CNCzone.com-The Largest Machinist Community on the net!



Home Page Mark Forums Read Today's Posts My Replies Classifieds Reviews Photo Gallery Web Links Share Files Advertise With Us Ad List
Go Back   CNCzone.com-The Largest Machinist Community on the net! > Machine Controllers Software and Solutions > Mach Software (ArtSoft software)


Mach Software (ArtSoft software) Discuss Mach 1 , 2 and the new Mach3 here NC software here!


This forum is sponsored by:

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Ban this user!
Old 05-19-2010, 03:32 PM
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US
Posts: 92
klrskies is on a distinguished road
Guidance request.

I have a prototrac bed mill with a 2-1/2 axis Prototak Edge3 conversational control. I'm considering relacing the control with Mach 3 software in a dedicated PC, outputing thru a parallel port to a breakout board, then to gecodrives' 320x drives. I'll be useing a power supply to supply the servos DC power.

This machine needs to be able to cut true 3d at no more than 50 inches /minute. I only have a few things to control beside the servomotors... the spindle, an oil pump, a spraymister. I don't have any limit switches at this time but would like to add them. I'd also like to have a handheld pendant.

I'm new to controling cnc machines with aftermarket controllers and the low cost of controlling a mill without expensive boards and amplifiers is appealing. I have heard that somtimes machines that are controlled this way are prone to crashing due to WIndows having some glitch... Is this true? What can be done, if anything, to prevent a crash when controling a machine with mach3 and no board level motion controller?

regards,
Ken

Last edited by klrskies; 05-20-2010 at 05:03 AM.
Reply With Quote

  #2  
Old 05-19-2010, 06:29 PM
ger21's Avatar
Community Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Shelby Twp, MI....USA
Posts: 20,463
ger21 is on a distinguished road
Buy me a Beer?

Do you have Windows PC's that randomly crash? I have seven PC's in my house running Windows, and none of them ever crash, including the one running my router.

As long as the PC is only used for running the machine, once it's setup and running properly, you shouldn't have a problem. Just disable all power management options, and don't run any antivirus software. Basically, Install Windows, then install Mach3. That's it.

If Mach3 just randomly crashed every now and then, do you thing there would be over 50,000 registered users.
__________________
Gerry

Mach3 2010 Screenset
http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/2010.html

(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
Reply With Quote

  #3   Ban this user!
Old 05-19-2010, 07:30 PM
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US
Posts: 92
klrskies is on a distinguished road

I'd want to do what I could to prevent a machine/workpiece crash when running any system. I'm wondering why anyone would bother with the expense of motion controllers if their not required to operate cnc?
regards,
Ken
Reply With Quote

  #4  
Old 05-19-2010, 08:35 PM
ger21's Avatar
Community Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Shelby Twp, MI....USA
Posts: 20,463
ger21 is on a distinguished road
Buy me a Beer?

I'm wondering why anyone would bother with the expense of motion controllers if their not required to operate cnc?
They can offer better performance that the parallel port, and also allow the use of Laptops, which are normally not supported under Mach3. Some also offer additional features.
__________________
Gerry

Mach3 2010 Screenset
http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/2010.html

(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
Reply With Quote

  #5   Ban this user!
Old 05-20-2010, 06:04 AM
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US
Posts: 92
klrskies is on a distinguished road

So are these 50,000 mach/gecko systems when properly set-up, considered to be commercial grade, able to be counted on for day-in / day-out use without glitches? I should be fine putting an intricate, expensive workpiece under a machine controlled by it, just as I am now with my current cnc machines?

Regards,
Ken

Last edited by klrskies; 05-20-2010 at 08:47 AM.
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links
  #6  
Old 05-20-2010, 10:52 AM
ger21's Avatar
Community Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Shelby Twp, MI....USA
Posts: 20,463
ger21 is on a distinguished road
Buy me a Beer?

I don't know the breakdown between hobby machines and commercial machines using Mach3.

I do know that 90% of Gecko's business is for commercial applications, and only a small amount of their business is to hobbiests.
__________________
Gerry

Mach3 2010 Screenset
http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/2010.html

(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
Reply With Quote

Reply




Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Need some guidence with 6t on a Miyano Lathe blakemachine Fanuc 16 02-09-2009 08:15 AM
Feature Request TURNER NCPlot G-Code editor / backplotter 2 07-02-2008 07:56 PM
First Timmer Staring with 20'X10'X6' 5 Axis! Needing Guidence. :) EvanZ DIY-CNC Router Table Machines 53 03-04-2008 03:12 AM
Request for quote Hasher General Electronics Discussion 1 07-21-2006 09:50 AM
Looking for guidence! anaheim auto driver techsol General Electronics Discussion 0 10-01-2005 08:11 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:26 AM.





Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO
Template-Modifications by TMS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361