Smooth Steppers are finally available in UK !

**JAZZCNC** · 12-07-2012

Yes I have 2 x USB SS and now the Russian Ethernet version (Thou I'm not saying anything on that yet has I've not done testing so please don't ask.)

I have used the SS for 3yrs and it's been great. To get the best immunity from noise causing hanging it needs running from an external 5v supply not the 5V from USB. Other than doing that I've not had any trouble from noise or crashing.

I use it on an old 1ghz celeron Acer laptop without any problems at all.

It made an instant differnce to the machine giving slightly higher speeds and better acceleration with much smoother motion. I have never in all the time using it lost so much has a single step, this is partly down to my running a safe tuning setup but also from the SS being capable of far more than I throw at it.

The way I use Mach is to setup different tuning profiles geared to jog specific types.! IE: for Woods/MDF etc I tune for slightly higher feeds. Aluminium I tune for torque and Mid Accelaration and for 3D/V carving work I tune for high accelration then load what ever profile I feel best for the job.

3D and V/carving are very demanding on the PP because of the high pulse rate needed for accelaration and if your going to have any trouble often it's here where it shows in missed steps or droping/lifting Z axis etc.? . . . .The SS lets allows me high Accelration without worrying about missed steps.

I fully recommend the SS but If buying today I would buy the ESS because it's pretty much immune to the noise issue's that the SS can have in some enviroments (Thou I think thats often the users Electrics bad implimentation more than the SS fault.?)

**Ger21** · 12-07-2012

Now I can see how this thread went where it did. Let me make a few points, and then you can have the last word, which I'm sure you will.

No, the majority of processor time not devoted to mach3 goes towards keeping the other >30 processes (mostly unnecessary) and many other threads ticking over with background processes. This is obvious. 99.9% is a completely fabricated figure which doesn't reflect reality at all. Additionally just look at the idle CPU usage for a windows machine and then for a Linux machine: even when doing nothing on a high end machine, windows will struggle to flatline at 0, while linux won't.

None of this backs up your point about Windows interrupting Mach3, which it just doesn't do. If it did, Mach3 wouldn't be usable. There are a few well known applications that can wreak havoc with Mach3, and those are well documented (Quicktime is one). But those are not the fault of Windows.

Windows ME was released after windows 2k, and is very widely accepted to be exceptionally unstable, therefore your statement is wrong.

Windows ME??

I think that response pretty much sums up where your coming from.

Either you don't use windows very often, or you are extremely lucky.

I spend about 18 hours a day most days at a Windows PC. I have 7 at home, and use 2 at work. They are 100% stable, with the exception of Firefox being so bloated it can't run on a PC with 2Gigs of RAM at times.

Anyway, apparently you are under the impression that stability equates to lack of crashing.

And I said that where?

You said, Windows is known for its tendency to crash for no good reason.

I said that no, it doesn't crash.

Mach3 works fine, plain and simple. It doesn't work on all PC's, though, but neither does LinuxCNC. The Smoothstepper allows you to use a PC that might not normally work with Mach3. Back on topic.

(Sorry, guys)

**John S** · 12-07-2012

No need to apologise Gerry, most of us are on the same page.

Reminds me of a sign my brother used to have hanging in his dealership.

"Employ a teenager whist they still know it all "

**JAZZCNC** · 13-07-2012

Originally Posted by John S

Reminds me of a sign my brother used to have hanging in his dealership.

"Employ a teenager whist they still know it all "

Well thats him bolloxed then because I belive he's just turned 20 or about too.??

Anyway I'm just annoyed I didn't put money on the fact he'd argue back with someone of Gerry's experience. . .Infact I'd put good money on he'd argue with Art if he posted.!!!