Master your VFD Spindle with GRBL Control | Ultimate Tutorial | TK Designs | 4K

[@tk.designs]

I wanted to thank @danteray08 and @evrlaw for pointing out that $30 setting in GRBL must also be set to 24000 ($30=24000) to ensure that GRBL recognizes the maximum speed of the VFD. Please adjust this if you haven't already.

[@oscarv.d.2760]

First of all THANK YOU I finally was able to setup the same VFD one thing I cannot make it work is the speed in candle the max voltage I can get is 3.12 volts when i set the spindle speed at 1000 rpm after that there is no change on voltage, my settings are exactly as yours and I doble check them, also for some reason now I cannot see the speed on the display even if I have identical settings like yours. i remember i was able to see them but, I performed a reset of the unit before I use all your settings, finally where can I set the $30=24000. (sorry I’m super new on this, thanks

[@tk.designs]

@@oscarv.d.2760 You set $30 in GRBL. You can do that from Candle (I haven't used candle in years, so I am not sure how to get to the console). At any rate, get into the console in Candle, and type in $30=24000 and press enter. After that, try using M318000 to tell the spindle to start see if it spins up. If it does, then it is working, if not, something isn't being seen by candle. If it does start, type M5 to stop the spindle. Candle shouldn't care one way or the other about the voltage. The VFD cares about the voltage coming from the control box. What CNC do you have? Thanks for watching!

[@oscarv.d.2760]

⁠@@tk.designsThank you for your quick response, I just download G sender and now I know where to modify the value, my cnc is the Genmitsu ProVerXL 6050 and I installed a Vevor VDF CNC spindle with 2.2 KW and 110 volts

[@tk.designs]

@@oscarv.d.2760 I don't know if all of my settings are compatible with a Vevor branded VFD. Is it the same model as in my video?

[@oscarv.d.2760]

@@tk.designsyes the VDF is a H100 series, there is only one command that change a little bit it is the one to use AI1 your option is I think 3 in mine is 9 but all the rest are the same. in another news my cnc is now working 100% with G sender I changed $30 =24000 and change a little the gain in P702 to 295% and I can have 23980 when I send a S24000 m3 command. Again, I really appreciate the time you took to put your video

[@brianp1179]

Thank you for the clear, precise video without a lot of bs. I just received the exact same vfd and found bits and pieces of all the info from different sites around the net. This video has everything I needed all in 1 place. I was missing the gnd x1 jumper and was trying to figure out how to start and stop the spindle. I didn't figure out the left arrow until after I scrolled from 1.00 to 0.1

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching, and for your kind words!

[@Kungfukielbasa]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! I just set up my Genmitsu ProverXL 4030 with a 1.5 kw spindle and all I had to do was follow your steps. Thanks for taking the time to create this video, you made this project work !

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching! I am glad you were able to get everything working! Happy carving!

[@jimbembinster]

Great video. I use a VFD and have wanted to do exactly what you have done. One additional thing I will need to do is add a pauses command to my post or program the VFD to spin up the spindle a little faster. My spindle soft starts and I need about 3 or 4 seconds to get to full RPM before the machine moves to starts the cut. Thanks for taking the time to produce this video.

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching, and for your kind words. I use Vectric, and I edited the GRBL post processor to include "G04 P15" to pause at job startup to allow the spindle to spin up. The P15 is a 15 second pause, as I have my acceleration/deceleration parameter set to 10 seconds. Include the parenthesis around the command, and place it immediately below the "[S]M3" command in the Begin SPINDLE_ON section of the post processor.

[@jimbembinster]

Thanks for the information.@@tk.designs

[@TristanJCumpole]

@@tk.designs This discussion is interesting to me, as I have worked on larger machining stations where cutting G commands require confirmation that the spindle is up to speed whereas G00 rapids are transparent, so the head can move into place at the same time that the spindle is ramping up. What sort of sensor statement is returned by the VFD for a controller to confirm spindle status? If this is "spindle at speed" versus "spindle is active" then this could be handled more efficiently than a brute force P pause after M03/M04.

[@tk.designs]

@@TristanJCumpole I am unsure if GRBL has the built-in capability to recognize the spindle status. I know that I have edited the post-processor to introduce the delay, because at default settings, it does not wait for the spindle to spin up. This was true with both my SainSmart and my Shapeoko Pro 5. I had to introduce the pause in the post processor. The Shapeoko is even equipped with the BitZero and BitSetter components that are a bit of an ATC. Spindle still goes right away with out introducing the Pause. Thanks for watching!

[@TristanJCumpole]

@@tk.designs Thank you for your swift response! Yes, this is pretty much what my concern has been. My own CNC design is being built around a FluidNC type ESP32 controller. This is obviously a very different level of integration compared to an industrial machining station, however I am currently trying to gauge the point at which controllers start to "care" about the status of various components such as the spindle. I believe there are workarounds, however this may be contingent on what information I can sniff off the MODBUS with an Arduino, and whether I can use any of that information usefully with the controller. There may be ways, but then again it might be more work than is truly necessary when a P5 can be dropped into a spindle start M block.

[@Martin-uj6zn]

TK, I have followed your guide and have my vfd running. I have thw same h100 vfd and wired it exactly like you have here. Im having and issue that I cannot get my DIY 2 wire probe to work now. I know the vfd and spindle are grounded and I should only required teh signal wire to came a close loop but for some reason its not working. DO you mind sharing if/how you have yours set up and wired? Appreciate your videos, this is the most thorough and informative video i have found on this vfd and spindle, Thank you.

[@tha_factory_of_fun]

I need some help, i have the same unit but for some reason when I start up the VFD it automatically starts the spindle... even when the input is not connected to the fox alien PWN signal... it must be a setting somewhere that starts it up to default frequency? Any help would be great

[@blackmorevalerc]

Thank you for the video, I wrote everything down and it worked, your other video of using laser PWM worked just had to alter voltage setting for Fox Alien XE Pro controller

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching! I am happy to hear that you were able to get the settings working on your FoxAlien controller.

[@regiskrug645]

Are you using the laser PWM signal to control the motor speed?

[@tk.designs]

Yes. The laser PWM signal is being used to control the motor speed. Thanks for watching!

[@CallOfDutyZero0]

Thanks so much for such detailed video brother!

[@tk.designs]

You're quite welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@mohammedalhejri5983]

can i know why i couldn't change setting in my vfd. i saw u click on set then "end" show in the screen of vfd. but it didn't apear when i do that.plrase help me to change my parameters as u

[@joemccluskey4554]

Great video and learned a lot. So I’ve set up exactly as shown but although I can operate the spindle manually from the vfd , I can’t seem to get it to fire up via the grbl. I’ve programmed the vfd etc, but I’m not getting any voltage via the PWM . Is there something missing? It’s a Vasto XL controller and a H100 1.5kw vfd & spindle, but I’m wondering if the controller is malfunctioning ?

[@tk.designs]

I am not familiar with the Vasto XL controller, but I have seen James Dean Designs do a couple of videos on setting up a VFD with the FoxAlien branded CNCs. It seems to be similar with the SainSmart controllers. Anyway, did you make sure that the F001 setting was set to 1, instead of 0? A setting of 0 is for manual control on the face of the VFD, and 1 is for the sender software to control the VFD. Let me know if that helps at all.

[@joemccluskey4554]

@@tk.designs , yep, done all that🤔. I used a combo of yours and James Deans videos on the subject, but the Pwm doesn’t show voltage at any time. Works great on manual too, so I’m wondering if the FA controller is faulty.

[@tk.designs]

@@joemccluskey4554 Maybe you have the F/R key set to manual control? If you are able to stop and start from the face of the VFD, it is likely that you have it in bypass mode. Press and hold the F/R key, and it should lock you out of the VFD control keys. Then issue a S12000M3 command from the sender software to try to start the spindle at 12000RPM. M5 command will stop the spindle. Also, If I remember correctly, the run light should be illuminated and the spindle speed should not be controllable via the knob when you are set to run via software.

[@joemccluskey4554]

@@tk.designs , thanks again . The vfd is set exactly as per the video. The f/r button is set as a manual over ride, but not applied. I noticed James Dean mentioned a “ hidden” setting which affected the spindle starting, but my vfd is the same as yours , not James’s

[@tha_factory_of_fun]

Thank you for the video. I am so baffled at how folks are getting their VFDs to work with Fox Alien and Genmitsu. My laser port outputs 0-4v. The problem is when I send an s10000m3 command, the result is an output of 4v the max. Anything above that, say s18000m3, is basically ignored as the max v was reached at 10000. I thought this was where the gain came into play, but the same problem presides, just at different scales depending on the gain. I am about to just give up on this, but I figured I would ask if anyone has any ideas.

[@tk.designs]

I have 2 thoughts. Either your $30 in candle is set to 10000 and needs to be set to 24000, or the setting that chooses between 0-5 and 0-10 volts (F070 on this model) needs to be changed. If you enter in a command such as S5000M3, does it spin up all the way, or does it spin to about 50% power? You can also check your $30 setting in the Candle console by typing $$, which will return all setting. If $30 is set to 10000, change it to 24000 by typing "$30=24000" and pressing enter without the quotes. Let me know if that makes any progress for you.

[@tha_factory_of_fun]

@@tk.designs YES!!! Thank you it was in fact the $30 setting. we are in business! You are awesome.

[@evrlaw]

Excellent video. I was finally able to control my spindle using the FoxAlien Masuter Pro. I followed your video step by step but cannot get my spindle to run past 10240RPM. Is there any other parameter that I need to change on the FA? Thank you for your help

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching! I am happy you are making progress. What is your F070 setting? Is it 0 or 1? Also, your F072 setting can be adjusted to speed up or slow down the RPM so long as you are using the same VFD controller as in the video. Did you measure the voltage from your FA controller? If I remember correctly, it is somewhere around 1.3 - 1.5v.

[@evrlaw]

Thank you for your reply. I have the exact same VFD. The voltage of the PWM signal coming out of the FA maxes out at 8.1. I’m not using the converter though. I will try it with the voltage converter and let you know. BTW, which software do you recommend for a begin??

[@tk.designs]

@@evrlaw You shouldn't need the voltage converter, because this VFD has the gain control (F072). I would check to see if your F070 is set to 0 or 1. Try reversing that setting. If it doesn't improve things, change it back, and start adjusting the gain (F072). As for software, I would start with Carbide Create, but use a version lower than version 7. Starting with version 7, they made it so the software would only export in Carbide Motion readable g-code. Earlier versions allow export in regular g-code, which other any GRBL based machine can read. For a g-code sender, I recommend G-Sender, by Sienci Labs. It's free, and works really well with GRBL based CNCs, such as your FA. Let me know how it goes with machine. Thanks again for your support!

[@evrlaw]

So, I returned the spindle kit and got a .8kw kit with the exact same VFD. I went ahead and programmed it following your instructions, but cannot control the spindle with neither UGS nor Gsender. It worked fine prior to programming it. Everything works except for the spindle control. Do you have any suggestions? Sorry to bother so much. But I purchased the FA Masuter Pro and the extension kit almost a month ago, and to this day, I have not been able to use it. I couldn’t even cut the sample file. Very frustrating and disappointing.

[@tk.designs]

@@evrlaw Are you able to control the spindle manually? I mean turn on, and off, and adjust your speed?

[@stephenmassam6584]

I have exactly the same H100 VFD set up for manual use on my 3030-prover-max. As I'm happy to use the speed control dial, and the frequency speed display, is it possible to change the VFD settings to just have the spindle switch on and off via grbl? The PWM signal from the laser connection is 0 - 5 volts.

[@tk.designs]

You can either control speed and start/stop from the VFD keyboard, or from GRBL. Not both.

[@stephenmassam6584]

@@tk.designs Thanks for your reply. Now you've said it, it makes sence. I'll try again, this time including full grbl control, as in your video. Thanks again 👍

[@jongrace9133]

I know nothing about a Water cool spindle. Looking at the package that Sainsmart is now offering. Is there any difference between your kit and there new one. Also, I'm adding this to the 4030 V2 machine. Your video answered several questions but still not total clear, I think you just need to wet your feet.

[@tk.designs]

I am not sure what Sainsmart actually offers in terms of a VFD spindle, to be completely honest with you. Since I had a 3rd party VFD spindle before Sainsmart released theirs, I have never looked into theirs. The VFD in my video is not my kit, but more a very common VFD kit from Amazon. Thanks for watching!

[@mohammedalsamin2299]

Thank you so much really helpful, could you please check if x1,x2 has 10vdc ? Mine won’t stop spindle when connected them even if controller no power no usb, just now checked them and i see 10volt coming from x1 gnd,x2 gnd

[@tk.designs]

Please check to ensure that you do not have the PWM and ground signal from the laser output grounded to each other. I had that happen in testing, and it caused the spindle to start much as you have described. Are you using the method here with the additional circuit board, or are you using the direct method I posted in the addendum (kzbin.info/www/bejne/kISQioqsrLmBaNU)? Are you using the exact model of VFD as in the video? Please let me know the outcome. If needed, please contact me at the email in my channel profile, and I can assist you more directly.

[@michaelmessuri7746]

thanks for the video and the valuable information in it! because of this video i feel more confident about upgrading my 1010 to a vfd (specifically the one you are using). my only stumbling block now is what additional wiring i will need to purchase so that this setup can be used on the larger area of the 1010. Just an fyi, your video shows thst you are using the square air cooled spindle but your Amazon link takes you to the round water cooled version. Which one do you recommend? and if its the air cooled square one did it fit on the stock 4030 v1 z axis assembly or did you make some modifications to make it fit

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching! I was previously using the square spindle, but it doesn't seem to be available on Amazon anymore. I did purchase the round spindle (air cooled version). I recommend that, as it is most compatible, and can be dropped into a 65mm mount on the V1 z-axis. The link for the the whole spindle kit (minus the 65mm mount, because the one shipped will not work with the sainsmart) is amzn.to/41gdU5p. For the cabling, I purchased this: amzn.to/47V4tLm. It did have to be soldered to the connector to properly connect to the spindle. The amount of wire they send with the kit probably would not be enough for a sock 4030 XL. The mount I purchased was: amzn.to/41dk9GY. It is directly compatible with the V1 Z-Axis, and is very sturdy. Thanks again for watching!

[@michaelmessuri7746]

So I purchased everything and am in the process of setting it all up but I was wondering if you had to change any of grbl settings (such as settings laser mode with $32)

[@tk.designs]

@@michaelmessuri7746 No, I didn't make any changes to grbl. The only change I did make was with my post processor in vectric to insert a 15 second pause on job start to allow the spindle to spin up to power. Also, I used the same wire for the laser output to VFD as I used for the spindle. It is 18 gauge wire. I saw you posted a question about that in my email, but for some reason, when I came to reply to the post, it was gone from the video. Let me know if you need any help, and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@michaelmessuri7746]

@tk.designs Thanks. Is there a specific reason to go with 18 Awg vs 22 AWG? (I ask because I have upgraded my controller to sainsmarts DM542 upgrade [but it's currently being exchanged due tp y1 port failure] and it's original laser wires are 22AWG]

[@tk.designs]

@@michaelmessuri7746 I only used 18awg because it is what I had on hand. I believe you can use the 22awg since that is what the SainSmart controller uses. I am unfamiliar with that controller though. Is that the one for the closed loop stepper motors?

[@danteray08]

Would you be able to help me.? I have the settings the same as yours as well as the same equipment but when I put S700m3 the spindle spins at 24k instead of 700rpm.

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watchingI What machine do you have, and have you measured the voltage from your laser output? Usually one of 2 things has happened if you immediately jump to full power. 1. The wiring is loose somewhere causing it to turn on and not have PWM signal. 2. The F070 setting is set to the wrong voltage. Double check your wiring first, and then use a multimeter to double check your output voltage from the laser output. After that, try switching up the F070 from 0 to 1 or vice versa. Let me know what happens.

[@danteray08]

@@tk.designs when set to max speed the pwm signal is from controller to pwm board reads 3.92 and from pwm to vfd reads 5.88. Also I have F070 set to 1. I’m using the PROVerXL 4030 v2 with H100-1.5C2-1B VFD and spindle kit. I’m using the 1-3KHZ to 0-10V PWM Thank you for helping me.!

[@danteray08]

Hey just wanted to update you. I had to go into the grbl settings and adjust $30 which is max rpm. For me setting it to 31k rpm max has it running close to rpm it’s set to. I think 18k rpm was running at about 18,150rpm. I appreciate you trying to help me figure it out.!

[@tk.designs]

@@danteray08 I think I neglected to include that in the video. I think because I already had set my $30 to 24000 long before I started playing with controlling the VFD through GRBL. Thanks for pointing that out!

[@iagmr]

This video is perfect timing for me. Just waiting on a longer cable to arrive. Just curious, I've watched your 3 videos on this VFD and wonder why you opted not to connect the earth ground to the PE screw on the left of the PCB.

[@tk.designs]

Thanks for watching! Unfortunately, my VFD controller does not have an earth terminal on the left hand side. There is a blank space where the ground should be. Mine is 2 years old though. This same type may now ship with a ground screw next to the hot and neutral on the left hand side. It hasn't affected anything as of yet, but you never know. I have recently purchased a Shapeoko 5 Pro with it's VFD spindle which is grounded. I am retiring the old Sainsmart :)

[@iagmr]

@@tk.designs congrats on the Shapeoko. That's a nice machine with lots perks. Look forward to new videos with it.

[@DomzGarage]

My F070 won't change. I need it for 0-5v but won't let me switch. Any ideas?

[@tk.designs]

Try unplugging the VFD for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and attempt to set the F070 again.

[@DomzGarage]

@tk.designs nothing. That's the only setting that when setting up the numbers don't flash. I only see the 2 zeros solid without flashing

[@tk.designs]

@@DomzGarage Can you record a video and send it to me? Go to my channel page, and there is a link to contact me via email. You can send it there. I haven't ever encountered where just 1 setting was locked before. Also, can you tell me exactly which VFD you have?

[@tk.designs]

I reviewed the video that you sent me. It looks like F070 setting is locked on your VFD controller. I am not sure if it is faulty, or if there was a firmware update done by the company to prevent adjusting this. According to the manual, it should be able to be set. My apologies for not being more helpful.

[@DomzGarage]

@@tk.designs thank you very much anyways. At least I learned that you can program it. I just gonna have to buy a different one then.