Control over TCP/IP

[BrentMouton]

Can the X-Carve Pro be configured to communicate with my laptop with an RJ-45 connection rather than USB? I’d like to set up my laptop at a desk next to my network switch and communicate over TCP/IP.

[SethCNC]

The controller supplied with the Xcarve Pro is controlled over USB only.

[BrentMouton]

What is the purpose of the RJ45 connections on the interface and the controller?

[SethCNC]

I should start with: I am not Inventables staff, I do not own the X-Carve Pro, Buuuut I have seen the internals and have referenced photos of the internals when preparing this reply… I’ve been an “advanced electronics tech” trained by the military, after my military service I worked for years as a military application mini-remote submarine manufacturing manager running manufacturing and design and then worked as an electrical engineering consultant on some other robotics and electromechanical design projects, so there’s some background to my understanding of how things operate simply by seeing the components used on the boards… BUT I wasn’t involved in the design of this machine directly… So if you want solid confirmation, I’d call tech support and they should be able to confirm this to be 100% sure that I’m right or wrong here.

I believe that this is simply a 1 to 1 wiring convenience application of a RJ45 cable.
They needed pairs of wires to connect to the buttons on the HMI from the controller.

There are buttons on the HMI (Human Machine Interface) Controller that need to go to the controller board inside the Main Controller tower and instead of using proprietary cables, they used Ethernet Cable here as it allows easier change out from the 2ft version to the 4ft version of the Xcarve Pro which each use different length Ethernet (and USB) cables between the HMI and the main Controller tower.

The Ethernet cable is simply a Input/Output cable for the buttons on the HMI, it’s not actually used to send/receive Ethernet protocol.

[BrentMouton]

Thanks Seth. I appreciate your information.