Recent Posts

31

MachPro General Discussion / Re: "Upgrading" from Mach4 to MachPro

« Last post by chainds on July 09, 2026, 09:58:48 AM »

This seems like the best thread for these questions, I hope I'm correct.  One way or another I am moving on from Mach4.  Two inexplicable machine crashes in one day have pushed me to look for alternatives.  I have a lot invested in LUA customizations that I would really like to be able to use. 

1. Have there been any updates on the progress for the linux based MachPro?  I can see that the expectation on the website is 2026.  I am just wondering about the confidence level of this. 

2. If I were to buy the current license, what will the policy be for moving to linux sometime in the future?

3. Lastly, I have requested a demo version of MachPro twice.  Once a couple of months ago and most recently early yesterday.  I have yet to receive any response from either request.  Has anyone else had such a challenge?  Maybe I'm being impatient with no response on my request from yesterday, but it is unusual in this day and age of software on-demand for this to be delayed. 

32

Mach Screens / Locking Item Positions

« Last post by Jacob_Blank on July 09, 2026, 09:29:30 AM »

I was trying to reorganize a screen in Mach4 screen editor, but was having a hard time getting spacing and alignment right. The reason being that I would have to be extremely careful with selecting items that I wanted to align or size, as I could so easily move or resize them by accident. I saw that there was an option to lock their position, but it doesn't appear to actually do anything.

Is there something I am missing about this option or is there another way to anchor items so I have at least a datum to orient everything else off of? I cannot find anything in documentation or videos that actually acknowledges this button, even though it is seen in some of them.

33

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Setting Up E-Stop Indicator

« Last post by Jacob_Blank on July 07, 2026, 01:04:49 PM »

Fool that I am! I have been going about it wrong.

Was already using the M26 expansion board because of its built-in relays. However, I was using it to turn the light ON.

By switching the pin from Active Low to Active High and the wire from Normally Open to Normally Closed, now it turns the light OFF when I want it off. I feel a fool for taking so long to do so.

34

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Setting Up E-Stop Indicator

« Last post by Jacob_Blank on July 06, 2026, 07:26:41 PM »

Good evening Peter,

Thank you for confirming my suspicions. That makes perfect sense and I admit I ought have just gone with that from jump.

I appreciate your help, good sir!

Respectfully,
Jacob

35

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Setting Up E-Stop Indicator

« Last post by Peter Homann on July 06, 2026, 03:26:01 PM »

Hi,
Its unlikely that the break out board will allow you to control an output during Estop like you want.

The usual solution is to use a single pole, double through relay. Use the Normally closed output to power the red lamp. Then configure an output to be an enable output. This output is used to turn on the relay. This opens the normally closed terminal, breaking the power to the lamp. When the system is in Estop, the relay output is de-activated, turning on the lamp.

I hope this helps.

Peter

36

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Setting Up E-Stop Indicator

« Last post by Jacob_Blank on July 06, 2026, 10:29:16 AM »

Howdy,

I am using a light post to indicate the status of the machine. I've most of the lights down, but for the e-stop indicator and can't figure an elegant way to get it to work.

I am using a C25XP breakout board with an M26 expansion board. The expansion board is controlling the lights currently, allowing me to control them without a relay for each one. The breakout board has a pair of ports dedicated to the e-stop, if the connection between those ports is open, the board stops all output signals.

My original concept was to use the e-stop being activated (opening the connection on the e-stop port) to indicate to Mach4 (which is does) and then Mach4 to automatically turn the light on to indicate the e-stop status. However, as said, it seems that all output signals are stopped when the e-stop is activated. I feel like I'm overlooking something in the documentation for the board or maybe an obvious way about it.

Does anyone know if the C25XP has a port that can be used when the board is e-stopped? Am I approaching the problem wrong?

Thank you for your time,
Jacob

37

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: G54 work offset changes after re-homing

« Last post by joeaverage on June 26, 2026, 04:48:09 PM »

Hi,

If I stop the machine, power off the spindle, and later re-home the machine without touching the workpiece or vise, the G54 offset appears to have shifted. It's usually between 0.15 and 0.30 mm in X, while Y is almost always correct.

I think the problem is your use of Re-Home.

In an ideal world you'd be able to Home to the exact same location every time, but it reality even with the best home switches there is some 'dither'.

Remember that G54 is a group of numbers that describe the location of the Work Zero, or Part Offset if you prefer, FROM the Machine Zero point in machine units.
Lets say that the current G54 is x=210.5,y= 300.65,z=  100.8. Thus if you home the machine and then hit <GoTo Work Zero> the machine will move to x=210.5, y=300.65 (in machine coords) from
the machine zero (the DROs will display 0,0 in work coords)........but if that machine zero has differed at all, in any axis, since the last time you homed then the Machine Zero location will be out by the same difference.

I use Omron roller-plunger snap action microswitches for my home switches. I like them because of reliability and that they have a well defined and specified hysteresis. As a consequence I can
Home to within 0.02mm time after time.

Were you to use proximity switches they will often exhibit a range of 0.1mm to 0.5mm where the switch activates, and that could very easily describe the difference you are observing.

Some motion controllers, including the Ethernet SmoothStepper that I use allow the use of Index Homing. Thus if you Home the machine the machine will home to your existing switch, but THEN
move until that axis servo/stepper matches its index mark. The idea being that with regular mechanical or proximity switches you might achieve 0.25mm repeatability but with Index Homing you
could improve that to just a few um.

It was always my intention to use Index Homing on my machine, but I find that just the good snap action microswitches are good enough on their own without the extra complication of Index Homing.

To summarize I think your problem is caused by your machine not re-homing the the exact same location time after time.

As a matter of interest I seldom, if ever, turn my machine off, it will remain turned on for weeks or even months at a time, and  I'll Home but occasionaly. If the machine is on and it does not lose
reference due to a <Stop> or <Estop> then it does not need it.

Craig

38

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: G54 work offset changes after re-homing

« Last post by Tweakie.CNC on June 26, 2026, 10:33:22 AM »

What is the make and model of the motion controller you are using ?

Tweakie.

39

General Mach Discussion / MOVED: G54 work offset changes after re-homing

« Last post by Tweakie.CNC on June 26, 2026, 10:32:17 AM »

This topic has been moved to Mach4 General Discussion.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=49599.0

40

Mach4 General Discussion / G54 work offset changes after re-homing

« Last post by danigomez on June 26, 2026, 09:28:10 AM »

Hi everyone,
I've been using Mach4 on my hobby CNC router for about six months and recently ran into a problem that I haven't been able to solve.
My normal workflow is to home the machine, set my G54 work zero with an edge finder, and run the first operation. If I stop the machine, power off the spindle, and later re-home the machine without touching the workpiece or vise, the G54 offset appears to have shifted. It's usually between 0.15 and 0.30 mm in X, while Y is almost always correct.
I first thought it was mechanical, so I checked the couplers, motor mounts, backlash, and limit switches. I also repeated the homing cycle five times in a row, and the machine consistently returns to the same machine coordinates. That makes me think the homing itself is accurate.
What's confusing is that the shift only shows up when I go back to the saved work offset. If I re-indicate the edge and set G54 again, everything lines up perfectly.
I'm using an Ethernet motion controller with the latest plugin, and the issue started a couple of weeks ago. I haven't changed my motors or switches, only updated Mach4.
Has anyone seen G54 behave like this after a software update? Is there a setting related to fixture offsets or work coordinate persistence that I should check before I start rolling back versions?
Thanks for any ideas.