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Author Topic: Mach3 G41/G42 G68 will it ever get fixed?  (Read 4016 times)

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Mach3 G41/G42 G68 will it ever get fixed?
« on: March 12, 2017, 09:14:03 PM »
Coming from an engineering background I first used G Code 30 years ago but haven't touched it for the last two decades so hand up.. I may be a bit rusty.

Having said that however, I'v just spent a whole week trying to use cutter compensation to cutting an involute gear form while attempting to use G68 to rotate the coords after ever tooth. A simple enough job I would have thought... set the numer of gear teeth in a vaiable and use that variable to call a subroutine the appropriate number of times and in the subrouting the short bit of code for the gear form followed by a G68 x0 y0 R{whatever}.

But the resultand birds nesting in the tool path has to be seen to be belived. I tried many variations before I suspected Mach3 but research seems to indicate that there's a long standing problem with cutter comp....

So my question is this... Given that it's not free software, will it EVER get fixed?... and if not is it properly and fully implementedon Mach 4?... and if so it is true that instead of running on an old PC through a parallel port I'd need to buy and fit a 3rd party add on card to my 4030 contoller? I acutually have what looks like a Ethernet/USB lcable that came with my controller but have never tried it (if that makes any difference to the answer).

That seems like a whole lot of unnecessary trouble and expense to go to for complete home NC novice to have to put himslef through just to get cutter comp that works.

Col.

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Mach3 G41/G42 G68 will it ever get fixed?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2017, 04:28:24 AM »
Hi Col,

Welcome to the forum.

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Given that it's not free software, will it EVER get fixed?

There is no further development of Mach3
( also - There are a number of functions that are limited when Mach3 is operated in Demo mode ).

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and if not is it properly and fully implemented on Mach 4?

I have never tried it but if it's not fully implemented then it will be

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and if so it is true that instead of running on an old PC through a parallel port I'd need to buy and fit a 3rd party add on card to my 4030 contoller?

There is a Mach4 legacy parallel port plugin but there are Win OS requirements http://www.machsupport.com/shop/parallel-port-legacy-plugin-for-mach4/

A motion controller (such as the Warp9 ESS but there are many different makes available to choose from) is, I think, the best option when using Mach4

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That seems like a whole lot of unnecessary trouble and expense to go to for complete home NC novice to have to put himslef through just to get cutter comp that works.

Maybe

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline RICH

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Re: Mach3 G41/G42 G68 will it ever get fixed?
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2017, 09:04:31 AM »
Consider using Cam as most the gcode is pre-compensated.
Good luck with your 4030 controller.

RICH
Re: Mach3 G41/G42 G68 will it ever get fixed?
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2017, 05:39:06 PM »
I used to everything using cutter comp.  Since I started using CamBam, and running it on the same PC that runs Mach 3 I don't bother. It makes way less mistakes on tool paths than I ever did and it is really quick to make changes.  Cam is what is making CNC a hobby tool.

Actually I would think that the low cost of real processing power will make the Mach 3 & 4 method of doing things become obsolete.  The Windows computer or even a cell phone  could be relegated to just the user interface with no timing issues and running Cad and Cam.  The CNC would do 100% of the motion control like the pro machines do now.  Heck USB sticks go to 128Gb!  I am already using one that even has a display built in, a jog wheel etc, no PC.  Limited capability, maybe 700 lines, terrible editing, but has been running a task continuously for 4 months straight right now.

Offline ger21

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Re: Mach3 G41/G42 G68 will it ever get fixed?
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2017, 08:12:10 AM »
I'd look into the various Mach3 competitors and see if any of them can do G41/G42 while G68 is active?
You can probably count the people that have tried this on one hand, out of tens of thousands of hobby users.
Gerry

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