Help please on physical setup between 6040 and PC

[Palletlad]

OK I am either not seeing the answer before me or the supplier is out to annoy me?

I brought a CNC 6040 machine off ebay and received the following items:

fully assembled CNC 6040 unit (sod to get out of the box)

VFD Black box 220v setup, EU plug (which I have got rid of and replaced with UK lead)

water pump

the X Y Z motors

USB to LPT connector cable marked up as CNC USB Connector

USB Connector software

Now after doing my research and asking around I understand that the USB to LPT lead is pretty much useless.

So how do I connect my PC to the VFD Box in turn to run the cnc machine???

I have since heard of U100 adapters but does everyone have to buy one just to connect their cnc machine or do I buy myself a LPT female to female connector lead?

I am so confused and have had the machine since end of November and yet still not used it.

any and all help is much appreciated.

Kind regards

Graham aka Palletlad

[magicniner]

If it came with it's own software then it's that which runs it through the USB adapter.

Generally speaking the USB/LPT adapter not working is about MACH3, for MACH3 you would need a Plugin from the manufacturer of the USB hardware to run anything via USB.

Connect it as the supplier recommends and it should work.

[Neale]

As Magicniner says - and the plugin needed for Mach3 is probably the "USB connector software" you mention. Can you list what is on the CD/memory stick/whatever? It's very likely that you have everything needed except for decent instructions on putting it all together!

[Palletlad]

Initially I presumed that's what I am meant to have done and plugged in the lead from the vfd box to my pc and installed the USB driver but it done nothing other than saying successfully installed the software.

this is the lead I was supplied with (see attached)

[magicniner]

Initially I presumed that's what I am meant to have done and plugged in the lead from the vfd box to my pc and installed the USB driver but it done nothing other than saying successfully installed the software.

Great, you've installed the Windows Driver, that isn't Controller Software!
What controller software do you think you will use with the machine and where is that supposed to come from?

[magicniner]

OK, this is split across multiple threads with none of them having all the info.
Did MACH3 come with it or did you just assume that was what you needed?
Did the supplier say it worked with MACH3?
A link to the supplier's ad would also be good because Everybody and His Dog makes a "6040" in China, Ditto USB to DB25 adapters.

[Palletlad]

I grabbed the disk and it has the following:

CNC User Manuel - MS Word doc
CNCUSB_Setup - Application
DirectX_9c_redist - Application
dotnetfx35 - Application
USB CNCDefault settings - File

I tried understanding the manual but its poorly translated making it difficult for my brain and is too large to attach here I will see if I can sort this out tomorrow as late now.

Cheers guys

[Palletlad]

Here is the manual (converted to PDF) I am probably just not yet in the know how to fully understand what it all means at this stage... or I'm just too tired right now I will re read it tomorrow and see if it makes sense to me then.

if you are able to make a simpler explanation on it I be so grateful for it.

Kind regards

Graham

[cropwell]

Hi Graham,

That USB to LPT lead is a motion controller of sorts. You need to install the .NET 3.5 (or later), DX9 (which looks like Microsoft DirectX) and then the CNCUSB software (from PlanetCNC). Then you need to register the software or it will only run 25 lines of code. I think you will find you have to buy that licence for €69 from PlanetCNC.

After a few minutes flicking through the pdf, I would advise you to learn Chinese.

I love the Chinglish, things like hook (meaning corner) and again somewhere else, hook meaning tick. I also like the expression 'The Z axis will lift four units of exhumation to a safe altitude'.

Personally, I would bin the software supplied and download Mach3 from Artsoft and when you have installed their demo version and it is set up to your satisfaction, buy a full licence.

Seriously - you will find more help on Mach3 from the Artsoft documentation or from this forum than you will find for the that controller software and USB controller cable.

Finally if your printer cable has the wrong pins for the computer socket - buy a db25 gender changer from Fleabay, it is cheaper than a cable.

[magicniner]

That USB to LPT lead is a motion controller of sorts. You need to install the .NET 3.5 (or later), DX9 (which looks like Microsoft DirectX) and then the CNCUSB software (from PlanetCNC). Then you need to register the software or it will only run 25 lines of code. I think you will find you have to buy that licence for €69 from PlanetCNC.

There have been Chinese clones of Planet CNC hardware and Planet CNC don't support 3rd party hardware, their OEM hardware is clearly branded, before buying any software check with the software vendor that your hardware is compatible.