You can read more about my affiliate disclosure here. Either way your the price you pay does not change. If you choose to purchase through one of the links below, I will earn a small commission which helps maintain this site. Note several of the links below are affiliate links. Let’s walk through the setup starting with a list of hardware you will need followed by a list of tools that will make the job easier. The following is a step by step guide to create a 3 axis DIY CNC Controller. Click here to watch the video on YouTube. If I was to use a parallel port that means finding an old PC with a stable version of windows and probably using Mach3. I really didn’t want the controller to be bigger than the mill.

My harbor fright mini mill isn’t all that big. One huge advantage of the grblShield with the Arduino is the ability to use a regular old USB connection. Please, someone put it out of its misery.

I mean come on! I don’t know of any printers that still use a parallel port. (The long running joke is that manufacturers pack smoke in electrical components that is let out when someone screws up and they fry the chip as demonstrated by the smoke coming out.)The combination of Arduino with grblShield allowed me to create a DIY CNC Controller for less than $80! That’s crazy! And the best part is, I am not tied to a boat anchor of a PC with a parallel port typically required to run stepper motor drivers.Ĭorrect me if I am wrong but I do not know of any industrial CNC controller that uses anything other than a parallel port. I mean I have been trying to let the manufacturers smoke out of the device for years now. This created a completely new world for me. I can’t see the electrons in the printed circuit board or the 1s and 0s in the software.Įnter the Arduino. I cannot say why, they just seem like a mystery. As a die hard gear head, electronics intimidate me.

I love the gShield from Synthetos! No, they are not paying me to say that. If you get stuck check back here to find the detailed setup instructions. If you want to dive right in download the Quick Start Guide here. This post will walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up your own DIY CNC Controller. You can build a 3 axis DIY CNC Controller for less than $80!

Arduino uno cnc shield v3 datasheet