Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: TommyF on August 27, 2018, 11:50:13 AM
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Hello, running on a little Snapmaker and is bitten by the carve/milling part of it which it does really good... Now i wanna get a bigger but still hobby machine and manly do relief in wood, but ofc doing more 'normal' smaller job in aluminium stuff Fusion 360..
I found a ok'ish china machine https://www.ebay.com/itm/223052779970?ul_noapp=true (https://www.ebay.com/itm/223052779970?ul_noapp=true),, that is more then i need, almost.
I pretty sure the software is a 'free max 500 lines' version, ok with me, i am gonna buy a Marc 3 licens anyway, no 'false' software on my PC..
The stuff i do in Fusion 360 and Estlcam, will it work directly in Marc3 or do i have to convert the Gcode manually.
Is there any future buying this CNC not thinking quality/buildup, but software comparability....
I read about it,,, i know
Must be older 32bit windows and pc must have a parallel port.
I do enjoy my litte snapmaker, but it just to slow using the small tools, ie 1.5mm endmill to face of just to.....
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I check out my old PC,,, its a Win 10 32 bits, and intel duo processer is a 64bit. That should run with Marc3 right.
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The machine you point to is USB. No parallel port required. Fusion generates G-code and any program with CAM in the name should also, that’s the purpose of cam. A cam program is a good way to learn how to read G-code. Generate some code, load it to your machine and put Mach 3 in single step mode. Read each line and look up what the machine should do. Then press start and the line will execute and show you what it does. You don’t really need to write G-code by hand any more but reading it is still inportant in avoiding problems. CNCs are completely stupid. Tell it to crash into your part, clamp, end stops, and it WILL do or die!
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Thx,,, i get that part, but did not know Marc3 can step one at time, i never seen/run Marc3 my self..
But will Marc run on my older PC, the operating system is 32 bit tho Win10, but in the sales lines it states it will only run on 32 bit older Windows, even if it is usb driven?
And why is there a parallel port on it to if it is USB driven?
So many question, i am can se the forrest for all the trees..
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Hmm, can i not edit my post?
I wonder, course other place on this forum, mods days you can ONLY run Mach3 via parallel port, yet others say i can usb and therefor windows 32/64 bit, parallel port or not dos'ent matter.
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Hi,
Mach's parallel port will only work on 32 bit Windows 7 or earlier.
If you have an external motion controller (USB or Ethernet) it will work on just about any Windows PC.
Start with telling us exactly what PC you have and what OS you have installed.
Then tell us the make and model of the control PCB you have.
Craig
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Hi,
you can edit your post for only a few minutes after you've posted it. Thereafter you can't.
Craig
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Hi,
having a closer look at your control box and it has both a parallel port AND a USB.
I suspect that it is a parallel port controller but uses a USB cable for the power supply to the Breakout
Board (BoB). That is quite a common arrangement with Cheap Chinese gear.
If thats the case then I think Windows 10 will not run the port. You say that your version of Window 10
is 32 bit, I've never seen one, nor have I heard of anyone who has run a parallel port with it.
You may be up for an external motion controller like a SmoothStepper or a UC100 or UC300 to get your
machine running with your Windows 10 PC. You could alternately install Window 7 32 bit which is known to be
good with Mach's parallel port.
Craig
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When you buy a cheap chinese machine, you really don't know what you are going to get.
My guess is that it is a USB controller, and it actually will work with 64 bit versions of Windows 10. But that's just a guess.
Quite often, the Chinese seem to cut and paste descriptions from one item to the next, and they are often incorrect.
Since it says USB control, you could send it right back at their expense if it's not.
Having said that, be prepared to at some point replace all the electronics in that box, as they are known to fail quite often. I've also seen lots of reports of the spindle control not working.
And lastly, the machine will almost certainly come with a pirated Mach3 license and/or cracked copy of Mach3, and the USB controller may not work as well with a valid license and legitimate copy of Mach3.
Buyer beware.
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Hi,
with a yet closer look at the pictures it shows a parallel plug on the controller and one on the machine which
suggests that it is being used for the motors/switches.
That being the case then Gerry is likely correct ie the controller is a genuine USB device.
I also agree with Gerry that the Chinese made electronics are commonly poor and would recommend replacement
with something like a SmoothStepper. Even with the addition of a new motion control board the price is still
very favourable.
Craig
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This is tuff, have no work for time being,, so i can't cast money away to a 'more'pro machine like Nextcnc, is almost 2x the price...
1 Lets say the USB works under Windows 32Bit,, then i still can't use March3 since it demands use af a parallel port? and the CNC use the USB port.
2 If it is a pirated version do not matter, i am gonna buy a licence anyway...
3 '''''external motion controller (USB or Ethernet)''' i have to check that out, think i know what it is, but only a guess..
Perhaps i must pause this cnc for a while to a more user friendly solution come around..
Many thx for all the help.
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Forget the Parallel Port (unless of course you have the Parallel Port model of this controller).
The CNC machine you have linked connects to the controller using the printer cable and your controller connects to your PC using the USB cable. You need to be using a 32 bit PC with Win 7 or older and you need the disc which was supplied with the machine to install Mach3 and the USB plugin software.
If you do not have the disc then you need to search the internet, ebay, etc. to find a copy of the disc or the necessary USB software to support your controller and then download Mach3 from the Artsoft website.
Tweakie.
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Thx, clear talk for most part,, only thing there do not make sense in my head is why i most use march3 from the provider and not just download one here and but a licence , the usb plugin i get why it speciel to this controller/machine.
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Hi,
so i can't cast money away to a 'more'pro machine like Nextcnc, is almost 2x the price...
Where does this come from? Both Gerry an I recommended a better external motion controller, I like the SmoothStepper, $190US
and Gerry is partial to CNCDrive products like the UC300, $145US. We did not say 'go out and spend double the money' at all!
It seems also that you bought something without doing much research. The questions like 'what sort of PC and what kind of OS I need'
should have been answered BEFORE you buy not after.
Get in touch with whomever sold you the thing and get them to supply the plugin required. The plugin is specific to the controller,
no one here can help with that, you have to get it from whoever made the controller. I use a SmoothStepper so I have to go the
SmoothStepper website and get the plugin for it. If I have any problems I can ask the guys who make it....they have a forum
staffed five days a week just to answer problems I and other users may have. Superb service. I hope you get the same.
Craig
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Hello,,, havend bought it yet, hence the many ? :-)
Whats put my mind into a mixup is all the but's only if the cnc can do that or software demands aso...
Iam just now getting my brain around/use to accept that the machine is not ready to run, but now i am gonna need a ekstern motion controller aso(first i learn about it exist yesterday).. that all, just try to get all of it into my head :-)
I keep read and learn to i understand why i need this and not taht you know :-)
Thx for reply and help.
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Iam just now getting my brain around/use to accept that the machine is not ready to run, but now i am gonna need a ekstern motion controller aso(first i learn about it exist yesterday).. that all, just try to get all of it into my head :-)
That machine comes with an external USB motion controller. You just don't know what kind it is. There are probably 50 different chinese controllers out there.
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Hi,
kool!
So many people turn up here having bought something only to find it doesn't work as advertised and the Chinese suppliers might as well
be on a different planet, they cant be bothered helping you.
I am one of several regulars on the forum who've seen people spend money on Chinese electronics often with a poor result. Ask your self 'If
I bought this machine and threw away the electronics and replaced them with something better' would it still be worth it?
A US or European external controller, $150-$250, maybe three good stepper drivers at $75 each. If you planned on spending that bit extra you could take
what may prove to be a dog to something much MUCH better.
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1 It kinda goes over my head,,, are u saying that i can throw the controller in the bin?
2 When u write stepper drivers, are we talking about prints and wire and electric connection,, if so that not for me :-)
3 Which other machine will be ready to use out of the box , hardware/pc connection i mean,, not tools/mill setup aso,, i know i gonna do that my self later...
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Hi,
are u saying that i can throw the controller in the bin?
Rather brutally put but yes, if you replace that controller with something like a SmoothStepper you
will end up with a better machine.
If you were to replace the driver yes you would have to wire them up.
Which other machine will be ready to use out of the box
That is problematic, there are many good machines that will work really well 'out of the box'
but they will be very much more expensive.
Craig
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Excellent, i think i got most of it now,,,, the result must be a no go to a bigger CNC, stay with my Snapmaker and learn more, buy there when a bigger CNC carve/mill come out from them.
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Plenty of people buy those machines and have good luck with them. And plenty more have bad luck. They tend to be decent mechanically, but the electronics are 50/50 at best.
Any similar machine from China will have the same issues.. There's a reason that they cost a LOT less than anything else... You get what you pay for.
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Well, in defense of 'some' of them i must say that the Snapmaker(China machine) is one of the best i seen yet, i can carve/mill, change to laser cut or carve in 2 min, form there to 3D print, 1-2 calibration and it just run nice prints off the table.
So if they make a bigger CNC type ill go for it...
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Hi,
I agree with Gerry, almost all the Chinese machines are pretty good mechanically, its just the electronics and pirate software that
lets them down.
You need to be aware of that potential shortcoming. It's not the end of the world, substitute a decent controller and stepper drives and you are well
on your way to a good machine. Wiring up a controller and drives is not that hard.....and CNC is a learning hobby.
Craig
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Well, in defense of 'some' of them i must say that the Snapmaker(China machine) is one of the best i seen yet,
Looking at their website and Kickstarter page, I would say that you are comparing apples and oranges.
That Snapmaker appears to be lightyears ahead of the cheap mass produced chinese machines like the one in this thread.
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I cant speak about that have no education in that area, but it is pretty good, yes.
Here is a little ting i saw on Youtube and think i must do that to, and it did it very fine, but not perfect since the gcode generate isent made for Snapmaker.
So hold tool change, pause aso do not work..
Rough cut only, since i gonna figure out to do path in 2 rounds or change gcode manually :-)
(http://iloapp.tommy-friis.dk/data/_gallery/public/7/153384722197156800_resized.jpg?width=1440&height=1920)
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Still thinking,, just getting a labtop with parallel port and old windows isen't easy :-)
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First, It's always been recommended to NOT use Mach3 with a parallel port on a laptop. In most cases, it doesn't work well.
Imo, it doesn't make a lot of sense these days to try to run Mach3 on a parallel port. (You could argue that it doesn't make much sense to even be using Mach3 these days)
Spend the $125 for a UC100 and you can use any computer you want, with any OS you want.
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Looking into to that to, but they state Windows XP only..
1.) Product manual
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2.) UCx00 automatic installer application for Mach3 and Mach4
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3.) Plugin for Mach3 manual installation
4.) Plugin for Mach4 manual installation
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5.) USB drivers for manual installation
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6.) Software prerequirements (install on Win XP only!)
BUT in the online manual, it states all windows ?,,, thx i might buy that :-)
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I will look at it, it seams to be the way to go, if so i buy it and the CNC... Many thx..
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No, there are files that you need to install only if you are using XP. That's what the link is for. It works fine on any newer versions of Windows, both 32 bit and 64 bit.
A bigger problem is that recent Windows updates are preventing Mach3 from running, which is why even using Mach3 is a questionable choice.
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Remember i am new in this, what other option is there to March that a newbee can deal whit.
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Hl,
all development of Mach3 ceased five years ago in favour of Mach4.
Lots of people still use Mach3 and prefer it but as Gerry points out recent Microsoft Windows updates have broken Mach3.
There is a patch but really you will have to prevent your Windows OS from updating. There are NO updates for XP so that should be
safe.
Mach4 has no reported problems with updates and NFS is on hand to fix issues as they arise.
Craig