Hi. Michael in Canberra


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Thread: Hi. Michael in Canberra

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    Default Hi. Michael in Canberra

    Hi, michael in Canberra. First post. CNC conversion on my X2 mill. Have all hardware, steppers, drivers and power supply. Read EVERY post i could for a couple weeks. I am thinking novusun cnc motion controller and MACH 3, because I have been practacing on Fusion 360. Fusion 360 is free but thats the only free thing so far. I realize that Linux is free but I have no experiance.(or perhaps a confusing experience) in the past and it seems limited in controllers. I am not young so I have more money than time but still , not much money.
    Is there cheap good and easy way to connect desktop to drivers? I realize thats a bit of a joke. Mach 3 is like around $200 if I understand right and a motion controller is at least $130. Is there a magic second way that is; flexible, more than one G code transmitter; accurate and simple and available in australia without waiting 2 months from china.Am i barking up wrong tree
    hope this makes sense, I am dove in and realized that it was deep water. Big learning curve
    Mick

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    • #2
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      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      Hi Michael,

      I'm a fellow DIY CNC newbie, but I've worked on building/upgrading CNCs and retrofitting CNCs to workshop equipment at my former workplace. So I've seen first hand what cheap controllers do, and since I've started buying parts for my own DIY CNC router, I've been doing a lot of research about this of late. I don't quite know what you're trying to do (how many Axes, or your CNC configuration), so I can only talk in generalities.

      Firstly, the Novosun controllers get some wildly varying reviews. I've read that some people literally give up and throw them out after having all sorts of problems.


      The "cheapest" way to connect (stepper?) drivers to a PC s to use an old Windows PC with a parallel port if you've got one of those floating around. Then all you need is a breakout board (BOB)... If you go that route, you'll want to remove EVERY program on that PC that isn't essential to running the CNC. If you're just using the CPU and CNC software to do all the calculations, tool paths, step-gen signal processing, then even temporary interruptions from non-essential apps loading can cause the CNC to behave oddly, or do things out of sync/order. We were wondering why two routed grooves that should have been identical in length, but clearly wasn't when one was 7mm shorter than the other... and we found out that one the anti virus programs was running a background check while the second groove was being routed. The other culprit we found was the windows update system, and that just completely messed the job up. In fact, if you don't connect the CNC PC to the internet at all, and strip away all non-essential software, services, and even the screen saver, you'll see some significant improvements in CNC performance.

      My former workplace used a cheap USB motion control card from Alibaba or eBay, (I can't remember which) to retrofit to a manual mill/compound table but it was horrible, the documentation was non-existent, and when we finally got it running, it just kept misbehaving. As for support... there was none. We later got Mach 3 installed with a SmoothStepper board, and that just worked from day one, and when we had to replace a servo driver with an updated model, we simply wrote to the Warp9 (manufacturer of Smooth Stepper) and they shot back a complete set of instructions overnight, which worked first go.. then all it needed was calibration and it was back to production.

      I know Mach3 has been around for a long time, and it's a great piece of kit, but it is at the end of life. That means they're not supporting it anymore. Artsoft is now putting their efforts toward Mach4, and frankly, my machinist buddy said (in August 2020) "Stay away, because there's still a lot of bugs to work out, it's just not a viable option yet". Mach 3 costs nearly $235 Australian. (I'm using Homann Designs as a domestic supplier for reference) ..and you still need a decent controller. A decent BOB (if you choose the parallel route) will still probably cost circa $50-100.

      Alternatively a much more reliable route is to get a proper motion controller that goes between the PC and BOB. Not only does this free up your computer from doing most of the calculations, you can use a more up to date interface like USB or Ethernet (although if you have a choice, I'd recommend Ethernet as it is more reliable, less susceptible to noise, and can travel further... but ethernet still works best if the cable runs from the PC is DIRECTLY plugged into the controller. Switches, routers, and hubs add latency which can cause issues.

      May I humbly suggest UCCNC if you want a cheaper mainstream option that runs on Windows? I know three people have switched from Mach3 to UCNC, and they think it's easier to use, works just as well, can cost less (depending on the setup needed) and is still supported/updated

      I hope this helps. In either case, you'll definitely need a Break out Board of some variety, but it's important that you get a quality card, because I've seen how much time, energy, money, and frustration a cheap one can cause.

      Good luck!
      Hamish.



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      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      e. Mach 3 is like around $200 if I understand right and a motion controller is at least $130.
      The harsh reality is that playing with CNCs is not a cheap hobby.
      The costs you have listed are very low for this field.
      Mach3 and an ESS is a very common and reliable solution. They have been used on much more expensive machines than your router.
      (Try Homann Designs for a reliable Aus source.)

      Cheers
      Roger



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      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      I had an ethernet smooth stepper and demo version of mach 3. I went to purchase the license for mach and wasn't happy with how expensive it still is considering its sort of obsolete.
      You will find it cheaper to get uccnc and one of their motion controllers.
      I sold my ess and got uccnc and a uc400eth for not much more than the price of mach 3.



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      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      Forgot to mention i brought them from 'my tool store' in Aus.
      Good price and received in about week.
      Cheers



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      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      UCCNC - competition!
      Always good to have some.

      Cheers
      Roger
      (no commercial connection, just a user)



    • #7

      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      Thanks guys/girls?
      Its a bit late, i put this in the wrong "slot". Should have been help? The tools for my mill probably cost as much as the mill and the CNC is probably more than both.
      Any way, for what its worth I already pulled the trigger, Nvem CNC, the ethernet one. As i mentioned, this stuff is a deep mental dive, and I have only just started on the CAD/CAM bit. The electronics are no problem (not much anyway) but the rest.........
      Thanks for kind replies, wish I read them sooner



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      Default Re: Hi. Michael in Canberra

      No probs.
      If your mechanically or electrically inclined you'll find you will pick it up fairly easy.
      Cad/cam isn't to bad either.



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    Hi. Michael in Canberra

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