I brought a R7 a couple of years ago and have been using it for a few projects.
I have had some issues with both the SmoothieBoard and TinyG controller and struggled to get the software working reliably. I just converted the R7 system to run on LinuxCNC software using the Tormach PathPilot version. This really changes the way the system performs. It was a simple conversion using 4 stepper motor drivers and a parallel Breakout board all brought on Amazon for about the price as a SmoothieBoard. I will happy to share the process with others on the forum if they are interested to do the same. I will try to post some video of the system running when I have some free time.
The standard LinuxCNC distribution or PathPilot LinuxCNC offer a much more reliable open source motion control for the R7.
Please do! Quite interested in your experience with pathpilot
Yes, please! TinyG is great but I’ve had a few issues with it.
@Arran_Biiby Yes, I’d be interested to learn more.
Interested as well. Looking at a move to the newer steppers with encoder feedback.
Yeah please give a tutorial. I looked into it a while back. But it was involved enough I never tried.
This is a picture of the controller that I am using to run PathPilot. I will post links to where I brought the parallel port breakout board and the stepper motor drivers.
@Arran_Biiby
This is the Parallel port breakout board I used.
@Arran_Biiby
These are the instructions I followed to install PathPilot on my desktop computer.
@Arran_Biiby
The Desktop you use will need to have a parallel port to drive the stepper motors. I found refurbished desktop computers that had parallel ports installed for $90 at Arrow direct.
https://www.arrowdirect.com/hp-compaq-8000-elite-3-0ghz-c2d-1gb-250gb-dvd-win-10-home-32-sff-computer-b/
@Arran_Biiby
I will post copies of the config files next week when I have access to the router again.
Great Tutorial @Arran_Biiby thank you for sharing!.
We use Pathpilot here on a Tormach, if I recall they used LinuxCNC prior and this is mod of it.
@Brandon_Satterfield
Tormach used to use Mach3. Pathpilot is a fork of LinuxCNC and is a really nice implementation of LinuxCNC. We have a Tormach 1100 which is how I wad introduced to it.
The Tutorials were not enough to get the system up and running. I spent a fair bit of time tweeking the hal and ini file to get the system up and running. I will share these when I have access to the router again next week. Copying those files onto pathpilot will have a ready made setup with limit swiches enabled for the R7.
@Arran_Biiby thanks again for sharing… Now to hit up the junk electronics spot and see if SMW3D has a parellel port PC laying around . 
PathPilot Homing
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Jogging using Shuttlexpress on Pathpilot
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I dont see how I can share the setup ini an hal files for the R7. If someone wants them message me with your email address and I will forward them.
Touch off routine using Pathpilot
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Looks exactly like our 1100 with shuttle. Amazing job @Arran_Biiby .
We have a google drive, company expense, if you want to use it let me know. It’ll be it easy link to share.
@Brandon_Satterfield Happy to upload the files to your drive if you can share the link.
