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SmartPendant User Guide
1.0 Introduction:
SmartPendant is a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Pendant with MPG (Manual Pulse Generator) functionality. It is an open-source project by Nicolai Shlapunov (Devtronic LLC). It allows the user to perform various functions on a CNC machine, independently of a computer. This includes, but is not limited to; precise CNC jogging, probing, or running small jobs. Simply connect to an E5X controller through the serial UART interface.
Your SmartPendant device is powered by a powerful 32-bit STM32 micro controller and features a large touchscreen display. You can set up your jobs accurately and fast with the high precision encoder handwheel and the convenient microSD card reader.
As the Smart Pendant uses the same communication bus as the external USB connection, only ethernet communication between the E5X and the computer is supported. To use the SmartPendant with an E5X MCS controller, please ensure that the E5X controller has been updated to the latest firmware version. More information on how to do this has been provided in the section “Flashing the E5X MCS”.
Please note that the SmartPendant has been pre-flashed and configured before shipping.
Your SmartPendant features seven buttons, a touchscreen, and a handwheel encoder. The location of each feature is outlined in the above image. In this manual, buttons will be referred to in bold text.
2.0 Flashing the E5X
Flashing the E5X MCS with the latest firmware is required for compatibility with the SmartPendant. Follow the steps below for the firmware update procedure.
Remove the face plate:
- Remove the front faceplate of the E5X MCS by unscrewing the 4x M3 button head screws with a 2.0mm Allen key and lifting it off gently.
2.1 Remove the E5X face plate
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- Locate and unscrew the centre threaded standoff indicated by the red arrow. Be sure to support the base by having the controller sit on a flat even surface to prevent the screw from falling out from below the controller.
2.2 Firmware and Flashing Tools
Before Updating the Firmware
The Firmware update may erase your exising settings. Please back up existing settings prior to updating the firmware. To do this, Navigate to the settings:grbl tab in ioSender and click on the Backup button. You will see a message at the bottom with a confirmation message that the settings have been backed up
Downloadable Files
- Firstly download the Teensy Loader program to flash the Teensy microcontroller within the E5X here
- Download the E5X MCS firmware with the pendant functionality here. Right-click the downloaded file and select Extract All. A new folder with the firmware will be generated.
- Using a USB type-A to Micro-USB cable, connect your computer to the Teensy 4.1 microcontroller.
- Locate the downloaded Teensy Loader file. By default, it should be in your Downloads folder.
- Double click on ‘teensy.exe’. You should be presented with the following window
- Press the white programming button on the teensy microcontroller. Once pressed, the LED on the teensy board will glow red, indicating that it is in programming mode. You will also notice that the arrow icons [2] are now coloured green and no longer greyed out. To load the firmware file, select the purple Open Hex File icon [1].
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- A window will open. Navigate to the folder where the firmware file was extracted and select the firmware file. Click Open.
- To flash the firmware, select the download button [1] and the flashing sequence will begin. Upon completion, a message will note Download Complete. Click the reboot icon [2] to restart the Teensy Microcontroller.
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- Disconnect the USB cable from the Teensy.
- Reattach the centre standoff to the E5X controller board as well as the face plate.
Complete! The E5X firmware is now updated.
3.0 User Interface and Setup
Important Note:
The Smart Pendant comes pre-flashed with firmware and pre-wired for your convenience.
- On an E5X MCS controller, please ensure that the firmware is updated to the latest version. For instructions on how to do this, proceed to the ‘Flashing the E5X MCS’ chapter.
- Using the external USB connection for the E5X MCS controller with the computer while the SmartPendant is in use is not supported. Please connect the CNC machine to a computer using an Ethernet cable.
The pendant consists of the above hardware buttons. All buttons can be used as a tactile alternative to the touchscreen. The handwheel can be used to increment/decrement the number of input fields in the menus. Additionally, it can also scroll some menu items.
Connection Steps:
- The SmartPendant comes with a custom 4-pin connector ready to connect to the E5X controller.
- Connect the SmartPendant to the Serial port of the E5X controller as shown below.
- Turn on the CNC machine and E5X controller. The SmartPendant should then turn on automatically and display the user interface.
- To begin an operation on the CNC machine, MPG mode must first be activated. This can be done by either pressing ‘MPG’ on the lower-right of the screen or by pressing the MPG On/Off button. When connected successfully, the MPG box will turn green as shown below.
5.0 Functions and Menus
There are 8 menus on the pendant. This includes:
- MPG
- Override
- Power Feed
- Rotary Table
- GCODE Sender
- Probe
- Milling Operations
- Settings
Each menu contains the relevant controls to perform their operations on a CNC machine and will be described in more detail in the ‘CNC Operations’ manual chapter.
All 8 menus can be previewed by tapping on the current menu’s heading. Alternatively, the menu can be changed by either pressing the Menu Left or Menu Right buttons, or the 2 arrow buttons in the top-left and top-right corners of the screen.
6.0 CNC Operations
6.1 MPG Menu - How to jog the CNC?
Jogging allows you to move a CNC machine manually along a specified axis.
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To jog the CNC machine, select the MPG menu. The screen should look like the above example. Select the axis (X, Y, or Z) that you would like to jog by pressing on the relevant red box to the right of the axis. The box will turn green when selected. In the example below, the X-Axis has been selected.
Next, choose a value to increment by (from 0.001mm to 0.1mm) by selecting the desired box on the touchscreen. Rotate the encoder clockwise to increment or counterclockwise to decrement the selected axis’s position. You will notice that the chosen axis will be moving in real time as you move the encoder wheel. An axis can be zeroed by selecting the <0> button on the touchscreen next to the relevant axis. This is useful for moving the machine to a particular location or starting a job at specific position.
6.2 OVERRIDE Menu
Override allows you to have direct control over various CNC machine properties such as overriding the current speed the machine is operating at. These include feed, speed, flood and mist. Feed is the speed at which the machine traverses along its axis. Speed is the rotational speed of the spindle. Flood and mist are cooling options depending on the type of work that is being done and can be activated/deactivated.
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To override the CNC machine while the machine is cutting, select the OVERRIDE menu. The screen should look like the above example. Ensure that MPG is set to On (green). This menu can also be used while the pendant is running a gcode file. Flood and Mist coolant functions can be activated/deactivated manually in this menu.
Feed (axis movement rate) and speed (spindle RPM) can be adjusted by selecting their red box with the current percentage value inside. When selected, it will highlight green. The rotary encoder can then be turned to increment/decrement the percentage. To return to 100% feed rate and speed, click on the 100% button next to the currently set values for either speed of feed.
POWER FEED Menu
Power feed allows you to move the CNC machine at predetermined coordinates and at a set speed along a specified axis.
To power feed the CNC machine, select the POWER FEED menu. The screen should look like the above example. Select the axis (X, Y, or Z) that you would like to power feed on by pressing on the relevant red box to the right of the axis. The box will turn green when selected.
Next, choose a value to increment by (from 0.001mm to 0.1mm) by selecting the desired box on the touchscreen. Select the red box next to feed so begin inputting the feed rate. Ensure that MPG is set to On (green), then rotate the encoder clockwise to increment or counterclockwise to decrement the selected axis’s power feed.
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Axis that have had their power feed value set but have not yet been run will have their box outlined in yellow. In this example, all 3 axes have been set to move. Lastly, the power feed function can be run by selecting Go! on either the touchscreen or via the Lower-Left Option Select button. All 3 axis will start moving. This can also be implemented for single-axis movement requirements.
ROTARY TABLE Menu
This menu is like a virtual rotary table that allows one to make a circular pattern manually in the material. The Arc length makes the X and Y-axis move in unison in a circular pattern while the Radius option allows the user to change the radius of this circular pattern.
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GCODE SENDER - Menu
The SmartPendant has the ability to run small CNC jobs in the GCODE format, directly from a microSD card.
Firstly, with the device disconnected and powered down, insert an SD card containing the desired CNC GCODE job into the right of the SmartPendant. The correct SD card orientation is engraved next to the slot. Select Open on the touchscreen.
A list of GCODE files on the SD card will then appear. If no files are showing, ensure that the SD card is inserted correctly and that a supported file (GCODE) is present. Note: While the Smart Pendant has an accessible USB Type C port, it is only for updating firmware and can not be used to upload gcode to the MicroSD card.
Please note, that the Smart Pendant and E5X controller are compatible with GRBL gcode compiled by a grbl post-processor. Ensure that your CAM program has a grbl post-processor.
A file can then be selected by rotating the rotary encoder handwheel. Once your desired file has been highlighted in blue, press Select on the touchscreen or press the Lower-Left Option Select button on the SmartPendant. Once the file is opened, the machine instructions will be visible. Select Run on the touchscreen or Lower-Left Option Select to begin machining.
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While machining, the Open option will be greyed out like in the following image. However, F and M (Flood and Mist) can be toggled via their touchscreen buttons. Adjusting Feed and Speed can be done from the OVERRIDE menu.
Settings Menu
Settings menu items can be selected using the rotary encoder handwheel. Once the desired option is highlighted in blue, press Select on the touchscreen or the Lower-Left Option Select button on the SmartPendant.
MPG Request
This menu selects the different modes of MPG control from full to partial control. It is recommended to leave this menu option as default.
Display Inversion
Display inversion can be toggled to invert the screen’s colours from the default colour setting.
Under Development - Beta
These menu items are currently under beta development. Check back later for more details!
Probe Menu
Milling Operation
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Why won’t my E5X connect via ethernet?
You might receive an error: “Unable to Open Connection (192.168.5.1:23)”
This error may be caused by the following issues:
- When the firmware was updated the network settings may have been fully wiped. Connect using the micro-USB cable and navigate to the settings:grbl menu.
- Select the Network menu and change the IP Mode from DCHP to Static.
- Click the Save button and power cycle the E5X controller.
- Faulty Ethernet Cable. Please try a different cable.
How do I restore my settings after flashing the firmware?
The settings can be restored as shown below:
- Click on “Restore” and a window will show the available files. Select the settings.txt and click Open.
- The settings will be written to the E5X controller.
- Disconnect the USB cable and power cycle the controller via the switch.
- Please ensure that MPG mode has been enabled (green) on the SmartPendant. This can be done by either pressing the MPG On/Off switch or by pressing ‘MPG’ on the touchscreen.
- Ensure that the firmware for the E5X has been Updated to enable pendant functionality.
- Check that the connection method is via Ethernet instead of USB. The pendant uses the same serial bus as the USB connection.
Why is my SmartPendant’s MPG icon red?
- Double-check that the cable is connected securely. If the issue persists, please update the E5X MCS’s firmware again. Instructions on how to do this are included in the “Flashing the E5X MCS” chapter.
Why is the status reporting as Alarm?
- The system may be in “Alarm mode” for reasons such as a limit switch trigger or an engaged emergency stop switch. You can clear these alarms by pressing the reset button.
Credits
Special thanks to:
Devtronic-US for making the SmartPendant available as an open-source project under open-source License: CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Devtronic Website: https://devtronic.square.site/
- GitHub page: https://github.com/Devtronic-US/SmartPendant
- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NicolaiLab/videos
The grblHAL community
- Terjeio ioSender – https://github.com/terjeio
The Maker Community
Special thanks to our fantastic Maker Community whose feedback helps provide new ideas and innovation for us to design and produce to make available back to the community.