Touch Screen and Mach3

[GeoffV]

Gentlemen.

I am about to unpack a Sieg KX3 which as you know is controlled by Mach3. I have a PC with Pathtrace CAD/CAM running under Windows 2000 Proffesional and believe the specifiction meets the minimum requirements for Mach3. As an experienced operator I am apprehensive of working from a keyboard and am wondering if it is possible to instal a Touch Screen monitor. I have not searched the forum for any threads on this subject as I can't seem to find the search facility when I want it! Have any of you investigated this route, will Mach3 respond to the type of control?
Your thoughts and ideas would be most welcome.

GeoffV

[audioandy]

Hi Geoff

Yes mach 3 will work with a touch screen, there is a touch screen, screen set you can download off the mach website.

I purchased a touch screen off eBay some while a go which I have tried and it work great, I have just not fitted to my machine yet as I need to make a console to house it in.

Andy

[GeoffV]

Andy

Thanks for the information. May I ask which monitor you bought? ELO seems to be a good make and appears to run under Windows 2000.

Geoff

[audioandy]

Hi Geoff

Mine is a "3M Touch Systems" I downloaded the drivers from the 3M's website installed them on my pc plugged in the screen which connects through the RS232 port and it just worked no problems at all and I didn't cost the earth which was nice!

Andy

[John S]

Geoff,
When you unpack and install the KX3 it comes with an installation disk that automatically loads all the settings for the the machine including a new screen set and the icons for it.

This screen set coincides with the instruction book that comes with the machine. The screen set has been altered slightly so all the work can be done off the first screen including setting tools.

The buttons have also been altered hence the new icons to make them more manageable for touch screens. We use touch screens on all our machines, about 5 or 6. Some are capacitive and some are resistive depending on what came up cheap on Ebay !
Some you can use with a pointer, dead felt tip works well and the other have to use a finger and not even a finger nail, can't remember which way round it is though.

Between hot keys on the keyboard and the touch screen we never use the mouse. We are working on a better set of screens at the moment to enhance what is already there where buttons change depending on state like red for off, green for on and also changing legends that say on when on and off when off.

The idea is to get away from flashing and blinking lights that distract when machining.

[GeoffV]

John

Thank you, I'm not used to so much good news in one day. Next stop ebay!

Geoff

[Smiler]

I got an ELO activewave off ebay, built like a brick outhouse and it transformed the way I use Mach3, go for it!