System Requirements

[cliveastro]

I think I may have been down this route.
Have you tried to ticking the dir low active box for each motor in the ports and pins menu.
If its any consolation I spent nearly 2 weeks getting my system to run.

clive

[harryn]

Hi, I am in the middle of a hobby type home made cnc router build.

The plan is to use Mach 3, probably Lazy CAM, and perhaps gcam and GRZ Meshcam.  (still learning / testing)

OS will be either XP Pro or Vista - I am ok with either and use Vista every day so it is no bid deal either way.

Computer - looking at buying a used desktop as they pretty much all can do what I need to run the software.

Question of choices
- AMD 64 Athlon single core at 2.7 ghz and strong video card
- AMD 64X2 Athlon dual core at 2.2 ghz and mediocre video card
- More or less the same price

Is there any benefit to a dual core setup ?  I am pretty sure that in Meshcam, dual core is not a benefit (yet).  Does Mach 3 or lazy cam pro benefit at all from dual core vs single core processor setups ?

Thanks

HarryN

[Shadow5731]

  From my understanding of DUOCore, unless the program is basically expecting DUAL Processors (or is made to switch from task to task FAST in Windows), it really don't matter for now.   Best bet is run tests without dropping lower than to potentially break a cutter because of Windows hiccups....as of about a week ago, I have problems with getting the diagnostic screen even showing the interrupt times and all, and I'm NOT USING a CNC controller or machine as yet either...

  My advise is this, do not ask just 1 single person on anything, TEST the opinions/answers, and if have doubts on that, then be all the more specific...I'm not running a machine as yet myself, but believe me, I'm going to be using foam or scrap junk to test and check here first, THEN if things get screwed-up, then all the loss I'm looking at is the time to make a block of foam AND my time to watch what happens (IE, even using wood, if not careful, a cutter CAN potentially be damaged...and/or yourself).

TO ADMIN BTY:

New, yes. At posting time? (TO BE VERIFIED and iff allowed to stand as is OR not, fair enough.

[RICH]

HarryN,
The question of what computer to buy is a fair one but also a tough one.
There are a lot of users using numerous computers, most of which must be working.
Between myself and a friend we have tested / used about eight different computers.
The lower of the lot is a NEC laptop with a PP /  400 mhz w 256 memory / 8 gig drive / xp2 and it
is solid and works fine no problems, except, it's slow on the graphics part and will affect MACH duriing cutting
if you start fooling around. Now these days you wouldn't even consider something like that, but, if you
wanted a stand alone PC for Mach, maybe you might buy one for cheap. 
One thing that comes to mind is signal port signal quality. The Dell with on-board graphics requires a Smooth Stepper.
NOTHING else will make it work ( probabaly spent 40 hours on it tryiing everything imaginable) for CNC machining.
The main problem is that the signal quality out the PP has ringing on the step and direction signals.

Some computers will have problems and some will not. You don't know until it's tried.
So by all means ask, and see what others have to say,nothing wrong with that.

Now if i was to buy a new computer, well,  i would make sure that i have a return guarentee / understanding , on any part of it or the whole thing such that i can get my money back if it dosen't work or no deal. Simple! Don't bother listening to some guru at the store or computer place unless they have hands on experience wth usng a PC for controlling machnery.
99 %  of them won't have the fogiest idea about possible associated problems. And even then, no return, no deal.
lOL
RICH