Topics

1

Mach3 under Vista / New computer build for Mach3

« on: April 08, 2012, 11:52:33 AM »

Good Day All.
 
I am looking for some advice.

I am looking at building brand new computer for use with Mach3.

My current Mach3 system, is an old Intel Pentium 4, with 1Gb Memory, 120Gb SATA Hard Drive, 32Mb Video Card, PCI Printer Port Card, running on Windows XP Home.
 
I would like to be able to run Mach3 with Windows 7.

I know the Mach3 home page shows the min specs as:
32-bit version of Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 Operating System.
1Ghz CPU.
512MB RAM.
Non-integrated Video Card with 32MB RAM.

Would the small form factor motherboards like the AMD Fusion or Intel Atom be ok with Windows 7 and Mach3?

I would still be using the PCI Printer Port Card unto I upgrade to Ethernet SmoothStepper.

Thanks for your time.
 
Best Regards.

2

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Help with Stepper Motor Tuning and Setup

« on: April 01, 2009, 03:10:35 PM »

Good Day All.
 
I have been reading the Mach3 CNC Controller Software Installation and Configuration manual to try and setup my stepper motors.
 
I need someone to please dumb it down for me as my brain is not working today.
 
I have four new Astrosyn MY103H702, 200 step, 6.2volt, 1amp, stepper motors wired as Unipolar.
I have read you can run a stepper motor at 2 or 3 times the rated voltage happly, I have also seen pepole running low voltage stepper motors anything upto 48volts.
I contacted astrosyn and they said I can run at any voltage aslong as I don't go over the motors rated current of 1amp.
 
I am looking at running my stepper motors at 18-20volts.
 
I have been looking at ways to limit the current to the stepper motors, I have tried 5w 12v bulbs, and heavy duty resistors I had spare.
The resistors seem to work better and give the stepper motors more starting torque.
I am now looking at building a simple linear current limiter, like the one found at: http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/step/current.html Figure 4.3.
 
The controllor I am using only supports full step mode.
 
These stepper motors are not yet connected to a CNC unit they are just free running.
 
Can someone please explain to me how I setup my stepper motors for the max Speed and Torque.
 
Thanks for your time.
 
Best Regards.

3

Third party software and hardware support forums. / 3 Axis Stepper and Spindle Control Circuit Diagrams

« on: February 09, 2009, 04:30:22 AM »

Good Day All.
 
This is my 1st post so I do hope this is the right place.
 
I am looking at building myself a little cnc rig to drill holes in prototype pcbs.
 
I am going to need 3 axis and spindle control.
 
The rig it's self I am going to be building out of old broken printers and scanners.
 
The stepper motors I have collected so far are a mix of unipolar to bipolar, I don't know witch would be best suited for my rig.
 
I would like to be able to control the rig via my computers printer port, I am looking at using the Mach3 software.
 
I would be looking at building my own driver board, but as I have not worked with stepper motors before I am in the deep end.
 
If possible I would like to build a driver board that would support both unipolar and bipolar stepper motors, If having support for both is not possible then I will build a board for used with the best suited stepper motor for the job.
 
Could anyone please point me the way to find some Circuit Diagrams that will be able to do what I am after.
 
Can anyone please tell me if I can leave the printer port inputs and outputs free floating or if they have to be pulled to ground or vcc?
 
I have been looking at some of the designs over at www.pminmo.com but I would like to know if anyone has a better suited design.
 
Thanks for your time.
 
Best Regards.