Karl Johnson, Author at CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

September 7, 2021 by Karl Johnson - 2 Comments

Longer LK5 Pro 3D printer review & speed printing

Hey, Karl here with a 3D printer review. We are going to be looking at the Longer LK5 Pro. I have known of the brand Longer for a little while, and when I think of Longer I associate the brand to resin 3D printers but today we are looking at one of their FDM offerings. Spoiler alert. The LK5 Pro is exceptionally ordinary. In late 2021 the state of hobby 3D printing seems to have plateaued. Most of the requirements that I want in a single machine are being met. The LK5 meets these basics. Easy build Silent drivers Nice print surface Touchscreen Out of box calibration Adequate motion system Rigid Frame Good Print quality With that said, nearly all new printers I see now look and perform similarly. Today my only real desire is to print faster and think speed can be one of the shorter-term goals I can […]

July 11, 2021July 12, 2021 by Karl Johnson - 2 Comments

Laser focusing on Laser Master 2 Pro and optimal line spacing

Karl Here. I am going to break up the review process for the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro (LM2Pro) into smaller bite-size bits instead of one long review. I can get into more details and share what I learned. You can check out the initial unboxing and initial impressions in Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro laser engraver – First impressions. Let’s start first with focusing the laser. Focusing the laser I have a problem, I don’t feel like I can reliably focus the same way every time so I created a little focusing contraption. I got inspiration from my CNC machine and Z probe. It is just a simple jig that completes a circuit when the lens touches the end of the M3 screw to illuminate the led. I feel like I can have better repeatability. I’ll step through my process of calibrating it. First, I focused the laser with […]

June 12, 2021June 14, 2021 by Karl Johnson - 4 Comments

GMK NucBox2 Review – Windows 10, Unraid OS on a Coffee Lake mini PC

Karl here. Today we are going to look at a mini PC. It is by GMK. GMK’s first foray looks to be the NucBox, a super tiny mini pc. I would call the NucBox2 its older, bigger, more capable brother. What stood out to me was the M.2 4x NVMe slot. I don’t anticipate a superfast SSD to come with the NucBox2 but we will see. The NucBox2 only had one 8 GB stick of memory and I had an extra stick laying around so I installed it to get dual-channel support. I think they are doing this mini PC a disservice using memory in single-channel mode. A quick Google search shows an 8GB stick is about $50 and I would highly recommend this upgrade. Notable Specs Processor – Intel Core i5-8259U 4-core/8-thread Coffee Lake processor 802.11 AC WiFI M.2 NVMe 256 GB SSD (Netac) 8GB memory single-channel Gig Ethernet […]

June 2, 2021July 31, 2022 by Karl Johnson - 9 Comments

Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro laser engraver – First impressions

Hey Karl here. Today I am here to share my initial experiences with the Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro laser engraver. That is a mouth full so I will refer to it as the LM2Pro for the remainder. The LM2Pro is the successor to the Ortur Laser Master 2. I have only had 1 experience with a diode laser and that was quite a long time ago and a lot has changed in the desktop laser department. I have used the LM2Pro for almost 2 weeks and I am blown away by what I have been able to achieve in such little time. I don’t know if it is better software or the machine itself. Probably a mixture of both. There are 3 different models with different power lasers. The 20W version was sent for review. It is dishonest to call this a 20w laser. I am not sure which […]

May 22, 2021 by Karl Johnson - No Comments

Genmitsu 6060 XY-Axis Extension Kit for PROVerXL4030 – DIY desk and folding cart

Karl here. I teased this article in the final review of the Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 CNC Router. I was really happy with the base kit. You can check out all my thoughts there. SainSmart recently released an extension kit that I have now had for a few weeks. It increases the stock size from 300 x 400 to 600 x 600. That is what we are here to check out today. When I inquired about the kit I didn’t realize how boring a review of the kit would be but I will do my best to bring some additional value beyond just unboxing and building experience. Unboxing The parts list is minimal 2x Y-axis Aluminum Extrusion (lead screw included) 2x X-axis Aluminum Extrusion (lead screw included) 2x Front/Back Plate 7x Drag Chain 9x Drag Chain 4x Hexagonal Wrench, 4mm, 3mm, 2.5mm, 1 mm The original kit came with some decent […]

May 10, 2021May 10, 2021 by Karl Johnson - 3 Comments

Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 CNC Router Review – Mods & Projects

Hey, Karl here. Today I am writing about my opinions on the Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 CNC Router and sharing the projects that I have done. My initial review was published back in January. I have been working with the tool for several months now and I have had a lot of fun. I have also gained a ton of experience and am really proud of what I have been able to make. I attribute my success to doing my homework and not doing my usual feet first approach. Let’s start with my opinions then showcase the projects I have completed. First opinions. The machine is well thought out and the build quality and materials are good. Other than a few modifications I outlined in the first part I have done nothing else. I installed an rpm meter but found that it was unnecessary. I don’t even look at it anymore […]

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 by Karl Johnson - 7 Comments

Sainsmart Genmitsu 4030 review – Unboxing, mods, and first cuts

Karl here. This will be a long one but I haven’t had this much fun with a product review in quite some time. I don’t consider myself a complete noob with CNC routers but I have only scratched the surface. Learning new things really drives me and being able to make more permanent things is very satisfying. I have some experience with the Sainsmart 3018 CNC router. I had a lot of fun with it but the build volume was on the smaller side so really limited on what can be done with it. I still recommend it as a starter CNC router and as a good stepping stone to get your feet wet and the Genmistu PROVerXL4030 as the next step. I was able to make some cool things with the 3018 and I hope now to take it to the next level with the Genmistu 4030. Before we […]

November 25, 2020November 26, 2020 by Karl Johnson - 11 Comments

Ender 3 Pro 3D printer in late 2020 – Build and first prints

Karl here. How does the Ender 3 Pro 3D printer stand up in late 2020? The short answer is pretty well. With just a few minor gripes it is a solid printer. According to All3dp the Ender 3 Pro came out in September 2018. Over 2 years ago. It is the successor to the most popular 3D printer: the Ender 3. I usually don’t do any research so I won’t be influenced by other reviewers but I did in this case so I could see what the differences are between the Ender 3 and Pro versions. It has been upgraded to a Meanwell power supply. Better mainboard layout. Wider extrusion for the bed to ride on, which should make the bed more stable. If you have done any research on 3D printers I would say it is impossible not to have heard about the Ender 3. With its low price, […]