I upgraded to the X-Controller and didn’t change the default micro stepping options on the board. Have you changed those settings and how did it work out?
If I remember correctly the $100 and $101 settings were 40 microsteps, I only changed mine because I switched to GT3 belts and pulleys, otherwise out of the box the settings were right on…
I was referring to the dip switches on the X-Controller board.
@DarrylKegg The $100 and $101 settings are STEPS per MM; how many turns of the stepper motor shaft equals 1 mm.
The microsteps @StevePrior is a technique for driving a stepper motor.
For reference, the GShield supports 1/8, vs the X-Controller which supports 1/16.
Changing the microstepping affects: speed, accuracy, and torque, so changing it has be done with proper thought and testing.
A real world is example is the default for the X-Carve is X and Y axis is 1/8 and the Z axis as 1/2.
They are setup that way for the desired balance of the above properties. In theory the Z needs a lot more holding torque, vs the X-Y which need accuracy and speed. The X and Y are constantly moving and the Z is usually staying still.
But with all that said I too would like to hear if anyone has changed their settings!
The only reason I’m even thinking about modifying the microstepping is that with my steps/mm config if I tell the X-Carve to move +X 600mm the number of actual steps (which must be an integer) causes grbl to report back a position which is something like 599.995 instead of 600. If I were to change the microstepping from the default of 1/8 to 1/16 would cause the difference to be low enough that it wouldn’t be displayed. Note this doesn’t actually make a difference in the carve accuracy because grbl takes this rounding into account, it would just be a matter of it not being visible on the control panel anymore.
Going from 1/8 to 1/16 you sacrifice half of your torque (from 20% of nominal torque down to 10%). This is not to be taken lightly. You could do it for example to gain precision if your cuts are easy/shallow. But just to do it for a readout annoyance, it is a big loss.
EDIT:
The introduction of the X-Controller does not really affect your microstepping decision. The introduction of new motors does. If you need more precision without a loss in holding power, look for more powerful motors (and mind the Z clearance).