Small keyboard for GRBLhal Teensy

[Jon-Norberg]

I'm running GRBLhal on a teensy and love it, works like a charm. Sometimes i just use my cnc to drill a hole or want to lift the Y-axle to change a tool. What im looking for is a easy keyboard to move axles and mayby start the spindle. There is a keyboard-plugin with a keyboard example, but have never programmed that type of uC, just avr and arduino. Maybe its easier than I think it is to build. The GRBL-panel is a bit of a strech for what I need. Has anybody made a working easy pendant for GRBLhal? Maybe an i2c keyboard with arduino library. What are my options and what does people use? Usually I run GRBLhal with gsender and a streamdeck with key commands but would like to have something controling the teensy direct without starting the computer. Are there more options?

[engigeer]

This is used by quite a few folks in the DIY PrintNC community: https://github.com/Expatria-Technologies/RT_Jog_Controller/blob/main/README_cdn.md

The daughter board is designed to mount on the flexiHAL control board, but it just communicates via i2c. I have personally also used it to prototype with some more generic RP2040 boards by jumping the appropriate connections on a breadboard.

[Jon-Norberg]

I talked tho the developer briefly in an email. He told me that he thought it would not work. Their keypad plugin is another fork and the pinout is different. I think i can figure out the pinout but the software side I will never solve by myself. I’m using Phil Baretts Teensy 4.1 bob. Have this mpg been used with the web builder? If I head this way I would love the oled to work aswell, but that would just do i2c on the bus as original I suppose?

[engigeer]

Hmm, not sure who you are referring to as the developer. Is it Expatria (Jog2K), or Phil Barrett (BOB), or Terje (grblHAL)? I am none of these so can only speak from my own experience.

I have been using the Jog2K (including i2c display) with the upstream keypad plugin and all primary functions seem to be working. There are some relatively minor display bugs associated with macros + the 4th axis coordinates which are actively being worked on.

If you want to use FW from the web-builder, you will need a board map which defines an I2C_PORT, an I2C_STROBE_PIN, and also a RESET_PIN. The strobe pin signals the controller that a keypress event has occurred so it can request the key code. The reset pin connects directly to the halt button on the jog controller. As far as I can tell from a quick look at the web-builder definitions, your teensy BOB should have all of these (but I have never worked with the teensy driver so YMMV).

I have had success connecting the jog2K to a relatively generic RP2040 by simply jumpering 7 pins from the Jog2K daughter board to the appropriate defined pins on the controller (3.3V, 5V, GND, SCL, SDA, RESET, STROBE). Pinout for the daughter board is on the final page of the schematics. Note that RESET_PIN -> HALT, and STROBE_PIN -> KPSTR.

Finally, since you mention MPG, I will note that the jog2K is not really an MPG, but rather sends a g-code command to move an arbitrary (and configurable) distance in some direction when you press the jog button, and then sends a second command to cancel whatever is left of this motion when you release the button.

[Jon-Norberg]

I had a mail conversation with Expatria. I ordered a Jog2k now. The connections will be no problem. I'll just try to enable the keypad plugin when it arrives and take things form there. Is it possible to incorperate the Expatria version of the keypad plugin in the web builder? (about the MGP I'm just missed when I tried to type;) )
I will just have a simple 3 axis version of the display. So maybe it will just be som macros not working. For what I need is just moving the axis.

[Jon-Norberg]

I got all the hardware now to test it out. Building a hex in the web builder. Trying to enable keypad plugin via i2c and the display plugin via i2c SSD1306 but get build error. Are these i2c on the same adress or something or why do I get an build error?

Command failed: pio run -etest -cjob.ini
.pio/libdeps/test/Plugin_oled_display/plugin_oled_display.c:36:38: fatal error: ../networking/networking.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
*** [.pio/build/test/lib4e2/Plugin_oled_display/plugin_oled_display.c.o] Error 1
========================== [FAILED] Took 1.89 seconds ==========================

[engigeer]

If you are planning to use the Jog2K, you want I2C interface from the Display drop down menu. This should give DISPLAY_ENABLE=9 in compile options from the console. The OLED is connected to the Jog2K but does not interface with GrblHAL directly.

[Jon-Norberg]

Ah ok! Thanx. It compiled now. I'll try this during the week and se what is working and not. So I assume with your response that the Oled is driven by the rasp pi onboard.

[Jon-Norberg]

Allrigt, everything is connected and new firmware is programmed. I enabled the i2c keypad plugin and the i2c display plugin. I have nice text in the oled saying "no connection". So I figure I need to use the Expatria plugin. I think that plugin is altered to make things work as intended. Do I need to manually set up an full compiling enviroment to include that plugin? Or should something work with the original keypad plugin?

[engigeer]

Allrigt, everything is connected and new firmware is programmed. I enabled the i2c keypad plugin and the i2c display plugin. I have nice text in the oled saying "no connection". So I figure I need to use the Expatria plugin. I think that plugin is altered to make things work as intended. Do I need to manually set up an full compiling enviroment to include that plugin? Or should something work with the original keypad plugin?

GrblHAL built from the web-builder should work fine with the jog2k so there a few things I’d check to troubleshoot:

1. Which FW is on the jog2k, this should display on the screen when you first provide power to it. You want the latest pre-release 1.1.0.

2. Make certain SCL / SDA are not exchanged on the i2c connection. The schematic indicates the correct pinout but it’s also often just as easy to test both possibilities to rule this out.

3. Does your USB cable have all the conductors and is it plugged into the correct port on the jog2k (ie., the right side port - labeled J2K if you printed the case). If you got your jog2k from Expatria it should have come with a known good cable.

[Jon-Norberg]

I did miss to check if the new firmware did connect to ioSender, it did not. So my bad. It is reported.
Firmware in the keypad is 1.0.4, so maybe I should update that.
2. I did check if I swapped those pins.
3. Cable from Expatria (thou it is glitching in one way, so need to fix that)

But I just need to get the firmware to compile correctly in the web builder and update the keypad. I´ll come back =)
Thanx for your help so far!

[Jon-Norberg]

Got everything connected now. Jog2K FW 1.1.0 loaded. Firmware on the Teensy 4.1 uploaded and connected to ioSender. Keypad plugin i2c, display-plugin i2c enabled.
No luck.
Switched SDA/SCL.
No luck.
I'm measuring 3,3V on the strobe on the Teensy 4.1 i2c connector, and I can not for my life se where this is pulled up from. This is without anything connected to the Teensy. Is there an pull up from the Teensy, because I can't se any pull up in the schematic. So here is a question mark.
But I should have a connection with just the sda,scl,gnd and 5V. I have no idea how the Expatria controller should behave.
ioSender says no connection on both keypad and display plugin.

[Jon-Norberg]

Think I found the problem, intermittent connection in the connector to usb-c cable on sda and no connection at all on scl. Bad soldered usb-c connector I suppose.

[Jon-Norberg]

Up and running now, bypassed the usb-c connectors. jog2k works!