• ThePiBot CNC Pendant V4.0is a handheld Bluetooth/RJ12-based controller designed for CNC machines running FluidNC and GRBL-HAL firmware. • Developed by PiBot, with firmware support from ESP3D creator Luc, the pendant provides an interface for manually controlling and monitoring CNC routers, laser engravers, and other GRBL/FluidNC-based systems via RJ12 wired or Bluetooth connection. • The device features a capacitive touchscreen, an industrial-grade encoder, a potentiometer knob, a band switch, three independent switches, and a built-in speaker, all housed in an enclosure with a dual-PCB design that allows IO expansion. • The pendant operates at 115200 baud over Bluetooth or up to 1,000,000 baud in wired mode, and is powered by a flat-top 18650 battery with onboard charging and power level indication. • PiBot CNC Pendant V4.0 specifications: Main Controller -ESP32(No version specification is mentioned) Storage - MicroSD card (one-click upgrade via microSD card coming soon) Display - Capacitive touch screen; Most probably 3.5-inch (approx. • 76 x 55 mm) Audio - Built-in speaker for status feedback ConnectivityWired - RJ12 port (for V4.7/V4.9 mainboards or IO Expanders)Wireless - Independent Bluetooth TX/RX modules (115200 baud support) Wired - RJ12 port (for V4.7/V4.9 mainboards or IO Expanders) Wireless - Independent Bluetooth TX/RX modules (115200 baud support) USB - 1x USB Type-C port for firmware updates and charging Misc3x Independent physical switches (in the front)Industrial-grade encoder (optimized for tactile response)Band switchPower switch (On/Off)Boot and reset button (for firmware flashing)Indicator light function buttonBattery level indicator LEDPotentiometer knob 3x Independent physical switches (in the front) Industrial-grade encoder (optimized for tactile response) Band switch Power switch (On/Off) Boot and reset button (for firmware flashing) Indicator light function button Battery level indicator LED Potentiometer knob Power5V from USB-C18650 flat-top battery

Article Summaries:

  • PiBot has released the CNC Pendant V4.0, a handheld controller for FluidNC‑ and GRBL‑based CNC machines. The pendant uses an ESP32, a capacitive touchscreen, an industrial encoder, a potentiometer, a band switch, three independent buttons, and a built‑in speaker. It connects via RJ12 wired (up to 1 Mbaud) or Bluetooth (115200 baud) and is powered by a flat‑top 18650 battery with USB‑C charging. The device is pre‑loaded with open‑source firmware but the hardware is not fully open‑source, except for STL enclosure files. Safety concerns were raised over encoder‑buffer overloads; PiBot now offers a custom FluidDial fork that mitigates this and adds extra hardware controls.

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