Recent Posts

21

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ATC Build With Macros - Use it if you like

« Last post by cd_edwards on November 23, 2025, 05:15:58 PM »

Wonder if the owner would be willing to upload the f3d file. I'd like to change this to a 80mm spindle instead of the 100mm.

22

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: computer change over trouble Hicon 7866

« Last post by Steve Stallings on November 23, 2025, 09:51:50 AM »

Try looking in your   \Mach4Hobby\Profiles\your-profile-name     folder to see if there are other files that should have been copied.

Likewise check the folders    \Mach4Hobby\Modules     and     \Mach4Hobby\PMC      to see if Hicon has any magic stuff there.

23

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: I purchased a Mach4 looks like Jan 2024 now no one can find it.

« Last post by gm276 on November 23, 2025, 07:58:53 AM »

To All,
Steve did in fact. Resolve my problem. He facilitated my new license as he indicated. Steve is an indicator of a great vendor.  Besides being one of the limited vendors that supports Mach cnc.  I will not hesitate ordering any future needs from his company.   Thank you Steve.

24

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Issue

« Last post by Charlie_M on November 22, 2025, 06:42:17 PM »

You may have to go to the bios and see if the parallel port is set to EPP and not ecp.

25

Mach4 General Discussion / computer change over trouble Hicon 7866

« Last post by lgr on November 20, 2025, 07:40:55 PM »

I downloaded Mach4 hobby and copied the screen set and .ini file to the new computer. When I unplug the ethernet cable on the Hicon 7866 from the old computer and plug in the new computer the new computer gives an estop error and won't allow me to enable. If I change the estop input signal from high to low it allows me to enable and then says Z home switch is activated, which it isn't I tried reversing the input signal on the Z axis as well and it didn't make a difference. I'm wondering if I missed a file in the transfer or something else? Both computers are windows 10 and Mach4 and Hicon plug-ins are the same versions. Thanks for any suggestions.

26

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: I purchased a Mach4 looks like Jan 2024 now no one can find it.

« Last post by Steve Stallings on November 20, 2025, 05:32:53 PM »

We at PMDX did try to recover the license. It was issued in 2014 at a time before the mechanism for self managed licenses existed. After the creation of the coupon system that allowed users to purchase from a Mach4 reseller and use the coupon to register and acquire a self managed license on the MachSupport web site, PMDX notified customers with old style licenses and provided a no cost path to convert to the new system. Unfortunately some customers who were happy with how their systems were running did not heed the advice to convert. Now a decade later the mechanism to convert no longer exists. The user gm276 decided to purchase a new license and he purchased it from PMDX. We will be sending him a partial refund as compensation.

27

Mach4 General Discussion / I purchased a Mach4 looks like Jan 2024 now no one can find it.

« Last post by gm276 on November 20, 2025, 04:00:31 PM »

I purchased a license for Mach4.  Finally got around getting a device that supports it and NO ONE seems to know
that I had purchased it.   I purchased from PMDX      when I print out the license txt file I see a Jan 1 2014 date.

Out of frustration, I just purchased a new one ,   but it irks me that I cannot get credit for the original.

28

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3 Issue

« Last post by ROTex on November 20, 2025, 02:40:01 PM »

Background:
Working for a company that installed a MachMotion retrofit for a Bridgeport 2XL (very old) mill.  The machine has worked beautifully for several years....until recently.  Computer started to hang when booting Windows (7) and then finally stopped booting at all.
Motion Controller card says "MachMotion Adapter Board version 1.20 Model: X15-02-01".  MachMotion support calls this an Apollo board

Actions Taken:
Found a refurbished desktop machine.
Loaded Windows 7 (32-bit).
Loaded Mach 3
Copied the .xml file and the license.dat file
Moved the dual-port parallel card from the old machine to the new one and found correct drivers for the card.  Device Manager says the card is working fine.
Updated the Port #1 and Port #2 device resources in Mach 3 to match the LPT1 & LPT2 memory resources for the card
Ran a parallel port text program and measured the state changes on the parallel port pins (Active = 3.4V)

Problem:
Mach 3 boots up just fine but, apparently, is not communicating properly with the mill.

Any suggestions? (Be gentle with me....I'm an old guy just trying to get my mill working so I can make money...)

29

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ATC Build With Macros - Use it if you like

« Last post by mmengineering on November 20, 2025, 11:51:16 AM »

This M6 macro is great and I've was able to update it with my number and the macro is working correctly.  The screen is a different story.  The ATC button doesn't work and the tool LED's don't update.  I tried loading your screen set, however I get a list of errors which seem to be a missing register file?? (see attached screenshot).  In your screen load script it has the below code (line 325) but my screen set references mcMasterModule maybe this is the issue of not updating? I also tried copying the tool rack group into my screen set but it doesn't update either. 


--Master module
package.loaded.mcRegister = nil
mm = require "mcRegister"

Thanks, Matt

30

General Mach Discussion / Probing and tool change macros

« Last post by Geoffcncmilling on November 20, 2025, 06:21:09 AM »

Hi All,
Just new here, I have an old round column mill, 3d touch probe and tool setter. I am struggling to find a macro to probe z of part then reference the tool setter height then touch off tool setter with cutting tool and calculate tool length. I have tried my hardest with AI generated codes but no success.
Please....