grbltest is a .NET console application developed in C# that communicates with GRBL firmware via a serial connection to control CNC machines. It supports jogging, homing, resetting alarms, and querying GRBL status through keyboard inputs.
Note: This is a work-in-progress project and is not production-ready.
- Visual Studio 2022 or later
- .NET 8.0 SDK or later
- NuGet package:
System.IO.Ports - Serial (COM) port connected to a GRBL format compliant controller (e.g. openbuilds blackbox x32)
-
Clone the repository to your local machine.
-
Open the project in Visual Studio 2022.
-
Install the required NuGet package
System.IO.Ports. You can do this via the NuGet Package Manager or run the following command in the Package Manager Console:Install-Package System.IO.Ports -
Note: The COM port is hardcoded to
COM3in the application. You may need to change this based on your setup.
- Open the solution in Visual Studio 2022.
- Build the solution (
Ctrl + Shift + B). - Run the project (
F5).
- Jogging: Control the CNC machine using arrow keys (
←,→,↑,↓). - Homing: Trigger the homing cycle using the
Hkey. - Reset Alarms: Reset GRBL's alarm state using the
Xkey. - Go to Center: Move the machine to the center of the defined work area (
X=380,Y=130) using theCkey. - Query Status: Send the
?command to GRBL to query the machine's current status using theSkey. - Exit: Quit the application using the
Qkey.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
← (Left Arrow) |
Jog machine left (X-axis -10 mm) |
→ (Right Arrow) |
Jog machine right (X-axis +10 mm) |
↑ (Up Arrow) |
Jog machine up (Y-axis +10 mm) |
↓ (Down Arrow) |
Jog machine down (Y-axis -10 mm) |
H |
Trigger homing cycle |
X |
Reset alarms |
C |
Move to center of work area |
S |
Query GRBL status (? command) |
Q |
Exit the application |
- Command Piling: Jog commands may pile up if keys are held down too long. This has been mitigated by adding a debounce mechanism with a delay of 200ms.
- COM Port: The COM port is hardcoded to
COM3. Users need to change this manually if their machine is connected to a different port. - Work in Progress: The project is still in development and is not production-ready.
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
Copyright (c) 2024 Newmatik GmbH
Am Markt 1, 55619 Hennweiler, Germany
[email protected], www.newmatik.com