Recent Posts

21

Mach4 General Discussion / Note book page numbers

« Last post by BRIAN@PES on October 02, 2025, 07:56:39 AM »

Hi
I am having a problem using the mach4 screen editor, when I create a new blank screen set and add a new notebook the first notebook page is not number 1 it is some random number that seems to be carried on from the previous screen set I worked on & all following new pages are incremented from this number.
This is the first time I have used this forum so I hope I have followed the correct procedure.
Many thanks, Brian

22

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: STB5100 and spindle control

« Last post by riporeno on October 01, 2025, 02:24:01 PM »

I've just built a new stepper controller, about my tenth stepper or servo controller.

I was getting worried about the age of the computer running my mill, a computer that still has a couple of parallel ports in it.

Time to build something that uses a USB port, so if (when) the old Dell gives up the ghost, I'll be ready.

I used an STB5100 5 axis USB controller, the "blue" one. 

(I actually bought a POKeys 56U as well, but the configuration looks daunting and the physical implementation is .. troublesome.  So I thought I'd take the easy way out.)

The steppers work fine with the STB5100, so I know the basic communication is working.

But I'm unable to get the spindle control pins to do anything at all.  Neither the Enable, AVI nor PWM show anything except zero volts.

Configuration seems easy enough, which is to say, not many settings and most set to the default.

I see two options.  Maybe the board is just plain defective; not too hard to believe with something cheap from China.  Or maybe the default settings are not what's called for.

But randomly .. or sequentially .. trying combinations of ports and pins would drive me crazy.

Does anyone have any suggested settings for this board?

Thanks!

I understand your frustration with the STB.
I had the same problem. After doing a lot of oscilloscope testing, I realized something important was missing...
It's built with separate GNDs, and I connected the 5V GND to the 24V GND.
That's the only way it works.

23

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: STB5100 and spindle control

« Last post by riporeno on October 01, 2025, 01:43:24 PM »

Hi everyone.
I finished configuring the 0-10V analog output to control the inverter.
Now it seems to be working properly.
I noticed that the components heat up with 24V power, so I'll try powering it with 12V.
Here you can see how it works and the settings for configuring the analog output for the spindle.

https://youtube.com/shorts/BiWNQDFT6hQ?si=G6uzi8tPhexiMVYK

24

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Tangential Cut

« Last post by Steve Stallings on September 29, 2025, 09:18:01 PM »

Yes, tangential is supported in Mach 4.

Go to the screen for:  Configure > Control  and select the Defaults tab.

Then look down the left side of the screen, the second block is a setting for "Control Mode".

In the drop down list for Control Mode you will find the option for Tangential.

25

Mach4 General Discussion / Tangential Cut

« Last post by eqrico2017 on September 29, 2025, 06:27:15 PM »

I need to setup MACH 4 for tangential cut.
Does MACH 4 for Hobbyist version include this option?
 Thank You,
EQ

26

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: STB5100 and spindle control

« Last post by riporeno on September 29, 2025, 03:39:48 PM »

I'm curious to see how this STB 5100 works.
For now, I've finished with the MPG, and it works very well.
The next step will be to see how the 0/10V works to control the spindle speed.
When I'm done, I'll post the results (if it works ).
Here's the video of the MPG in action.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AMEs0vYPa0o

27

General Mach Discussion / Re: Upgrading from dodgy eBay CNC setup

« Last post by Tweakie.CNC on September 27, 2025, 03:19:11 AM »

The Warp9 ESS/Mach4 bundle does come with a legit license.

Both the ESS and UC100 recommend using a breakout board so it is pretty much even on that score but Ethernet does have advantages over USB.

Mach4 does have many advantages over Mach3 such as your requirement for Surface Mapping, etc. although many still prefer to use Autoleveler.

Its all decisions my friend 

Tweakie.

28

General Mach Discussion / Re: Upgrading from dodgy eBay CNC setup

« Last post by David Aurora on September 26, 2025, 08:59:39 PM »

Good call on moving to Mach 4, I think I just had Mach 3 stuck in my head because that's what I've been using with what I have. I see the ESS has a software bundle available with Mach 4 as well, I'm assuming that's a legit license?

The UC100 does look interesting too but at first glance it looks like more stuffing around with separate breakout boards and whatnot whereas the ESS looks like it's basically ready to go out of the box

I guess the other option I've been wondering about is if my current setup could work better with a fresh setup on a proper version of Mach 3/Mach 4 given the only issue I have is the probing functionality. If I use a program called Autoleveller I can actually surface map just fine with what I have (it modifies the g code to add a probing script before the actual g code so Mach 3 then does a surface mapping pass and stores the height variables), I just can't seem to get Mach 3 to do it without this other program. Which makes me think there must be a way to do it, and if so I could keep my hardware as is and just sort out the software license.

I think from what I've read though the issue comes down to drivers for these controllers only supporting their hacked version of Mach 3?

29

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 turn. auto update tool offset

« Last post by blighty on September 26, 2025, 05:52:47 PM »

well.... i got it working. on contact, the macro will update the tool offset table. then, getting into it, i found out mach4 doesn't work like mach3 in the tool offset department. so i have gone back to mach3 and done it all in there.

30

General Mach Discussion / Re: Upgrading from dodgy eBay CNC setup

« Last post by JohnHaine on September 26, 2025, 03:31:21 AM »

Or you could stay with usb and get a UC100 from cncdrive.com. Make sure you get the genuine article not a clone. I use one on my mill and another on lathe. Probing works perfectly.