Recent Posts

1

General Mach Discussion / Does MACH3 work with Windows 11?

« Last post by john buffum on November 16, 2025, 03:17:22 PM »

Building a new setup for my MAXNC-10.  Heard lots of warnings about old software  incompatibility with Windows 11.

What's your experience?

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General Mach Discussion / Reawakening a MAXNC-10

« Last post by john buffum on November 16, 2025, 03:05:06 PM »

I have a MAXNC-10 mini mill.  I HAD a Windows XP desktop, now gone.  My replacement pc is a HP 840 laptop with USB ports and an HDMI port, running Windows 11.  NO PARALLEL PORT.

Windows 11 has been written by Microsoft so many legacy software programs will not run, necessitating buying or (EEEEW) renting NEW software.

OK.  Several questions. 

1.Is there a DB25 parallel to USB adapter that can allow proper signal timing with the mill?  If no, this means finding and retrofitting the mill with a USB compatible board.  The boards range from $20 to $300.

2.  I plan to run Alibre Workshop ($400) CAD/CAM.  Windows 11 compatible.

3.  OK, given all that, what do I need to buy/do?  Hate to shove money down a rat hole, so any advice that works is TREASURE!!

4.  Are these questions in the right thread or do I need to repost somewhere else?

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Shuttle Xpress problems

« Last post by Punisher on November 16, 2025, 12:07:34 AM »

May have found the solution to the problem of macros not working. Changed it to m200.m1s. Now it's running.

It's a macro to set the jog increments. Also set it to change the led to the amount selected. That seems to be working fine.

Now there's another problem. After the macro runs the jog wheels do nothing.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Shuttle Xpress problems

« Last post by Punisher on November 15, 2025, 11:11:19 PM »

Also having a problem running macros. Created a macro and saved it as m1.m1s. Put it in Mach3Mill directory.

It doesn't work. In the 1024 screenset it displays that the custom macro ran.

Thought there was a problem with my macro. It was a test, so it might not be perfect. Copied a macro from a button that I know works. That didn't work either.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Shuttle Xpress problems

« Last post by Punisher on November 15, 2025, 11:10:04 PM »

The next problem is jogging with the inner wheel. It works, but is also suffering from the slow jog speed.

With it set to jog at .001mm it works fine. Going up in the step size causes problems. It will slowly jog until it reaches the set distance. There's no stopping it.

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General Mach Discussion / Shuttle Xpress problems

« Last post by Punisher on November 15, 2025, 11:03:38 PM »

Having some problems with my Shuttle Express. Installed the plugin and configured it. It's kind of working, but not exactly how I want it to. Pretty sure it's because additional settings need to be changed. Which is why I'm asking for help.

When I jog with the large wheel it moves slow. It's a variable wheel, but even all the way still moves very slow.

Set one of the buttons to rapid ++. When pressing it the machine moves at the speed I would like.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Edit G Code

« Last post by JohnHaine on November 15, 2025, 10:54:34 AM »

If you select config/general config on the menu bar, there is a control near the top centre where the text editor is selected.  Mine is set to Notepad - what is yours?  Notepad (a windows app) doesn't have an autonumber option but there are others that do.  Notepad++ might do it.  Google is your friend.

Why do you want to number lines?

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Edit G Code

« Last post by cowpoke on November 15, 2025, 09:32:12 AM »

Windows 11

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Edit G Code

« Last post by JohnHaine on November 14, 2025, 10:17:17 PM »

Nothing has changed kin M3 for over 10 years. The gcode editor isn't part of mach, it just calls up a Winows text editor which is where your problem may be. What win version are you using?

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Mach4 General Discussion / Mach 4 Hobby using extraordinary amounts of CPU

« Last post by Lucid_moments on November 14, 2025, 09:02:44 PM »

Greetings all.
Running Mach4 4612 build with ESS plugin 278.1

So I had this popup for the first time ever warning FIFO issues with reference to ESS, and possible loss of steps if unresolved. The system had been in standby for a few days to look for trouble areas after an extensive modification. I had already finished the lions share of files on the first side of this part. had no problem till after flipping it for 2nd side features, some simple pocket and contour work, when all these alerts happened. There was no other software running. Task Manager indicated Mach4 using 65% CPU. So I finished up and rebooted the ESS and then Mach4. Once again CPU usage was above 60%. I have run the same machine with much more modest desktop PC as many do. But due to recent push by Microsoft and some other software I license, I bought a recent model, one of those Mini PC's (should have done it sooner) running an Intel 3.6Ghz 16GB Ram with Win11.
Not to brag, but that much older PC could manage to run Mach4, be online with several Chrome browser tabs, YouTube music playing in my BT earbuds, have Fusion 360 on another screen. Not so much as a hiccup. Sure that was devil may care attitude. But when you are making wood chips it's not such a big loss if you lose integrity or steps.
On the other hand, Aluminum bar stock is quite expensive and I don't practice that behaviour anymore.
I am writing this post from a PC that has two different 3DP Slicer software running, 3D modelling software, 30 tabs in Google Chrome browser and yet only using 8% CPU at idle and peaks at 40% once I swap over to the design app.
Thoughts?
Have yet to reboot the Win11 PC