Hi,

So if I get a Mach4 compatible board, I will also be able to run Mach3 with a Mach3 Plugin?

As I explained earlier if a board has a Mach3  AND a Mach4 plugin then you can use either. Some manufacturers do, some don't.
You wont get a Chinese board for Mach4, if they tell you they have one they are lying.

I would get the machine bare...that is to say without any electronics at all. Buy US, European or Japanese electronics.

I live in Akaroa, about 80k from Christchurch in the South Island. The pic attached to my post is an aerial shot of Banks Peninsula
and Akaroa is  a village there.

Craig

Hi Klaus,
totally off the subject...as you can see I live in a marine paradise and it wont come as a surprise that I sail on keelboats as part of a racing fleet.

One day we had some visitors on board an Isreali couple both University lecturers. She was a historian and a fascinating woman to talk to. Anyway we were well down the harbor
looking due south over the ocean an I said 'and on a clear day you can see Antarctica...' and she suddenly stood and looked intently...it was a beautiful day...maybe she could se it!
It took her about 15 seconds to work out that I was joking.....and she was big hearted enough to laugh.

They had a great time and spent the rest of the day with us and most of the evening eating and drinking...

Craig

Hi Craig

Ha ha funny story

Yes, it is beautiful down on the South Island, but you guys are not so lucky with Earthquakes and all kind of stuff

Back to the subject.

The more I'm reading and watching on Youtube the more confused I get

Can you or anybody else please explain the difference between a motion controller and a breakout board.

I can see some people have both?

So if I was going with the same board as yours, do I both need a motion controller and a breakout board?
That board is actually not so expensive so it could be possible maybe a little later, but wow just install it and set it up inside Mach4 seems very confusing to me.

Klaus

A motion controller "talks" to Mach3 via a software plugin. Mach3 sends low level commands to the motion controller, and the motion controller generates the step and direction pulses for the stepper drives.

A breakout board basically just provides screw terminals for connecting your drives, buttons and switches.
Some motion controllers already have terminals, and don't need a breakout board. But many others only provide DB25 or IDC26 connectors to plug a breakout board into.

OK thanks Gerry.

Hi Klaus,
I use breakout boards firstly because of the convenience of hooking wires up but more importantly
because it buffers the IO pins of the ESS to the oustide world.

I've  popped one input one one BoB, it was an Estop, I don't know exactly what or how I did it
but I'm glad its only a BoB....not the ESS!!!

Craig

Thanks Craig

Any chance you have a photo with all the things connected?

Klaus

Also, breakout boards can add features to the motion controller, like analog speed control for VFD's, or allow the use of 24V inputs, to improve noise immunity.

Hi,
I use MB026's from Peter Homan, Homan Designs, Austrailia. Near enough to local for me.
They've been great. They don't have either a digital to analogue output nor relays or 24V
outputs. I'm into electronics so any of those I prefer to design and build my own.
What they do have which I'd have to recommend, in fact would say they are mandatory is LEDs
on all inputs and outputs.

I might be into electronics but personal experience tells me the risk of me blowing something up
when trying to probe a board or connector with a multimeter is high. Don't do it! One slip and it can,
at worse case, be all over for the board your working on. LEDs on the outputs obviates the need
for it and you can see all of them at a glance, just the 'dogs dangly bits'.

I'll post a pic but may not be able to do so tonight.

Craig