Machine control software

[cncezee]

Hi It has been some years since i bought a licence for Mach3 and Mach4 has probably evolved to, but is there anything else that can be used in place of the Mach's??

[depronman]

Linuxcnc. And it’s free


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[routerdriver]

You might take a look at the Arduino based solutions.Fairly capable and also free,not to mention available for several platforms.That said,I chose LinuxCNC myself.

[dazp1976]

UCCNC. You need one of their controllers though. The uc300eth and uc400eth are nice boards. They also run Mach3 & 4.

[A_Camera]

I started off with Mach3 and tried LinuxCNC but didn't like it and in the end, I went for UCCNC. I think it is excellent. The drawback is that it has no lathe control function, so if you are dependent on that then you must stay with Mach.

[Doddy]

no lathe control function, so if you are dependent on that then you must stay with Mach.

Or LinuxCNC

[depronman]

If you do go down the linuxcnc root Themis suggest using Gmoccapy as the gui as against Axis
It’s look and feel is far nearer to a machine controller than Axis will ever be
Very logic screen layout
Support touch screen if you want it but equally fine with mouse and keyboard (either on screen or real)

I’m using linuxcnc on a boxford mill and a orac lathe. I have mach3 on a boxford bud lathe and the more I use linuxcnc the less I like mach3
Linuxcnc just works where as mach3 does funny shit every now and again
I would convert the boxford to linuxcnc but I’m using a pokeys controller board however it’s on the to do list just low down

Paul


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[dazp1976]

I started off with Mach3 and tried LinuxCNC but didn't like it and in the end, I went for UCCNC. I think it is excellent. The drawback is that it has no lathe control function, so if you are dependent on that then you must stay with Mach.

Ah yes.
However. Their controllers run Mach too so you just switch back to it as and when needed. Simple.

By the way.
UCCNC TURN forum:
https://www.forum.cncdrive.com/viewforum.php?f=20

[dazp1976]

If you do go down the linuxcnc root Themis suggest using Gmoccapy as the gui as against Axis
It’s look and feel is far nearer to a machine controller than Axis will ever be
Very logic screen layout
Support touch screen if you want it but equally fine with mouse and keyboard (either on screen or real)

I’m using linuxcnc on a boxford mill and a orac lathe. I have mach3 on a boxford bud lathe and the more I use linuxcnc the less I like mach3
Linuxcnc just works where as mach3 does funny shit every now and again
I would convert the boxford to linuxcnc but I’m using a pokeys controller board however it’s on the to do list just low down
Paul
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I've had 1 glitch with Mach in 4 years.
When I transferred a file to the Mach pc into the same folder a program was running from.
That's it!

[depronman]

I've had 1 glitch with Mach in 4 years.
When I transferred a file to the Mach pc into the same folder a program was running from.
That's it!

You are/ have been very lucky
Mach3 is well renowned for doing silly shit but if it works for you and you can live with all the bugs in it that will now never be fixed then carry on using it


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[dazp1976]

You are/ have been very lucky
Mach3 is well renowned for doing silly shit but if it works for you and you can live with all the bugs in it that will now never be fixed then carry on using it
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Personally I reckon it's down to running it on a dedicated PC using the old WinXP.
I still have my retail discs from back in 2004.

I will admit, I did not get Win7 working right.

[depronman]

Running on a stand alone pc tried xp win7 and win10 and seams to do the silly shit on them all
Also tried it all on a different pc same results
My conclusion is it mach3
I’ll get to upgrading it to linuxcnc then all three machines are on the same plus I have faith in it as development is still ongoing
Plus Linux is sooo much more stable than windows

Paul


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[A_Camera]

Ah yes.
However. Their controllers run Mach too so you just switch back to it as and when needed. Simple.

By the way.
UCCNC TURN forum:
https://www.forum.cncdrive.com/viewforum.php?f=20

Yes, but personally I have not used Mach3 ever since I switched to UCCNC.

[dazp1976]

Yes, but personally I have not used Mach3 ever since I switched to UCCNC.


Well. I hope UCCNC is as good as it sounds...
I've just bought...
A UC300ETH, 2* UCBB boards, extra cables, and a license.
IDC26 and IDC16 screw terminal boards.
Some 8 channel relay modules.
Some multi channel optocoulper modules.
And various other bits and bobs.

That'll keep me busy for a little while sorting all that lot out :smile:
Have loads of boxes stacked on the sofa, mrs keeps looking at them with a bit of a frown :glee: :thumsup:

[A_Camera]

I wish you good luck with it. I am also using the UC300ETH and never had any issues.

[Kitwn]

I've just switched from using LinuxCNC running on an old PC with a parallel port and using a cheap Chinese breakout board to UCCNC running on a windows 10 laptop and an AXBB-E controller card. If you are on a tight budget then a reclaimed WXP computer, an equally cheap parallel breakout board and the free LinuxCNC software will certainly get your machine up and running for the lowest possible cost.

I was very happy with the LinuxCNC software and mainly changed because the dedicated but rather old Linux PC was becoming unreliable as well as electrical interference problems which may have been associated with the parallel interface. Rather than spend money on a new dedicated computer I decided on a complete change to the forum's current favorite equipment. Moving to an Ethernet interface and having the flexibility of driving the router with any Windows computer, especially a laptop, is a plus for the AXBB-E as is the better pulse timing that results from a dedicated controller rather than the somewhat variable timing from the old set-up. Whether the new software/hardware combination proves more reliable will take time to asses (it's just worked perfectly so far, but I've yet to do any long cuts) but I hope to do some tests soon to see if the maximum acceleration and/or rapid speeds I can use have been improved by the more accurate pules timing.

Kit

[JAZZCNC]

I've had 1 glitch with Mach in 4 years.
When I transferred a file to the Mach pc into the same folder a program was running from.
That's it!

Well, you can pick my next lottery numbers because you must be the luckiest man on the forum if you have gone 4yrs without mach3's bugs biting you.:hysterical:

[depronman]

Well, you can pick my next lottery numbers because you must be the luckiest man on the forum if you have gone 4yrs without mach3's bugs biting you.:hysterical:

That is certainly my experience


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[Neale]

I'm using Mach3 with an Ethernet SmoothStepper on a commercially-built mill. I probably get about one Mach3 crash a week - error message always associated with ESS buffer problem or unexplained ESS problem. Hasn't yet broken a tool or written off a workpiece but I'm sure it will happen. And the Mach3 "run from here" is a nail-biting thing to use...

I'm now putting the ESS docs and UC300 docs side by side to look at the difficulty of doing a brain transplant. I have a feeling that with some custom cabling, it might not involve major reengineering.

[Hood]

I never have issues with Mach3 and when I say never I mean that. I have had issues but that was hardware failing such as the SmoothStepper eventually dying (it was a beta Ethernet SS)
I did switch to an SZGH on the lathe and love that for a lathe but for Mill and plasma I probably wouldn't go that route. I still have Mach3 on the Chiron FZ12, Beaver NC5 and the plasma.
One of the most common problems I encountered with users having Mach doing weird things was because they were using a pirate licence. Now before people flame me I am not saying everyone that has problems is using one, I a simply saying it was the most common.

[ZASto]

Pirated licenses do make problems in Mach3. Not in regular intervals, tho :biggrin:
Even running of parallel port, I never had any issue with Mach3 (proud owner of the legal license for decades).

I know of many broken bits when using pirated licenses. And blacklisted ones are:

Schopler
Juberian
Allison
Scanners
bassam
PAPA FABIO
Ivan Todosijevic
Sompob
Advanced Control Tech (ACT)
MaoA~A ¯Ðtonar
rebecca crans
Vortech CNC
Jeff Sandstrom
Maksim Amvtonar

[Hood]

Pirated licenses do make problems in Mach3. Not in regular intervals, tho :biggrin:
Even running of parallel port, I never had any issue with Mach3 (proud owner of the legal license for decades).

I know of many broken bits when using pirated licenses. And blacklisted ones are:

Schopler
Juberian
Allison
Scanners
bassam
PAPA FABIO
Ivan Todosijevic
Sompob
Advanced Control Tech (ACT)
MaoA~A ¯Ðtonar
rebecca crans
Vortech CNC
Jeff Sandstrom
Maksim Amvtonar

There are a few more I know of.
John Ellenberger
Richard Lowe
David Schober
Wood Signs
Martin Duzi
Paul Herink
Chau Tuan Anh Ngo
Robin Dumpleton
Yelena Morgunova
CandCNC Serial:9071004

[ZASto]

You are right :)
Extracted from .062:

Ofset: 1F8D38h
Schopler
Juberian
Allison
Scanners
bassam
PAPA FABIO
Ivan Todosijevic
Sompob
Advanced Control Tech (ACT)
MaoA~A ¯Ðtonar
rebecca crans
Vortech CNC
Jeff Sandstrom
Maksim Amvtonar


Offset:212674h
PAPA
Ellenberger
Shine
Payumo
Paul Herink
FD10
CNC-Steuerung #1033
Amanda Horn
Richard Lowe
david schober
FD#
Direkt e.K
GERARD O SULLIVAN
GDirekt e.K.
Ivan Todosijevic
Yelena Morgunova
Damir Rupcic
Advanced Control Tech (ACT)
Robert MacLaury
MaoA~A ¯Ðtonar
Maksim Amvtonar
rebecca crans
Vortech CNC
Alan I Reich
Joshua Adams
Jeff Sandstrom

So some quirks are to be expected if using above licenses :D