Quote Originally Posted by Boyan Silyavski View Post
DDCSV cnc controller . Have the earlier version on my machine and still working like a champ. I am tired of saying how much trouble was Mach 3 + Windows. Check on internet there is enough info and videos on Youtube.
Have not had time last year , so dont know about the latest if any actual changes.

PS. I see you have purchased already the laptop. Justifying buying computers instead of concentrating on the CNC machine needed. I guess once you finish what you are doing and remember what i said, you will start understanding what i was saying
Boyan, We all have different needs and just because something works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone or that your way is the only way it must be done.!

For instance, I've got one of the earlier DDCSV which I don't like it one little bit and doesn't suit my needs. I use Mach3 based controllers with a Laptop and I'm happy with it because does what I need. The DDCSV cannot give or do what I need. I need control-software and hardware that is flexible and allows me to jump from machine to machine with just a few clicks. I also like to see a toolpath on the screen and the early version didn't, thou do believe the latest ones do have a basic toolpath viewer.

I've also used most of the other common hobby CNC controllers/software and to be honest, most of them are very competent with little to choose between them when it comes to operating the machine. Ease of setup of the machine can differ greatly between them, esp if the machine requires advanced features, but this is mostly just a learning curve which comes with any new software and when the machine is set up correctly then you rarely need to worry about it again so no big deal.

However backup and user base make a huge difference to new users and Mach3 still has a massive user base which is why I use it on machines I build. The fact it's not supported by Artsoft is not a big deal for the routers/mills I build because the current build works just fine and does everything my routers need. Once it's set up this side never needs to be seen by a user.
What's more important is the fact a new user who is only interested in USING the machine not configuring it. Can go to a forum or youtube and ask a question on how to operate the software or do what he needs to do to get a job done and someone will come back with an answer quickly. Mach3 blows all others away in this respect purely because it's a numbers game.

Are there better more stable software/hardware controllers out there, HELL YES, but everyone's needs are different and for your average CNC machine any of them will do the job perfectly fine. However the end of the day It's down to the individual user and there needs along with comfort level and MACH3 with its PC based controller offer a nice comforting easily accessible userbase for most new users.