MicroProto Taig Mill

[vayacon]

Hello, I have been using my Microproto taig mill for several years now but have had it in storage for the last 2 years due to a divorce. I am now getting back into machining and want to get my mill up and running and have noticed some new software that looks promising. I used to use an ibm thinkpad p-166 running a few different controller software programs but never being happy with any of them due to slow speeds, crazy sounds and having to run in dos. Now I see this Mach2, 5 that runs on a modern computer under xp, can I use this with the Microproto controller and steppers? And which mach ver. should I use? I was always going to replace the steppers with servos and go that route but never got around to it, is this program going to make me happy enough to warrant keeping the steppers and control? Thanks for any help you can give.

[BarnBurner]

Did you get the SuperCam with your mill?

[vayacon]

No, I bought the mill from microproto which includes maxnc and millwizard and they also had me guinea pigging one of thier own. After looking around all nite and reading alot is coming back to me, one of which is that the taig cnc controller works on pulse and not step and dir and is the main reason I had chosen to change controllers and motors. I have found what looks to be a solution called turbotaig and changes the phase output to step and dir so I can use mach2 or any other step and dir. software and is a cheap fix for only a 150 bucks. I will post my progress once the board arrives.

[BarnBurner]

The software I got with My Taig was mpspro, doesn't maxnc come with their own mills?

[vayacon]

yes but it works better or I should say as good as dos software can. Also I just found on microprotos site that they are now offering thier own addon board so step and dir. software will work and is only a 100 bucks.