clinc
A minimalist, scriptable command-line interface for GRBL v0.9.
Installation
Install the package directly from npm:
[sudo] npm install -g clinc
Then seed a config file:
clinc config > ~/.clincrc
You may need to change the default server.serialPort
path in ~/.clincrc
. To
see a list of available serialports, run:
clinc-server list
See the wiki for an in-depth guide to configuration.
Executables
Theclinc
package will install three executables on your $PATH
:
Executable | Purpose |
---|---|
clinc-server |
Connects to GRBL via the serialport, and displays GRBL output. |
clinc |
Provides a user-interface for controlling GRBL via a connection to clinc-server . |
clinc-grbl-debug |
A debugging tool that was used while developing clinc . See the wiki for more information. |
Usage
Physically connect your CNC machine to your computer, then connect to GRBL with:
clinc-server -c
Note that $USER
must have access to the serialport, or clinc-server
will
fail with an error. On Debian-based systems, it may be necessary to add $USER
to the dialout
group.
You may then use these two commands for sending G-code to clinc-server
:
clinc send (<commands> | --file=<path>)
clinc shell
send
send
can be used to send individual commands to GRBL:
# view GRBL configuration clinc send '$$'
send
can also send entire G-code files:
#send foo.nc clinc send --file=/path/to/foo.nc
Shell scripts can streamline the process of running multi-part jobs:
#!/bin/sh # unlock the machine clinc send '$X' # send the first file clinc send --file=./step-1.nc # prompt the user for a tool change read -p "Tool change required. Press 'Enter' when ready". # send the second file clinc send --file=./step-2.nc
shell
shell
can be used to control GRBL interactively. Any command entered into the
shell will be sent directly to GRBL. It is also possible to manually "jog" the
machine from within the shell.
Jog Commands
Use the following keypresses to jog the machine:
Keypress | Action |
---|---|
Ctrl + Left Arrow |
Jog left |
Ctrl + Right Arrow |
Jog right |
Ctrl + Up Arrow |
Jog backward |
Ctrl + Up Down |
Jog forward |
PageUp |
Raise spindle |
PageDown |
Lower spindle |
<F1> |
Feed hold |
Ctrl + l |
Clear screen |
The .step
dot-command (see below) can be used to change the machine's step
distance.
"Dot-commands"
Several "dot-commands" extend the shell's functionality:
Command | Action |
---|---|
.aliases |
Lists the aliases configured in ~/.clincrc . |
.cheat |
Displays a clinc cheatsheet. |
.exit |
Exits the shell. |
.reset |
Sends a reset instruction (Ctrl + x ) to GRBL. |
.send |
Sends a G-code file to GRBL. (Usage: .send /path/to/file.nc ). |
.step |
Sets the GRBL step distance. (Usage: .send 0.5 ). |
Note that .help
will reveal other available dot-commands (including .help
itself). These are built in to node's REPL object (upon which clinc shell
is built). They are of no value to clinc
users, and should be ignored.