTHATIAMPLAYINGWITH.USINGCAMBAMFORGCODE&CHILIPEPERFORDRIVER.IHAVE
SUCCESSINMANUALLYTYPINGINGCODEANDGETSTEPPERMOVEMENT&JOGGING.BUTNOSUCCESS
INGETTINGALOADEDPROGRAMTORUN?
IAMSUREITISASIMPLESETTING,BUTSOFARITISBAFFLINGME.IAMTOLDITSINTHEGRBLCONFIG

http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 4/7
2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

SETTINGS,BUTIYETTOGETTHERIGHTCOMBO.
GARY

Tim (Postauthor) May25,2016at9:17pm

Gary,

Iappreciatethecomment.Nothingworsethangettingsoclosetofinishingaprojectandonelittle
settingiskeepingitfromworking.IhaveneverusedCAMBamorChilipeppr,however,Ididnotneed
tomakeanychangesinmyGRBLsettingstorunagcodeprogram.Haveyoutriedrunningthe
samplecirclecodefromtheGRBLGitHubsite?https://github.com/grbl/grbl/wiki/GCodeExamples
Scrollallthewaytothebottomofthepage.Copyandpastethegcodeintoatexteditorandsaveas
a.ncfile.TryopeningthisandrunningitwithChilipeppr.Ifitworks,weknowthereissomethingthat
needstobeadjustedinCamBam.Ifmyexplanationofthe.ncfilecreationwasnotclear,justsend
anemailtomeTim@diymachining.comandIwillreplywiththefileattached.Letmeknowhowit
goes.

udaykumar September12,2016at8:33am

hellotim
niceworkitmakemeveryeasytounderstandaboutgrblandiamhavingadoubtwhenthejumperareusedtoshort
togetthemicrosteppingsohowcanweprogrammingrbltogetmicrostepping
imeanineed0.8mmperrotationsohowcouldiaccomplishthataftershortingthems1,2,3etcandiwouldliketo
learnaboutlimitingcurrentfora4988

Tim (Postauthor) September13,2016at9:56pm

UdaykumarIappreciatethefeedback.Youarerighttowanttosetthemicrosteppingfirst.Keepin
mind,microsteppingisahardwaresettingandcannotbechangedinGRBL.Youwillneedtoknow
yourmicrosteppingsettingtoenteryourstepspermmvalueinGRBL.Youwillalsoneedtoknowthe
mechanicalsetupofyourmachine.FeelfreetoemailthedetailstomeandIcanwalkyouthrough
thecalculations.Tim@diymachining.com
Tosetthecurrent,youusethetrimpotontheboardthatholdstheA4988driver.Isimplyincreased
thecurrentbyadjustingthetrimpotuntilmymachineransmoothlyatthemaximumspeedand
accelerationIwanted.

Gururaj October23,2016at10:56am

HiTim,
http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 5/7
2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

Thanksforthisexplanation.Ithelpsalot.IhaveconstructedCNCm/cwithArduinoGrblshieldandDRV8552
controller.Followingarefewdetails.

1)IhaveusedT82D8T8screw8mm,2mmpicth,8mmleadtrapezoidalscrew.
2)StepperMotoris1.8Deg/Stepor200Steps/revolution.
3)Nomicrosteppingused.Somicrostepping=1.

WhenIrotatetheleadscrewbyhandandmakeonecompleterevolution,Imeasuredmyaxisismoving8mm.Thats
matchingtheleadinformationgivenpoint1)above.

Myquestionisif200stepsgivesme8mm,then25Stepswouldgiveme1mm.Butaccordingtothecalculationgiven
inthissiteitwillbe

200steps/2mmpitch=100Steps/mm.

So$100=?25or100?Pleasesuggestme.

Tim (Postauthor) October25,2016at9:54pm

GururajCongratsonbuildingyourmachine!Youarecorrect,your$100settingshouldbe25.
Unfortunately,thetermsleadandpitchareoftenusedinterchangeable.Thisisfineifyouhavea
singlestartscrew.However,thatdoesnotworkwhenyouhaveamultiplestartscrew.Asyou
correctlypointedout,weareinterestedinthelead.Theamountoflineardistanceperrevolution.I
willupdatetheposttoclarifylead,pitchandstarts.Inyourcaseyouhavea4startleadscrew.
Lead/Pitch=#ofStarts

Guru October26,2016at8:37am

HiTim,
Thanksforreplyandclarificationprovided..
Ifoundoneissuesinmysetup.Iwasusing
grbl_v0_9a_edge_328p_16mhz_9600_build20121210andtheconfigurationarecompletely
different.Ireinstalledgrbl0.9jAtmega328p16MHZ11520017042016_2.hexnowIcansee
X,Y,Zmaxlimits,enablingsoftlimitsetc

Tim,ifIset$100=25,itsmovingveryslowlywhichdoesnotlooknormaltome.
ButifIset$100=100axisismovingquiterapidly.(Ihavenotmeasuredthedistanceits
moving.)Iamstillwonderingwhichiscorrectsettingforx,y,zstep/mmNowlearninghowto
gethoming,softlimitandlimitswitchesworking.

YaIagreewithyou.Itwillbegreathelpifyoucouldpostfewinformationaboutlead,pitch,#of
startsandhowthatwilleffectsteps/mm.

http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 6/7
2/3/2017 GRBLSettings101:AHowtoGuide

Iwantedtopostpicsofmymachineandtheleadscrew,butdidnotfindfileuploadoption
here.Ifitsavailablepleaseletmeknow..

Regards,
Gururaj

Tim (Postauthor) November1,2016at9:28pm

GururajGoodcatchonthesoftwareversion.Iamconfidentthe$100=25is
correct.Onceyouverifythesettingbymeasuringhowmuchtheaxisactually
movescomparedtothecommandeddistanceyoucanadjustthespeed.To
changethespeedyouwillwanttoplaywiththe$110,$110&$112settings.
Soundslikeyouaremakinggreatprogress.Currently,thereisnotanupload
option.However,ifyouemailthepicture(s)ofyourmachinetome,Iwillpost
them.Tim@DiyMachining.com

http://www.diymachining.com/grblsettings101ahowtoguide/ 7/7