Finding a replacement LaserBox ESP32 v1 board is proving difficult, so I’m considering replacing it with a Makerbase MKS DLC32 instead: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzQJtTQ
Has anyone here successfully replaced the stock motherboard with this board (or a similar one)? If so, were there any issues with wiring, firmware, or compatibility with the Atomstack hardware?
Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
My laser machine isn’t an Atomstack, but I adapted an MKS DLC32 with a display, and I don’t see why it can’t be adapted.
If you don’t need the display, it works without it. Although, in my case, it’s somewhat useful just to check information about position and power in real time while doing a job.
If you intend to run jobs through the SD Card slot, then yes, you need the display.
It’s common for the axis controls, or at least one of them, to be in the opposite direction (when controlled on the display) in relation to the commands sent by the LB.
Probably even the motor drivers work the same as long as they aren’t faulty.
In addition, there is a lot of support for MKS DLC32 boards.
In reality I don’t really need the screen; in practice I never use it anyway.
I start jobs from a connected laptop and just monitor the percentage progress there. So I never use the SD slot either.
That makes it seem like an MKS DLC32 is almost a plug-and-play replacement for the stock LaserBox ESP32 v1, right?
Honestly, I highly doubt it.
Since MKS is an “open source” board, it may come with incompatible firmware or without firmware at all.
You will probably (I had to do this several times as I evolved the machine and wanted more options, like the last one which was the “fire detection alarm”) have to install the firmware appropriate to your needs.
But once you have the tool installed for this purpose, it’s not difficult, but I don’t want to go into too much detail because I don’t remember the sequence of steps in the process.
When I started with the laser hobby 3 or 4 years ago, I had never even seen a machine before. However, I have already made many changes to the original machine, including some firmware reinstallations. (“Flash board” I believe is what they call it)
That’s another advantage; you can work with multiple firmwares. I’ve never tested FluidNC, so I didn’t even remember.
But I advise testing both firmwares at this stage.
Since I already have everything configured for the Makerbase firmware, I never bothered to “start from scratch” with FluidNC, which I hear very good things about.
Since I have an entry-level laser (M50 A5 Pro), I’ll already be happy if the machine works again after replacing the motherboard. Researching more advanced firmware seems very interesting, but my first focus is getting the machine working again.
I think I’ll start by ordering an MKS DLC32 with 4988 stepper drivers and the most basic firmware.
I just successfully replaced the motherboard of my Atomstack A5 M50 Pro with an MKS DLC32 v2.1 with TMC2209 stepper drivers. Pretty much plug & play, except for one required modification: the TTL wire was connected through the plug to the V (Voltage) pin on the MKS DLC32 instead of the S pin (and to make it more difficult, the plug didn’t fit), so I removed the JST connector and replaced it with a Dupont connector.
Everything connected, adjusted the VREF of the stepper drivers to ~80, sent a few commands via LightBurn, and the first engraving test could already begin. Successful
