For those that are not fortunate enough to have the factory populated USB console port, and who do not want to solder wires from and USB to serial adapter to your board, I am making available a new tool:
It is solder free, attaches via snap-in PCB standoffs, and the connection is made via standard pogo pins. It is completely safe to leave attached while not connected, and has EMI, ESD and over voltage protection for the control board connections.
Even if you are not planning to install ForgeFIRM, it can be helpful for gaining console access to your machine for diagnostic purposes. It makes it much easier to view the logs, including those that may not be downloaded via the conventional method, including local kernel and system logs.
If you plan to only use it while the machine is idle, you can just connect the cable and leave the lid open as the adapter is accessible from the bed area (if you leave the plastic control board shield off):
(moved my post here from your beta testers thread)
My Glowforge Pro doesn’t have the serial port sadly. I’m in the EU and see you don’t send your boards outside of the US; if you have the gerbel files + BOM I could maybe see if I can make one of your boards myself. I don’t think those are in de current docs?
edit: is that your ESP testing board in the second image? Nice setup with the printed mount.
EU approval for Amazon is in progress. There are about 90 extra steps required.
I’ll publish the full project repo in the near future. No timeline on that, yet.
That is the acceptance test fixture with the ESP and the relays. It makes life way easier.
Each ForgeFIRM release candidate goes through a battery of tests on a real machine. Right now there about 90 of them and it takes about an hour and a half. Many of them are tests on the safety chains, which is a whole lot of lid/interlock opening and closing and button pushes
The fixture stands in for me on all tests except for those that actually fire the laser.
