I wasn’t able to wire directly from the AUX1 to the button circuit on the Bosch yet, so I’m using a chip clip to hold the button closed and still using the same relay method as on the Ridgid, but I’d like to get out the multimeter and see if I can figure out a way to directly interface.
use a relay with a snubber diode. do not attempt to wire directly from the router to the maslow’s aux port, you’ll fry your maslow, your arduino, and possibly your pc.
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Jatt, I have already done the Relay setup with a Ridgid router, and my new Bosch. (I didn’t like the Ridgid because of lack of parts availability, so I bought a Bosch.) The new router has an internal relay that is activated by a button in the handle, so you can turn it off without removing a hand from one of the handles. There is no risk in wiring the AUX port to this relay, or at least no more than the regular relay method. I just have to get out the multimeter and see if it is 5V or 3.3V or something else and if it is 5V or 3.3V I should be able to wire the aux port to trigger this relay.
The button on the router is passing 8V AC, so I’ll have to design a circuit to trigger it. The only advantage to doing this is that the lights stay on even when the trigger is not pressed, so I’d have illumination even when the spindle was off.
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There’s also no good way to program an arduino’s i/o to be a button. You pretty much always have to use a relay or ssr. And 8v ac would indeed kill the arduino (or at least burn out those io ports on the atmel), which uses 5v or 3v3 logic.
why? that point (top of the sled) isn’t relevant to any cutting you do, while
the bottom of the sled does matter.
David Lang
Connecting a DC 5V output to an AC 8V input will not fry anything. It won’t WORK, but it certainly won’t fry anything.
Because the sled height (the distance from the top of the sled where we just Zeroed, to the actual cutting surface) never changes, so we can figure out where the bottom is using Mathemagic.
Edit: I am looking into 0 interaction z 0 options.
I’m was pondering that as part of an automatic bit changing attachment. (Don’t get too excited, it’ll be a while before I can try to make that happen.) For the auto-zeroing after a tool change, I was thinking a motor that moves one of these film touch sensors across the cutting hole in the sled. When you want to auto-zero, the Maslow code will need to:
- Stop the spindle motor.
- Raise the Z-axis to +5mm or whatever Safe Height value is currently in the settings.
- Actuate the sensor mount motor to move the sensor into position.
- Perform the Auto-zero Gcode function.
- Lift the Z-axis back to +5mm or whatever.
- Reverse the sensor mount motor to move it back out of the way.
- Start the spindle motor
- Resume the cutting program (if this is during a mid-program tool change.)
Obviously I’m going to need to use at least one of the AUX ports to accomplish moving the sensor into place, and I’ll have to alter the Firmware and submit a pull request. 
Attaching any voltage higher than 5.5v to an arduino pin whether programmed for input or output will destroy the semiconductor junction for that pin. So if you apply an 8v ac waveform to the pin, it’s dead.
Your statement is correct, but has absolutely nothing to do with my situation, as I am not applying any waveform to the pin on the Arduino.
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try seeing if you can loosen the lock so that you can close it and still have
the motor move, that will probably be a better fit (and therefor more accurate
cuts) than leaving it open or removing it entirely.
David Lang
@dlang this is the Bosch, not the Ridgid. It is designed to NOT MOVE AT ALL when the clamp is shut. There is no bolt to loosen like on the Ridgid. It is either open or closed. When open, the clamp handle is in the travel path of the left roller on the ring and when moving the roller hits and either 1) closes it, locking Z at the current position or 2) it deflects the travel path by a few mm.
The ONLY way to make this work with the 140mm ring is to remove it entirely. With an angle grinder. Trust me, I tried EVERYTHING POSSIBLE before taking an angle grinder to a $78 fixed router base. But I have a second one, which is why I returned the Ridgid, they wouldn’t sell me a second base.
I have ran 2 CNC programs since removing it and there are no problems with precision. Even with the clamp completely gone, it is still held in there very tightly by the power rail (there’s a rail that supplies power to the base from the spindle motor.) I think with some more work, it will actually be a better router for the Maslow system than the Ridgid, assuming you want spindle speed control. (I have the Maslow code open and am looking into adding spindle control. I just need to find the right Aux port to use for the new circuit and write the code.) Once I’m done, I plan on writing a page on upgrading to the Bosch with everything I learn.
@dlang this is the Bosch, not the Ridgid. It is designed to NOT MOVE AT ALL when the clamp is shut.
The Ridgid is also designed to NOT MOVE AT ALL when the clamp is shut.
There is no bolt to loosen like on the Ridgid. It is either open or closed.
It seems strange that ther is no way to adjust the clamp, parts wear and you
still need it to be tight, how do they manage this?
When open, the clamp handle is in the travel path of the left roller on the ring
and when moving the roller hits and either 1) closes it, locking Z at the
current position or 2) it deflects the travel path by a few mm.
There is a set screw that could be tightened, but it didn’t seem to do anything. Maybe that is for when it wears out. With it completely removed, the motor still couldn’t turn the depth adjustment. With the clamp as open as it would go, the router still doesn’t wiggle because of the power rail.
