Advice requested for these products and any suggestions; Links below

[JAZZCNC]

Thanks Clive, I have a Macbook so no chance of a PP, We don't have a windows based PC anywhere in the house. I looked at the link and selected the 4 axis version, It looks very very nice, it is definitely on the shortlist now. I think I will forget about cheap Chinese and try to find a reasonably price alternative.

Do your self a favor and buy a cheap PC just for running the CNC machine.! Mixing home PC with CNC PC is bad idea unless your using a very good Motion control card which are not cheap. (USB isn't good enough)
Reason for this is that CNC machine requires uninterrupted pulses with no outside intereference from other installed software or power mangement etc. USB isn't very good for motion control at best of times for a few technical reasons but Esp on systems that have lots of software installed that want to check out the system.

Programs like Quick time, Adobe, Java etc installed by software to work all want a piece of the hardware and memory etc so they work in the back ground checking and testing what resources etc available.
This interfears badly with the pulse train and causes all sorts of problems for CNC machine so your best having it's own PC with Clean windows install and minimal software installed.
USB is OK if used on setup like this so that can turn off all power mangement etc and stop it dropping power but on stuffed up PC full of crap then it will dropout and do all sorts of very frustrating things.

The advise so far not to buy Cheap components is very sound advise learnt the hard way in somes cases.!! . . So taking this route Will save you money in long run BUT better still if possible is to buy local for support. So With you being in Aus then i'd recommend speaking with Peter Homann and buying a Gecko G540 from him. This is a very nice all in one board that will easily do what you want. Peter Knows is stuff and doesn't sell Rubbish.
http://www.homanndesigns.com/store/

Don't cut corners it's really not worth the hassle.!

[mordy]

The advise so far not to buy Cheap components is very sound advise learnt the hard way in somes cases.!! . . So taking this route Will save you money in long run BUT better still if possible is to buy local for support. So With you being in Aus then i'd recommend speaking with Peter Homann and buying a Gecko G540 from him. This is a very nice all in one board that will easily do what you want. Peter Knows is stuff and doesn't sell Rubbish.
http://www.homanndesigns.com/store/

Don't cut corners it's really not worth the hassle.!

Wow That' awesome, I spoke to Peter this morning, he is a great guy, very helpful and he has the stuff I need at a good price, I decide on the Gecko G540 as you and he suggested, looks really nice, I am very happy. Also he is just 5 min drive from my house.

Now the only thing is the parallel port issue, I'll have to do a bit more research on that to explore the options, as the smooth stepper or UC100 are going to add $200+ to the build.

I hear what you say regarding the PC and interruptions etc, Ideally I would love the MACH3 on my Macbook Pro under parallels (emulation or virtual PC) using the USB and assigning it all resources when running, but I need to see what others are doing, and if they are being successful.

I am open to more suggestions on that, Thanks so much to all.

[MikeyC38]

Hi Mordy

Glad to see that you have found a supplier for your electronics. I suggest that you take Jazz's advice and buy a cheap(ish) PC to use as your CNC controller. This is the direction I went and got an old Dell GX620 and installed Windows XP on it (I already have OS licenses). The PC cost me £30 including shipping and does the job brilliantly. After installing XP and applying all the service patches, it is a locked down configuration and not connected to the Internet or home network. This is the best way to work with Mach3 etc. I transfer the G-code on a usb stick. No issues here. The old Dell GX620 are the business range computers and are very reliable. It came fully tested and all I had to do was to get rid of the excess dust inside. I might reseat the CPU heatsink with some fresh thermal compound - but thats a later job.

Need to get my CNC router project assembled and running!

Regards
Mike

[JAZZCNC]

I hear what you say regarding the PC and interruptions etc, Ideally I would love the MACH3 on my Macbook Pro under parallels (emulation or virtual PC) using the USB and assigning it all resources when running, but I need to see what others are doing, and if they are being successful

Yep I hear you but Emulation is a None starter I'm afraid with Mach3 so don't waste your time trying and looking.!!

Reason it's a None starter is because of pulse timings.?. . Emulation doesn't and can't provide accurate enough pulse timings no matter how many resources you throw at it. To be honest even the parallel port under windows struggles and the ONLY reason it works with Mach3 is because of the trickery of the parallel port driver. Which is basicly a Virus inside windows which takes over the system and rules the roost.

So you see the parallel port driver which is the heart of the system won't work inside emulation.
Regards USB then even if using Windows PC you can't run Parallel port thru USB using a converter etc. Again due to timings and how critical pulse timing works. The ONLY way you can use USB is with a device like the UC100 which is a hardware & software device.
The only way you can get your Macbook to work is with an external motion control device like the Uc100 etc.

Please take my word on this to save your self some serious stress and time by not even going down this route.

My first choice and strong advise is to buy an external Motion control and Ethernet based one not USB as Ethernet is so much better. There really is no comparison to parallel port and you'll have much more stable machine that performs like a rocket.

Second and only other choice is stand alone PC with 5V parallel port, not 3V. It's very important the voltage coming out of parallel port is 5V or very close to it. 3V is not good enough but unfortunatly they are common on newer PC's.
Reason 3V isn't good is because of the Logic state falsely switching.? CNC machine works by Digital ON/OFF or HIGH/LOW signals and these work by 0v to 2.5v = Low and 3v to 5V= HIGH.
With 3V PP there isn't enough difference between HI-LOW and any electrical noise floating around will cause havoc with signals and switching it's state falsely causing all sorts of havoc and air pulling.!!

Think of the Motion control side like the human heart.? If your heart doesn't pump correctly then no matter how good the rest of the body it simply won't perform like it should.!
The parallel port is like the heart of some one who eats well enough but smokes 40 a-day and doesn't exercise. It will get you by day to day but try to run too fast and you'll struggle badly. Try to Run a marathon without training and you'll likely die.!!

Ethernet Motion control card is like fitness fanatic who looks after him self and runs marathon every day.!!

Edit: Just to Add IMO the Parallel port is dieing Technology so best avoided. Like wise USB is unstable for timing critical devises so again best avoided. Ethernet is designed for high speed pulse signals and perfect at it even over distance.

[mordy]

The only way you can get your Macbook to work is with an external motion control device like the Uc100 etc.

Please take my word on this to save your self some serious stress and time by not even going down this route.

My first choice and strong advise is to buy an external Motion control and Ethernet based one not USB as Ethernet is so much better. There really is no comparison to parallel port and you'll have much more stable machine that performs like a rocket.

Edit: Just to Add IMO the Parallel port is dieing Technology so best avoided. Like wise USB is unstable for timing critical devises so again best avoided. Ethernet is designed for high speed pulse signals and perfect at it even over distance.

Thanks so much for the great time saving advice. You have given me a new set of things to think about. Please give me a bit of time to formulate an intelligent response, most likely including several questions.

Thanks Jazz and Mikey.

[mordy]

My first choice and strong advise is to buy an external Motion control and Ethernet based one not USB as Ethernet is so much better. There really is no comparison to parallel port and you'll have much more stable machine that performs like a rocket.

Ethernet Motion control card is like fitness fanatic who looks after him self and runs marathon every day.!!

I like the Analogies

Edit: Just to Add IMO the Parallel port is dieing Technology so best avoided. Like wise USB is unstable for timing critical devises so again best avoided. Ethernet is designed for high speed pulse signals and perfect at it even over distance.

Hi Jazz, so I'm looking at the Ethernet version of Smooth Stepper, Peter has them here, cost around $260, and this is what I'm thinking, run MACH3 in a virtual machine (not emulation) using parallels on the MacBook Pro, with Win7 (32bit), connect the MAC via Ethernet Port to smooth stepper to my Gecko 540 to motors.

Thats where I am at, at the moment. Am I going down the correct road or is even the whole idea of the virtual machine (VM) no good ?. (bearing in mind what you have already said) I'm asking about the VM method as I have seen couple of videos now with MAC's running VM's with MACH3 and motion controllers.

Thanks again, sorry if I am being a bit tedious.

[Wal]

run MACH3 in a virtual machine (not emulation) using parallels on the MacBook Pro

I do believe that Jazz has already answered this quite comprehensively, but really...

DON'T DO IT.

There are the straightforward ways of doing things, and there are ways that invite all sorts of ball-ache.

Wal.

[Boyan Silyavski]

having in mind an old PC , Dell 2-3ghz, 1-2gb ram together with the screen and Xp installed , at a bootsale is under 50euro , i don't see even why running a VM could pass through your mind. Ahh, yeah, i get, you are one of the Apple people

[mordy]

I do believe that Jazz has already answered this quite comprehensively, but really...

DON'T DO IT.

There are the straightforward ways of doing things, and there are ways that invite all sorts of ball-ache.

Wal.

I hear ya Wal. But there is a couple questions i'd like to explore, expanding on the previous answer, I am sure if Jazz has decided he "has answered quite comprehensively" he will not reply or tell me so.

No need to shout about it. I know it's frustrating with newbies, but I am sure you were one once etc.

[JAZZCNC]

Well first I will answer you even if I think I've answered enough because i realise living upside down on other side of world must make the blood run to your head so there must be brain damage which makes learning harder.. .

Now being serious. The ESS smooth stepper is ok and will work for you even with Macbook.
Running Mach3 in emulation isn't the problem it's the parallel port driver that's the problem. But the fact you will be using ESS (or any external motion controller) removes this problem because it uses it's own software that runs inside of mach3 and the hardware generates the pulses.

That said I still VERY STRONGLY advise you to get a stand alone PC just for the CNC machine.