Is it possible to integrate a soft limit feature?
On regular CNC machines you can set up end stops as well as soft limits to avoid exceeding the limits of the machinebed.
Being able to set soft
Limits in X and Y, could/would possibly protect against exceeding belt tension limits at the extends of the work area and avoid going into the orange/red zones as depicted in the frame size simulator. Today while jogging manually to check the 4x8 work area, I accidentally exceeded the work area in the y-axis and one of my belts snapped. Being able to set up soft limits, would negate exceeding belt tension.
Waldo-cnc wrote:
Is it possible to integrate a soft limit feature?
the maslow firmware is based on FluidNC, which intends to be a functional close
of grbl, so you should be able to use the grbl soft limit feature.
however, I would check that they work with negative values (I’ve seen
assumptions in a lot of cnc based stuff that 0,0 is the bottom left of the
machine and that you cannot go negative)
David Lang
Thank you David for your quick response!
Since I’m new to Maslow; just received, assembled and calibrated my first Maslow 4.1 over the weekend.
Would you be willing to give me some pointers on how to set up the soft limit feature in FluidNC? Is there any documentation I can research?
Hope you can point me in the right direction!
Waldo
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Burring in the config settings there should actually already be soft limit options, although I haven’t tested them
Hi Bar,
thank you for the quick response!
I will have a look at this and try it out!
I’ll post the results of the test in this thread!
Waldo
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Waldo-cnc wrote:
Would you be willing to give me some pointers on how to set up the soft limit feature in FluidNC? Is there any documentation I can research?
David Lang
Excellent! Thank you!
Waldo
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Another follow on question with regards to soft limits in fluidnc;
Reading up on the fluidnc wiki and throwing some question at ChatGPT, it seems to be possible to add an “min_travel_mm” to the “max_travel_mm” of travel axes as of fluidnc version v3.75. This would make it possible to set negatieve and positive limits from the home position (machinebed center).
What version is Maslow fluidnc version 1.06 based on? Is it pre v3.75 or post?
Latest version on fluidnc github is 3.9.7
Waldo
Update:
Should have checked the web ui…
looks like v1.06 is based on fluidnc FW3.0.x
Guess my next question would be if an update to FW3.75 or above is to be expected in the forseeable future? 
Yes, but probably not until the FluicNC support for the ESP32 S3 chips is fully stable. They weren’t supported fully yet last time I checked, but that was awhile ago
Your speedy feedback is much appreciated!
I’m going to have a go at playing with the soft
limit settings. If I manage to pull it off or not, I’ll post the results here!
Hope I don’t destroy my pcb in the process! 
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So I set up my horizontal workspace in my future bedroom (remodeling our farmhouse.)
Tried to setup the x and y soft limits. But did not manage to get it to work how I would like it to work. When setting the machine home/origin in the bottom left corner and then setting the soft limits to cover just a bit more than the 4x8 osb sheet. It does not respond the way I expected. The machine stopped after moving after about 2 feet from the bottom left corner in x and y. After having set the machine offset to the center of the sheet again the machine stops after 2 feet in either X and/or y axis.
Maybe in the future when the S3 support is fully stable it will be possible to setup the soft limits from the center of a 4x8 sheet with negative values, but till that time I’m just g
oing to work with a checklist so I don’t accidentally jog my machine beyond the limits and snap more belts! On the other hand happy with the first test cut with my Maslow4.1!
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Keep us posted if you make a breakthrough on the soft limits front!
Beautiful first project! 
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