Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: KaiSir on November 18, 2020, 08:59:44 PM
-
I don't know if this is the right discussion to be posting this on but I need serious help connecting my USB board to Mach3. Here's some information about my machine: My machine is a 3018 3 Axis DIY CNC Machine (not the pro) and it comes with a USB board that also controls the motors like the x, y, z, and the spindle motors.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM: I watched the first video on the Artsoft Video tutorials and it said to find out the right ports and pins to assign to the machine comes with the Machine when you bought it. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM. My machine is DIY and it happens to come from China so there is no instruction guide on how to hook it up to Mach3 whatsoever.
PLEASE HELP in anyway you can.
- KaiSir
-
Your USB board needs a Mach3 Motion Controller 'Plugin' in order to operate. If you do not have this plugin then the USB board is useless as far as Mach3 is concerned and it needs to be replaced. As your USB board also contains the stepper drivers then they need to be replaced as well.
As Mach3 is now obsolescent you should look for replacement parts that are also compatible with Mach4 (the ESS from Warp9 and the G540 from Gecko would be good but they are not cheap).
Tweakie.
-
to help we Need some more Information.
Pictures are allways a good start, to get an overview of your Equipment.
-
Here is my USB board I will send more pictures if you would like i have already downloaded multiple plugins but none have recognized the board when I use them in Mach3.
-
Sorry, but it is as I suspected, that board will not operate with Mach3.
Tweakie.
-
Thanks! That would explain why everything I've tried has not worked lol. I have a question, should I upgrade to Mach4, and if so, what board should I buy that will run my CNC as well?
-
Only you can decide if Mach4 is the way to go but as mentioned earlier the ESS from Warp9 and the G540 from Gecko would be a good combination which are good for both Mach3 and Mach4.
Tweakie.
-
Sorry to take more of your time, but could you link the equipment you suggested?
Thanks,
- Kai
-
The ESS details are here; https://www.warp9td.com/
The G540 details are here; https://www.geckodrive.com/g540-4-axis-digital-stepper-drive.html
(They are not the only quality products available but I use them both and the manufacturer's backup and support is second to none).
Tweakie.
-
Hey again, It's been awhile but I just bought this USB board from eBay and I'm wondering, it doesn't have the same port like the other board did, so I'm unsure how to connect it to this board. The plug that went into this port was for the spindle motor. (The port I'm talking about and the plug that goes in the port are the first two images below and the third image is the new board I bought.) If it's possible to cut the wire and wire it to the board maybe you could show me how?
Thanks,
- Kai
-
Have you purchased new stepper drivers too because the old board had them built in.
-
Hey again, It's been awhile but I just bought this USB board from eBay and I'm wondering, it doesn't have the same port like the other board did, so I'm unsure how to connect it to this board. The plug that went into this port was for the spindle motor. (The port I'm talking about and the plug that goes in the port are the first two images below and the third image is the new board I bought.) If it's possible to cut the wire and wire it to the board maybe you could show me how?
Thanks,
- Kai
Although your new board has a USB socket it is a 'Parallel Port' board. Do you have a Parallel Port on your PC and are you using an OS of Win7 or earlier ?
If you purchase the cheap Chinese items, which have no manufacturers support, then you need to have prior knowledge of exactly how to use them otherwise you are just waisting your time and money.
Tweakie.
-
My computer is running Windows 10 and my computer does have a parallel port in the back. Also, what do you mean stepper drivers? Is that what I need to make the stepper motors work? Can you suggest a board that has everything that I need that works with Mach3 and is the least expensive?
-
As mentioned earlier, you would need to have Win7 or earlier if you wish to use the Parallel Port with Mach3 - it will not operate with Win10.
Tweakie.
-
Hey, I only paid $150 for my CNC machine and I hate to buy a board that costs more than the machine itself. Can you suggest a cheap board that will work with Windows 10?
-
Also, what exactly do I need for my CNC machine anyway? I'm pretty sure I need a USB Interface Board but I also need a Breakout Board for the motors right? I need to make sure I know what I need before I order any more useless parts.
-
Hey, I only paid $150 for my CNC machine and I hate to buy a board that costs more than the machine itself. Can you suggest a cheap board that will work with Windows 10?
I think you should be prepared to spend a lot more than $150.
The Mach3 license is $175 or $200 for Mach4, ethernet controller around $180 and 4 axis motor controller around $650 and then you will need the cables power supplies and other ancilliary parts. I think you have already tried the cheap stuff with your existing USB controller.
Tweakie.
-
The BOB you bought looks like an exact clone of the ST-V2 I bought on advise of ZASto. He runs this in conjunction with 3 TB6600 stepper motor drivers. I'm installing this system myself at the moment. You can find great directions on the entire process on the post 'Looking for good DIY controller kit supplier', start page 7, Nov27. Good luck.
-
Sherwood's thread
https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=43939.0
-
Hi TPS thanks for providing the link.
KAISIR, Tweakie is right, this BOB will not run on Windows 10. My computer runs Vista, so will run the BOB. You might still have an antique XP or Vista disc in the back of the cupboard you could load, than you can save $25 by buying Mach3.