Replacement controller for Atomstack X20 with 4 or 5 axes

[Abe]

I’m taking my Atomstack X20 laser module and a couple gantry parts and using them to make a larger laser cutting area (a tad over 2’x4’). In the process I’ve managed to burn out the original controller and an Atomstack X5 mini v2 through careless late night wiring mistakes. So I’m trying to find a new controller that will work with this setup, but that ideally would also add in 2 or 3 new axis. One for focusing the laser head, another for a rotary that I could leave plugged, and maybe a third for an adjustable height bed.

I don’t think I’m ready to move up to a DSP controller, but the GRBL and Smoothieware boards are a very confusing mixture of available, not available, different versions of the same board, weird sellers, and on and on. I know my way around Smoothieware decently well, but Smoothieware boards are generally hard to find in stock. RepRapFirmware boards seem very similar to Smoothieware but their Lightburn compatibility seems questionable. What’s a guy to do!?

Does anyone have any control board suggestions for me? Sources would be super useful too. I’m in the USA, so stores that ship and sell to the US would be preferable.

Thanks in advance.

[jkwilborn (Jack Wilborn)]

There’s a couple grbl boards on youtube that claim 5 axes… The dsp controllers are usually costly and use proprietary software.

Sorry I’m not much help, but many of us have basically 2D type work machines. Exceeding 3 axes probably exceeds most of the people knowledge here.

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Any of these conditions should terminate any trouble shooting effort.

1. anger/frustration
2. tired

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Good luck

[Abe]

Thanks for the feedback, it all makes sense. Especially the conditions to stop trouble shooting efforts!