Hi,
the TinyG will not work with Mach, 3 or 4.
The principle activity of Mach is a Gcode interpretor, secondarily but still importantly, it is an IO program. In the early days when the parallel port
was the only option for hobbyists it also provided the code for the PC's CPU to be the motion controller. These days most people use an external
motion controller like the UC100 or a Smoothstepper. The parallel port still works and is free but it can be problematic and restricts the choice of
PC's you can use.
Probably the cheapest way forward for you, if you wish to go the Mach track at all, is a UC100 or a PMDX-411 and a Gecko G540.
The UC100 or PMDX-411 are motion controllers, they plug into a USB port on your PC and produce output signals on a DB25 plug familiar to
anyone who've used a parallel port in the past. They are about $100. The Gecko G540 is a combination stepper motor driver and breakout board.
It accepts signals from a DB25 socket, just perfect for the UC100/PMDX-411, and has four DB9 plugs for four steppers and a bunch of screw terminals
for home/limits/spindle etc. The G540 can handle 50V, not earth shattering but quite enuf to make your steppers take notice. You can set the motor
output current by soldering a resistor of the right size into your DB9 plug, easy. The G540 is $300. As I've said before and others will endorse Gecko
make reliable gear, I'm sure you can find cheaper but I doubt you'll find better.
With these two items and the licence cost of Mach you are looking at an investment of about $600. You might wangle a way to do it cheaper but probably
not by much and certainly with less manufacturers and forum support when it comes time to get it to work.
The advantage of Mach over the software that you've already tried is that the Gcode programs which run it are 'industry standard', or at least as standard
as it gets, it copies Fanuc Gcode, about 80% of the industrial market. So you could go to a half million dollar machining centre and see and understand the same
code that runs your router at home. Also all the CAD/CAM programs which are used industrially you can now use. Be warned a lot of them are VERY expensive,
Mastercam, one of the oldest and most capable CAM programs costs about $20,000 and $2500 a year! There is a new player out there though which is transforming
the hobby CNC scene, its called Fusion 360. It is a CAD/CAM program written and maintained by the Autodesk, the same company who bring us AutoCAD and
HSMWorks two very capable and expensive bits of software, but Fusion 360 is free! Even better than free is its damn good too. Even if you decide not to go Mach3
you can still download and fiddle with Fusion 360.
You'll have to decide whether Mach represents a good investment for you. You can download and experiment with Mach3 and Mach4 without cost. The Demo versions
are fully featured but can only do tiny little jobs before you have to reset it. My personal preference is Mach4 being the new and developing version.
I have no idea what a smoothieboard is...I have Mach thanks and don't need any of the pretenders!
Craig
https://www.pmdx.com/http://www.cncdrive.com/http://www.geckodrive.com/
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