Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: gearsoup on October 11, 2011, 08:58:22 PM

Title: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: gearsoup on October 11, 2011, 08:58:22 PM
About 9 years ago, I built a CNC Router and had it up and running on Master5. Ran rather nice. The machine went into storage for a while, family used it, yadda yadda. I just finished rebuilding it (I made a lot of noob mistakes first time around) and I bought an "off-lease" PC from Tiger Direct. I wanted to use Mach 3 to set up the machine this time around, but to be honest, I have no clue where to start. Port settings, inputs, outputs and motor tuning? WTF did I get myself into?!?!?!?

As I mentioned, this was a full 9 years ago. I "think" I can scrounge up the old PC and maybe hopefully pull the settings off of that. Would this work?

If I need to start from scratch....oh boy, this oughta be fun.....

Little info:

I can't quite recall the makes and models of all the itmes used but what I can recall is this much:

Keling 72 VDC power supply (yeah, 9 years ago, I thought that bigger was always better)

No name BOB. Simple PCB with one whole strip of terminals on it. Currently, there are only 6 wires coming off of it headed to my:

Geckos. Not quite certain what version they were. I bought those used from someone on Art's forum that he had back then.

(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e96/gearsoup/IMG_2127_1_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: Tweakie.CNC on October 12, 2011, 02:19:39 AM
May I suggest you do a bit or reading first http://www.machsupport.com/docs/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf then ask questions on the bits you don't understand. This should be the quickest way to get it sorted as most questions here are answered quite quickly but you need to ask specific questions.

Hope this helps,

Tweakie.
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: gearsoup on October 12, 2011, 04:19:28 AM
oh, wow. very nice. thanks! hmmm, wonder if my printer has enough ink for 106 pages......., lol
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: Tweakie.CNC on October 12, 2011, 05:18:36 AM
Yer don't print it all, just the setting up bit Chapter 5 (I think)  ;D ;D

Tweakie.
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: gearsoup on October 12, 2011, 05:55:48 PM
Yeah, but I'm a machinist IRL, and there are times when I am sitting at my machine twiddling my thumbs... Would be nice to have something prosuctive to leaf through
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: RICH on October 12, 2011, 09:51:38 PM
Quote
are times when I am sitting at my machine twiddling my thumbs

hmm....... try rotating the thumbs in opposite directions, takes practice and time goes quickly..... ;) :D ;D ???

RICH
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: BR549 on October 12, 2011, 10:04:11 PM
NOPE just print the manual a few pages at a time . EVERY day print a few more. That will fool you  into thinking you saved ink
(;-) and SPREAD OUT the reading time to make it last.

Ya got it bad, (;-) TP

Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: Hood on October 13, 2011, 03:04:34 AM
Or buy the printed copy, its very nice quality and very reasonably priced.
Hood
Title: Re: Configuring Mach 3 on new PC
Post by: gearsoup on October 15, 2011, 05:01:01 PM
made a new thread to detail the issue I am dealing with.