My next controller

[IKandyLLC]

i built my first cnc router years ago using the TB6560. It was cheap and easy to use mach3.
Ive been out the loop for a while and haven't keep up with the controllers available today. ive done research, blackbox to grbl but thought
id get your opinions what hobbyist are using now...controllers and software.
Need pretty basic 4axis, usb, 3.5a+/- still have to buy new steppers, 250oz so i can match them to the board.
i have Mastercam x4 but only used mach3 and Vectric.
thanks for the help!
Julian

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[dazp1976]

UC300eth with UCBB - Running UCCNC or Mach3 (depending on which I fancy at the time).

Forrget USB and get ethernet control. USB can play havoc with VFD drives through EMI noise.

If going to use Mach3/4 then get an Ethernet smootstepper.
Or if you fancy UCCNC (or even Mach3/4):
Get a UC400eth.
Both need breakout boards attached but a cost cheat is use a decent one for axis and a £5 special for ancilliaries.


Never looked intto GRBL but I'd assume there is a good forum around for arduino. A good search term would prob be:... Arduino for TTL use

[mactec54]

[QUOTE=dazp1976;2481094} Forrget USB and get ethernet control. USB can play havoc with VFD drives through EMI noise.[/QUOTE]

I have said before, this statement you keep on making is total Bs, if a VFD Drive is correctly installed there is no EMI noise that will affect a USB connection.

Controls are not immune to EMI interference. not very often, the connection is at fault, even though it appears to be.

An Ethernet connection is more immune to noise than a USB connection, that's just by design. Ethernet was the next step up for the Hobby world, USB is still a major player in the Hobby world, even though there are not many control options, that have a USB connection.

Ethernet connected controller's are everywhere, USB connected controller, there are not very many, so the Choice is very easy, for a new build.

[steryd]

And there are also standalone controllers. Some of them are as cheap as usb or eth cards (like DDCS or Shaoge) and more expensive but still reachable quite professional CNC hardware like siemens 808 or their chinis substitutes.

[pippin88]

What do you actually want?

Mach3 is the controller in your old machine.
Mach3 would have been doing software pulse (step) generation (unless you have a smoothstepper)
The Tb6... Board is a breakout board and stepper drivers.


These days most people use some form of hardware step generator. Software step generation is limited in speed and there are problems with computer latency.

There are some systems where the software and hardware cards are a set / complete system (one brand software and hardware).
And others where you have a range of options for hardware step generation for one software controller.

[dazp1976]

I have said before, this statement you keep on making is total Bs, if a VFD Drive is correctly installed there is no EMI noise that will affect a USB connection.
Controls are not immune to EMI interference. not very often, the connection is at fault, even though it appears to be.
An Ethernet connection is more immune to noise than a USB connection, that's just by design. Ethernet was the next step up for the Hobby world, USB is still a major player in the Hobby world, even though there are not many control options, that have a USB connection.
Ethernet connected controller's are everywhere, USB connected controller, there are not very many, so the Choice is very easy, for a new build.

Fair enough.
The Chinese need to start gettting better at connecting that PE lead in the spindle motors. That'll help
A fair few on Mycncuk complain about usb noise. (Probarbly because of the above).

[mactec54]

Fair enough.
The Chinese need to start gettting better at connecting that PE lead in the spindle motors. That'll help
A fair few on Mycncuk complain about usb noise. (Probarbly because of the above).

Only because they think it is a USB problem, because they get a disconnect between the USB and the Controller, in reality it is there wiring most of the time that is the problem.

The Chinese are not going to change there Ground practice's, it's called population control. if you buy the better quality spindles for the same money, they have the Ground connected.

[dazp1976]

The Chinese are not going to change there Ground practice's, it's called population control.

Best laugh I've had all week from that comment


Anyhoo. If people can't wire things properly, they should steer clear altogether.
Yes I too have asked for help in the past but I've generally read the diagram correctly and it's ended up more of a second opinion / double check.

Back on it though. Ethernet is still the way to go. The amount of I/O you get makes them pretty futureproof and machines massively expandable.

If I did it again I would likely go straight to a:
UC300eth max from cncroom.
That's the full combo of:
UC300eth
UB1
UD1
UCCNC lic

[IKandyLLC]

what are you using to populate G code and control software. i have mastercam but buying Vectric Aspire, will it work with any of the new boards, right?.

[mactec54]

what are you using to populate G code and control software. i have mastercam but buying Vectric Aspire, will it work with any of the new boards, right?.

Any Cad Cam will work with any CNC control there is, there Post processor outputs the G-Code, some may need a tweak, to output the G-Code format you or your machine likes.

Here are some controls. this is the order, in Which they should be considered for a new control, UCCNC and Mach4 are around the same Mach4 having more to offer than the UCCNC., Eding and Acorn are at the top Eding CNC being the best choice, but not the cheapest control, it all depends how much you want to spend, on a control.

If you already have a Smooth Stepper, then you would go with Mach4, so you have lots of options.

Eding CNC

Acorn

UCCNC

Mach4

Mach3

[IKandyLLC]

thanks for the info, im a little bit old school and behind the times. when i was in school we wrote g code by hand lol on Hass machines

[routalot]

Vectric seems to have a vast number of post processors and there is likely to be one that works buried in the list.It may be one of the generic types and until you are certain you have located a good one it would be wise to cut only air.

[rodw]

Don't forget Linuxcnc. $200 goes a long way with compatible hardware but a $10 BOB and an old corporate pc (like a Dell 780) will get you going

[routalot]

Don't forget Linuxcnc. $200 goes a long way with compatible hardware but a $10 BOB and an old corporate pc (like a Dell 780) will get you going

I couldn't agree more.It works with all sorts of hardware and is utterly stable,not to mention the inclusion of a post processor within Vectric.Unfortunately a lot of people get a dose of the vapours when the prospect of moving beyond Windows crops up.My own hobby machine is exactly that type of Dell and has only ever needed the Cmos battery changed.It also allows me to listen to online radio and browse the web while the machine is running and I wouldn't do that with any other o/s.

[Dean448]

Just want to add that you can also check out pokeys57cnc. It’s been a very reliable board for me. USB or Ethernet and controls VFD spindles also up to 8 axis. I post out of vectric using Mach 2/3 when running either Mach 3 or 4.
I do notice that Ethernet is very smooth and USB is less smooth so I also recommend Ethernet.
The weakness of all these systems is windows. I think a completely stand alone system/controller is the way to go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dazp1976]

Just want to add that you can also check out pokeys57cnc. It’s been a very reliable board for me. USB or Ethernet and controls VFD spindles also up to 8 axis. I post out of vectric using Mach 2/3 when running either Mach 3 or 4.
I do notice that Ethernet is very smooth and USB is less smooth so I also recommend Ethernet.
The weakness of all these systems is windows. I think a completely stand alone system/controller is the way to go.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've not had any problems from Windows if I'm honest.
However.....
I never use the OS as it comes with a new pc because of the non essential bloated crap they put on them.
I always wipe it and put a clean oem copy on the pc with the bare minimum requirements installed that is needed for the controller.
Then keep it offline and transfer g-code programs with a usb flash drive.
Or I do occasionally make the wifi card active solely for transfer then deactivate it again.

Seems to be going fine.
MS no longer supporting Win7 prob helps too. No BS messages and forced updates as soon as you turn on the wifi. (1 reason I despise Win10).

[routalot]

I use LinuxCNC a I mentioned and have even used bluetooth to transfer engraving gcode files from my phone.Rightly or wrongly I believe selecting a single file for transfer is less liable to let nasty stuff in than activating wifi.On other occasions I have used the same computer to create the files as it has a version of Freecad loaded and that can be done in complete isolation.

[rodw]

No need for Linuxcnc machines to live in a blackout. Get them on the network (wifi or wired). I've got a FTP server and a Windows share on my CNC machine. Plus I've also transferred files from Google drive to it. I print from it to my printers and I have installed Google Chrome on it for web browsing as I use that on all my PC's Linux, windows or Chromebook. And yes, sometimes I use a USB stick.

[IKandyLLC]

thanks for the info, the more i look it seems the prices for stand along controllers have dropped, saw one for little over $400. especially since this machine will be used for 3d carvings and dropping a line of code during a 3hr job would suck. seen a unit claims it can handle a million lines or code...not sure thats true????. its taking lot of research , things have really changed.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
one of the reasons that Ethernet has that much better reputation in electrically noisy environments its the Ethernet is transformer coupled, that is a signal transformer
at each end, whereas USB is not. You cannot get ground loops or power supplies at each device fighting each other.

You can get transformer coupled USB,at a cost......so why bother?

As an example Warp9TD used to make both a USB SmoothStepper (USS) and an Ethernet SmoothStepper (ESS). They only ever released the ESS with support for Plasma, ie THC
because, according to Warp9 the USS was too noise prone and they could not get it to operate reliably with Plasma.

CNCDrive have discontinued their USB connected UC300 and UC400 models. The only remaining USB model in their range is then humble UC100, and they cite better noise immunity
for the choice.

Craig