Two years ago, Joseph Coffland and I formed Buildbotics LLC and set out to create a CNC controller that is completely Open-Source, easy to use and set up, highly flexible, and rugged.
This controller complements the Open-Source CNC simulator, CAMotics, and the combination makes a really nice Open-Source tool-chain for CNC machining.
The Buildbotics controller has a built-in Raspberry Pi, so you don’t need to dedicate a computer to operate it. Simply connect over an Ethernet to configure and control it. You can plug in a USB gamepad for local control and a USB camera for remote, live video of your machining operation. We’ve incorporated some great new technology that allows the controller to run with no fan. This means that dust and cuttings won’t get sucked into the electronics even with the controller sitting right next to your machine.
We’ve demonstrated the Buildbotics controller by using it to retrofit a broken-down Dyna Myte 2400 mill and by incorporating it into an OX CNC, a Taig mill, a 6040 CNC, a laser cutting machine and my home built CNC router.
All electronics, software, and enclosure designs are available in our GitHub repositories.
