Is the G-Rex plug-in still being developed?

[montejw]

Is the plug-in for the G-Rex and Mach3 still in development?  Is it going to be developed to the full potential of the G-Rex ($400).  I bought one because I'm not getting good pulse stream from my PC and don't want to start "swapping" PC's trying to find one that will work.  And if I can get it to work I can use it on my 64 bit Windows XP computer that won't load the Mach3 driver.  Or maybe from a Wintel Mac.

I like Gecko products, and some of the future things Mariss is working on sound very cool.  BUT, if the G-Rex isn't going to be fully supported by Mach3, it might be an expensive breakout board.

I've read that Gecko isn't going to develop it any further.  I've also read that there is a new servo stepper driver that will hook up to the G-Rex and make the unstallable stepper driver, that's what I'm sort of waiting for.  But it still needs signals from Mach.  I would eventually like to control a spindle (tapping) and such if possible which I understand doesn't work right now, will it?

thanks,
Monte

[whatda?]

I would Like to know as well,
Anyone know?

Regards
whatda?

[Chaoticone]

Guys, I'm no authority on the subject so take this with a pinch of salt. I haven't heard of any further work to be done on the G100. I think with the Smooth Stepper becoming available soon the need isn't there. I think it had some unforeseen limits from the start  . Art has done the G100 I/O only plug-in (available in the plug-ins section) that many will benefit from I think but as far as motion control on its on, I don't see further development. This is not a definitive answer by any means, just my thoughts. I will try to get one if I can.

Brett

[Chaoticone]

Found this in the Yahoo Gecko group.

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/geckodrive/message/13981

The G-Rex has been a huge disappointment for me. The development time
took 5 years and untold $$$. By comparison, the G203V drive took less
than a year and only $25,000 in direct expenses to develop. It is an
idea I probably loved too much and I loved it for too long. It is
expensive to build, expensive to test and very expensive to support.
In a word, it is nearly unprofitable.

The mistake was misapprehending what our strengths and weaknesses are.
We design good hardware, we are not so good at firmware. The G-Rex
needed both. Second, the G-Rex is being squeezed by improving PC-only
solution step pulse rates at one end and me-too, less expensive
similar products from the other end.

I cannot justify investing any more effort and expense into further
development, hardware or firmware, of the G-Rex given its past market
performance and future potential. Instead, that effort and expense is
going into new motor drives. The Rabbit fiasco was the last nail
driven into an already expensive coffin.

We will always have the G-Rex available. We ordered 500 more G100
boards yesterday. We just aren't going to develop it any further.

Mariss

Brett

[montejw]

Found this in the Yahoo Gecko group.

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/geckodrive/message/13981

The G-Rex has been a huge disappointment for me. The development time
took 5 years and untold $$$. By comparison, the G203V drive took less
than a year and only $25,000 in direct expenses to develop. It is an
idea I probably loved too much and I loved it for too long. It is
expensive to build, expensive to test and very expensive to support.
In a word, it is nearly unprofitable.

The mistake was misapprehending what our strengths and weaknesses are.
We design good hardware, we are not so good at firmware. The G-Rex
needed both. Second, the G-Rex is being squeezed by improving PC-only
solution step pulse rates at one end and me-too, less expensive
similar products from the other end.

I cannot justify investing any more effort and expense into further
development, hardware or firmware, of the G-Rex given its past market
performance and future potential. Instead, that effort and expense is
going into new motor drives. The Rabbit fiasco was the last nail
driven into an already expensive coffin.

We will always have the G-Rex available. We ordered 500 more G100
boards yesterday. We just aren't going to develop it any further.

Mariss

Brett

yeah, I found that too, along with other concerns about the G100.  If it wasn't evident, I was asking about the development within Mach3, that's why I posted here.  I actually bought a G100, but am returning it since it doesn't sound like the Mach3 support is going anywhere.  As long as Mariss will take it back , it's unused.

Monte

[Chaoticone]

Monte, I don't see it going anywhere.

Brett

[montejw]

Unfortunate for everyone involved.

Monte