Overview

Modernize and clean up the Shapeoko 5 Pro control system and stock wire harness. This guide assumes moving to a Sienci Labs SuperLongBoard (SLB), but should be helpful if you wish to use a Masso G3 or similar.

Brief Motivation

Stock C3D controller & harness

• Bug interpreting valid parenthetical comments in gcode locks up controller. Worked around by Carbide Motion, but a PITA to deal with with other ‣s. Not fixed in a ~year?
• Unnecessarily closed-source
• Unnecessarily physically large
• Requires a massive heatsink and fan (?) to cool a tiny microprocessor, or maybe always-on motor controllers? What the heck is it doing at idle?
• Stock harness is lacking
  • Poorly wrapped loose wires; I’d prefer jacketed cables
  • Stock power pendant cable harness is not long enough compared to motor and switch harnesses, severely limits placement relative to 4x4 machine
  • Spindle control cable has adaptors on adaptors 🙄, and uses a funky proprietary “protocol”

SLB

• Under somewhat active development, along with ‣ (also open source) and https://github.com/grblHAL
• Open source
• Better (?) motor drivers; additional resolution & refresh rate for smoother motion
• 4th axis support
• Eventual ATC support
• Canadian 🍁

Step 1: Table Motion & Stock Accessories

In this step we’ll get the basic XYZ axes to move and home against the Shapeoko limit switches.

Tools Required

• Molex Micro-Fit 3.0mm compatible crimper for machine side: stepper motors, limit switches, X-axis LED rail, front plate

  <aside> ⚠️

  Note that both Micro-Fit & Mini-Fit Jr use the same tool frame and dies (Type 4D), and appear to only differ in their terminal locator (Mini-fit Jr P/N: 0638190975, Micro-Fit P/N: 0638190075)

  </aside>

  <aside> ⚠️

  I already had a Mini-Fit Jr crimper, and would not recommend buying either of the Molex first-party crimpers for this job. A universal crimper will likely be sufficient for the quantities of termination needed here.

  </aside>

• JST crimper for SLB side: limit switches (optional if using the Phoenix connector for limit switches), optional ring light, optional rail light

• Soldering iron suitable for surface-mount electronics

• Multimeter (optional, helpful for debugging)