| Author |
Message |
    
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 12
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 06:06 pm: | 
|
Mach(N) software runs under 32 bit Windows (XP or 2000) and outputs signals on the standard parallel printer port (LPT1 etc.)
Art Fenerty (in Canada) runs a website ArtOfCNC and a Yahoo discussion list. There is an effort to "modernise" the website and discussion group under www.machsupport.com but there is a lot of resistance from the "old school" |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 68
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 03:05 pm: |
|
Your advice to us is to go in for mach3 software is it? |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 511
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 03:47 pm: |
|
Yup, Mach3 is the right one.
Mach2 is an old version
Mach4 has been cancelled
You don't need to "purchase" Mach3 immediately because the "freeware" version is okay to run a file with up to 1000 lines of G-code. The only extra thing you get when you purchase Mach3 is the freedom to run more lines. Otherwise everything is exactly the same. Mach3 does not arrive on a CD in a box with a book. Everything is downloaded via the internet, and you already have access to the whole of the Mach3 product (except being able to run more than 1000 lines) |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 69
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 04:17 pm: |
|
Will not being able to have more than 1000 lines be a hindrance to our operations. I would like to do kitchen cabinets,signs and carvings. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 512
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 05:30 pm: |
|
As soon as you say "signs" then you need lots of lines..... (even in 2D)
The letter "a" in the MechMate logo needs 85 lines, the whole word MechMate has 351 lines. If you write a program that cuts just the word MechMate out of 25mm thick board and you have a 6mm diam tool making passes of 6mm deep at a time then 1000 lines is not enough.... |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 91
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 05:40 pm: |
|
Gerald, this is very true but the 1000 lines will let you know if it'll perform the tasks you require of the software. That's all I was saying. Besides, $150.00 USD is a lot cheaper than other programs that don't do as much. And don't forget it has a CAM program with it for generating your tool paths.
I am like you though, I think it's a work in progress and not completely bug free but then so is Windoes (any version) and look what you have to pay to be a beta tester for Microsoft. HA HA |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 514
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 05:53 pm: |
|
Yup, the $150 is extremely good value for money. But, if you don't have $150 yet, don't let that be an excuse for not learning to use the "program". You can get started right now and you are not at any disadvantage over someone who has already paid.
Folk must realise though that Mach3 is not a polished product with glossy manuals. New revisions and bug fixes are issued more than once a day at times! It is the hobby of Art Fenerty and his group of volunteers. There is nothing else like it, so fasten seatbelts and enjoy the ride... |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 93
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 06:05 pm: |
|
Then there's (off topic - sorry) TurboCNC that is totally free, but no CAM software.
Art is darn good with support and bug fixes as they are reported. Heck, he'll even answer private email faster than most true commercial companies will. Also allows wish lists and who knows, one of these days he'll expand the program for more functions.
On the standard printer port you can run 6 functions and MACK allows for the use of 2 ports, that's could open up the program to control 12 functions from one PC. What would you do with all that control? |
Mike Richards
Registered
Username: Richards
Post Number: 18
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 06:49 pm: |
|
If you add a little 'glue-logic TTL' to the project, those 6-lines can be multiplied. Two lines become four, three lines become eight, four line become sixteen, five lines become thirty-two and six lines become sixty-four. Granted, my little example would only allow one line out of sixty-four to be active at at time, but using a combination of address lines, latch lines, input lines and output lines, you can do a lot with six lines. It's the same princile that allows a microprocessor chip to address 65,535 locations with only sixteen address lines and three or four control lines.
Mach 3 is an excellent program. It's the only low cost program that I like. |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 100
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 26, 2006 - 07:38 pm: |
|
Mike,
I'm wondering about the possibility of running 12 functions from one PC and now you're pointing out that 10's of thousands could be operated. HA HA What all would you operate? I guess you could have several CNC machines all running from one PC, all doing different jobs? |
Patrick Toomey
Registered
Username: Patricktoomey
Post Number: 8
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 01:37 am: |
|
Maybe the mother of all tool changers? |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 101
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 01:43 am: |
|
Patrick, I'm not sure but I think a tool changer only requires 2 functions, one to release/hold the tool in the chuck and one to rotate to the proper tool in the holder. I may be wrong. It won't be the first time. |
Patrick Toomey
Registered
Username: Patricktoomey
Post Number: 9
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 07:03 pm: |
|
I think they usually have their own controllers and communicate via a serial or parallel line using their own protocols. But you're right, they don't need a line per tool or anything like that. I did think of another use for all those addresses, though, Christmas lights for the 'bot! You could have a couple of thousand addressable lights on there and have them blink in time with the file you're cutting, and then sync them with Bill Young's program that plays music using the sounds from the stepper motors.  The only trouble with that is that if you have a decent controller with Mach, the motors don't make noise anymore so no music. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 533
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 07:37 pm: |
|
Mach3 can also run via USB to the Gecko G100 and then you have lots more inputs/outputs than the constraints of old parallel ports. |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 104
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 09:45 pm: |
|
Gerald, Will the G100 drive servo motors? |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 534
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 09:49 pm: |
|
The G100 is not a "driver" as such - it creates the step direction pulses for other drivers and the type of motor is invisible to the G100. |
Greg Waggy
Registered
Username: Gawnca
Post Number: 105
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 09:53 pm: |
|
OH, so it's like the breakout board for the drivers/controllers. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 538
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 07:44 am: |
|
Yeah, but this "breakout board" has onboard brains and relieves the PC of a huge chunk of processing. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 657
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 08:42 am: |
|
Mach3 is being polished and sealed as a final product, while "Quantum" is rising as its replacement. Keep an eye on the Mach forums (a, b) if you want more info. Here is a prelim report from Gary Beckwith. |
reza forushani
Registered
Username: Reza
Post Number: 93
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Monday, February 26, 2007 - 10:19 am: |
|
(this originally posted elsewhere)
Great. Now, how do I tell Mach that I want two x-axis instead of one and to turn them in different directions? |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 1033
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, February 26, 2007 - 10:40 am: |
|
Set up a "slave" axis (Config) to turn two motors in sync. To change any motor's direction swop the wires of ONE coil at the Gecko. Eg, swop black & yellow around. |
reza forushani
Registered
Username: Reza
Post Number: 94
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Monday, February 26, 2007 - 10:48 am: |
|
I remeber somewhere you said we needed to set up Mach3 for Mechmate but can't find it. Is there anything special we need to do or set up in Mach3 like speeds, factors, etc |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 1034
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, February 26, 2007 - 11:06 am: |
|
There is plenty to set up. The best source of info for this is www.machsupport.com. Suggest you start with the videos and look at: Downloading and Installing, Hooking up Inputs and Outputs, Troubleshooting Mach3. |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 306
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 06:22 am: |
|
Gerald, Do you think that it is worthwhile to switch over to Quantum at the moment. They say that for Shopbot type machines, big improvements on cutting quality could be achieved specially when it comes to corner cuttings due to smoother accelarations and de-accelarations. |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 1050
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 07:27 am: |
|
Fabrica, I am extremely conservative when it comes to "upgrading" software. We still run Mach3 version 1.87 from about a year ago. It is stable, and it does the job. Our machines are running nearly constantly with tight deadlines (typically the customers know thay get next-day delivery) and the boards loaded onto the machines are big & expensive. Therefore we cannot risk experimenting with new software that might be better, and is not oficially launched or supported.
Your situation is different, you can still test one against another. When I hear guys like you saying the new software is safe, then we might try it over a holiday period. |
fabrica
Registered
Username: Daya
Post Number: 307
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 08:11 am: |
|
Ok Gerald I will give it a try and let you know when I get a chance of doing it. |
Mike Richards
Registered
Username: Richards
Post Number: 87
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 08:20 pm: |
|
Does anyone have some code fragments to share showing I/O control? After 18 months playing with Mach 3, I finally added a couple of extra contactors and some Opto-22 G4 I/O modules to turn those contactors on/off. I can't seem to find any examples that show how to use I/O, so I've just assigned the 'Mist' output control to pin 16 on my PMDX-122 board and the 'Flood' output control to pin 14 on the PMDX.
These lines of code work, but it seems a little unsophisticated:
% Turn on output #3, pin 14
M7
% Prompt operator to flip the safety switch
( ... Turn on Contactor #1 ... )
M0
( ... Pausing 2 seconds ... )
G4 P2000
G0 Z0.2500
( )
...
% Turn on output #2, pin 16
M8
% Prompt operator to flip the safety switch
( ... Turn on Contactor #2 ... )
M1
G4 P2000
( ... Pausing 2 seconds ... )
G0 X19.6875 Y2.1875
( )
...
% Turn outputs OFF
M9 |
Gerald_D
Registered
Username: Gerald_d
Post Number: 1168
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 09:25 pm: |
|
We only use the M3 & M5 to start & stop the spindle. |
CNC - motion control software