CNCdrive UC300ETH Mach3 plugin is now available

[Ger21]

One thing that surprises me, is that there are not more people using the KFlop+KStep combination

I can tell you exactly why.

1) The lack of a good, easy to connect breakout board.

2) Having to write C programs.

It's too complex for the average person to use, when there are simpler options that work just as well.

I have a friend that was fed up with Mach3's bugs, which constantly caused ruined parts for him.

He bought a KFlop, but didn't have time to install it.

I had him buy a UC100, which he could switch to by just plugging in the parallel cable, and he started using UCCNC until he had time to switch.
He also bought a second machine for his business, which already had a KFlop installed.

With the updates that UCCNC have made to their software over the last year, he now sees no reason to switch to the KFlop, and will be selling bioth of them and moving the second machine to UCCNC.

[m_c]

I can tell you exactly why.
1) The lack of a good, easy to connect breakout board.

With a KStep, all you need is a basic 26 pin IDC breakout board. You could say the same about some of the UCNC headers.

2) Having to write C programs.

Only if you want to do something non-standard.
As I said in my post, if all you want to use is the basic features, there is a C file you just need to link to, either via the Mach plugin, or via the KMotionCNC config page. In Mach3, all the inputs/outputs are configured like any other controller. KMotionCNC it depends on what you're wanting to do, but the new screen editor lets you assign inputs/outputs to buttons/leds, along with little C snippets to do what you want.

It's too complex for the average person to use, when there are simpler options that work just as well.

I have a friend that was fed up with Mach3's bugs, which constantly caused ruined parts for him.

He bought a KFlop, but didn't have time to install it.

I had him buy a UC100, which he could switch to by just plugging in the parallel cable, and he started using UCCNC until he had time to switch.
He also bought a second machine for his business, which already had a KFlop installed.

With the updates that UCCNC have made to their software over the last year, he now sees no reason to switch to the KFlop, and will be selling bioth of them and moving the second machine to UCCNC.

I'll agree that the KFlop can be complex, as ultimately it is a pretty high end controller with lots of capability that lots of users will never use, but it's only as complex as you want to make it.
.
I do find the programming thing a bit of strange argument, considering plenty people doing anything non-standard with Mach and even UCNC, are usually happy enough to learn enough of the required language to write Macros, but mention C, and they break out in a cold sweat!

[Ger21]

And if you don't want to use the Kstep?

Only if you want to do something non-standard.

Like Homing?

I'll agree that the KFlop can be complex, as ultimately it is a pretty high end controller with lots of capability that lots of users will never use, but it's only as complex as you want to make it.

And my perception is that to do the same things that I can do in Mach3 and UCCNC, that the KFlop is much more complex.

Dynomotion needs to change that perception to get more people to use it.

I've had this discussion with my friend with the 2 KFlops. We both feel that it would be much more popular if it were easier to use.
It's not unlike Mach4. Mach4 is incredibly powerful, and at some point may well be the best software control available. But it's incredibly complex, if you want to do anything "non-standard".

My take is that all of the available software controls are designed for a wide range of application.
For serious users, they all require a fair amount of customization for specific applications. This is where the complexity comes in.

[m_c]

Ger, I'm not going to disagree with you, but it has proven a point.
Users complain when a controller can't do something how they want it, yet when they're given the option to do it however they want, they complain it's too complex.
Controller designers just can't win.