IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This is my personal project and has only been tested by me on my AltMill CNC. If you choose to run it, you do so entirely at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage, malfunction, or personal injury that may result from the use or misuse of ncSender. Use it with caution and at your own discretion.

💖 Support My Work

If you enjoy ncSender and my other CNC / maker projects, consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support helps keep the development going — and also funds my growing addiction to using AI tools for coding. 😆 Apparently, the more I build features, the more tokens I burn. Send help (or coffee). ☕️

ncSender — Simple, Fast G‑Code Sender for GrblHAL

ncSender is a lightweight, cross‑platform CNC controller with a clean UI and built‑in 3D toolpath preview. It connects to GrblHAL controllers over USB serial or Ethernet and can run either as a desktop app (Electron) or as a small local server you access from any browser on your network.

✨ Why ncSender

• Cross‑platform desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi).
• USB serial and Ethernet (telnet‑style) connectivity.
• Live console with command history and real‑time GrblHAL controls (hold, resume, soft reset).
• 3D toolpath preview with progress tracking.
• Workspace selection (G54–G59) and homing prompts.
• Metric and imperial units support with automatic conversion.
• Firmware settings browser for GrblHAL (read/submit, import/export).
• Safe job controls: pause before stop, resume.
• Dead-man switch safety feature for jogging operations.
• Headless mode: run just the server and use it from a browser.
• UI theme support (light/dark) and configurable accent/gradient colors.

⚠️ Current Limitations

• Limit Switches Required: Machines without physical limit switches are not yet supported, as some functionality relies on machine coordinate movement.
• GRBL Compatibility: Although ncSender may work with GRBL, it has not been thoroughly tested. Use with caution.
• Hardware Tested: ncSender has only been tested with the Sienci SLEB-EXT board (included with AltMill CNC) running grblHAL or sienciHAL firmware.

📦 Install

Download a release from the Releases page for your OS:

• macOS: open the .dmg, drag ncSender to Applications. If Gatekeeper warns about an unknown developer, right‑click the app, choose Open, then Open again.
• Windows: run the .exe and follow the prompts (you may see a SmartScreen warning for an unsigned app).
• Linux: use the .AppImage or .deb (depending on your distro). Mark the AppImage as executable.
• Raspberry Pi: use the ARM64 .deb or .AppImage package.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Connect your controller

• USB: plug your controller via USB. Default baud is 115200.
• Ethernet: ensure you know the controller's IP and port (default GrblHAL telnet‑style ports are often 23 or device‑specific).

2. Launch ncSender

• On first launch, a setup dialog guides you to choose USB or Ethernet, pick the port, and confirm baud/IP/port. Save to connect.

3. Load a G‑code file

• Use the Visualizer panel to upload or load a file. You’ll see a 3D preview, line count, and file name.

4. Prepare the machine

• Home (if required), set work offsets, and verify workspace (G54–G59) from the toolbar.

5. Run the job

• Click Run. The status shows Running with progress tracking. Use Pause/Resume as needed. Stop safely pauses briefly before soft‑reset to reduce marks.

Theme and colors

• Toggle light/dark from the toolbar sun icon.
• Change accent/gradient colors under Settings → Application Settings.

🖥️ Using Headless Mode (advanced)

Run the embedded server without the Electron window and access ncSender from any browser on your network.

• macOS: /Applications/ncSender.app/Contents/MacOS/ncSender --headless
• Windows: "C:\\Program Files\\ncSender\\ncSender.exe" --headless
• Linux/Raspberry Pi (AppImage): ./ncSender-*.AppImage --headless or ncSender --headless if installed in PATH

Then open http://<this-computer-ip>:8090 in a browser (replace with your machine's LAN IP). The port is configurable in Settings (Remote Control Port) and requires an app restart to take effect.

💾 Data & Settings

ncSender stores its data per‑platform:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/ncSender/
• Windows: %APPDATA%/ncSender/
• Linux / Raspberry Pi: ~/.config/ncSender/

These folders are created automatically and contain G‑code files and settings. Files persist across updates and are easy to back up.

🔧 Tips & Troubleshooting

• Can't find the USB port
  • Unplug/replug the device and reopen Settings. On Windows you may need the correct USB‑serial driver. On macOS, avoid Bluetooth ports.
• Connection fails
  • Confirm baud rate (115200 is common). For Ethernet, confirm the IP/port and network reachability (firewall). Try power‑cycling the controller.
• "Homing Required"
  • Home the machine first (per your controller/firmware) to clear the prompt.
• Alarm/Locked
  • Use "Unlock" or send $X from the console if you understand the risks. Review the last alarm code for details.
• Nothing moves when sending a job
  • Ensure the machine is Idle (not Alarm/Hold), correct workspace selected, and your file units/modes match the machine (G20/G21, G90/G91, etc.).
• Machine behaving unexpectedly
  • Try a soft reset by clicking the center button in the jog controls or send Ctrl+X from the console. This clears the command buffer and resets the controller state.

🔒 Privacy

Everything runs locally. ncSender does not send your files or machine data to remote servers.

💬 Need Help?

This is a personal, for‑fun project that I’m actively iterating on. I’m not providing support at the moment, and I’m not accepting new issue submissions yet. Once things are more stable, I may start accepting GitHub Issues for bug reports and feature requests.

👨‍💻 For Developers

Looking to build, contribute, or extend ncSender? See docs/DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md for:

• Project structure and architecture
• Development workflow (hot reload)
• Scripts and local packaging
• CI/CD and release process