Hi All:

Version 2.01 is online and is the new lockdown (Mach3 Suite). It incorporates all bug fixes to date, add the tool length comp to the
toolpath display and has the new lazycam . It also has a new Mach3 flash screen which can be loaded
from the /Flash folder. Flash screens may now be stretched to any size, with the full screen being used.
Oh, and I more than doubled Mach3's speed since we're near done with the printer driver.

You may now select 25K, 35K, 45K, 60K, 65K, 75K or 100Khz as your base frequencies. A few notes..

This does not mean you should be the "cool" guy and use 100khz because you can. , remember at all times the rule,
if your velocity slider is maxed out in one kernal and you know you can go faster, then you may bump to the next level. It
takes a fair amount of cpu to run 100khz. My 1.2Ghz single core just manages it. Remember that windows slows as mach3
increases in kernal speed, so keeping it as low as possible makes the gui work better and such. I wont have much
sympathy for the guy reporting jitter or lost steps at 100khz when switching window screens. Specially if his motor maxes
out at 8khz. Keep the kernal as low as you need, but if you need 100khz, then fine, go fer it. It seems to work here fine
and even 200khz was pretty stable for me. ( And no, I wont send you a 200khz version, youll just have to trust me. :-) )

That having been said, over the last 2 years, CPU's have sped up, not to moores law's dictates, but quite a bit. Those with
dual core cpu's and such deserve to get as much as they can, so in thet vein I have increased mach3 to 100khz.
For those curious about such things, I have run successfully at 230khz, but barely, any my computer locks up at 300khz output,
the theoretical limit is about 333Khz with no pulse stretching, but I doubt Ill ever see it. I have locked it to 100khz
because I like to have it half the speed I can run, thus meaning most could run at that speed if they had to. Expect a 4 second
frequency lock in time at very high kernal frequencies when starting the program.

The new download is 20megs approx. My appologies for that, but Mach3 has grown quite a bit over time, so this lockdown
was bound to be much larger than Mach2. However, I am moving to an update system that will only contain the files needed,
and will then make updateing much faster. This means in future that updates may only be made to a system already running the
latest lockdown version. The lockdown version will rarely change. It is quite stable, and will be only periodically updated to
take into accoutn the files that will appear in the development update installer. I have only a couple minor bugs Im chasing
in areas most dont use.

Have fun, experiences at higher speeds are welcome, Id like to know how the higher kernals affect you, dont blame me for
having to reboot if you push for the moon.. Id recommend a 1.3Ghz fast machien for 100khz, and thats a dead minimum...

Thanks,
Art
www.artofcnc.ca

I appreciate the update info, but can you tell me the practical advantages of running at a faster kernel speed.  I have a ShopBot PRT/Acension Box and am running at 35K now.  And, when you say retuning the motors, you mean velocity/acceleration.  No difference in Steps per, right?

Thanks,
Donn 

Donn, on my mill I run 2000 count encoders for a resolution of <.00004" per step. that works out to about 45,000 steps per inch. roughly. That limits the top speed to about 40 iPM topped out the new kernal speeds will give the ones with high count encoders a new speed limit and the same resolution. If you don't need the speed you need to stay as low as possible on the kernal speed to take the load off of the computer. Or spring for a new high end putor. That the beauty of Mach you can have it YOUR way.(;-) TP

Vmax is totally correct.  I had the same problem with my bp clone running ac servos 2500 per rev encoders. I had to get a grex to be able to get any speed out of it. Now ith the faster kernel speed those with a higher encoder count don't have to use a external box. 

If you are running fine as is, don't change anything.

Chad

Thanks for the update Chad, this will make many very happy. 

Brett

Donn, Your comments are true for those who use steppers but for us servo motor heads, the new progression is a god send, well done Art, brilliant.

Dave

Hi,

I have downloaded twice the version 2.01.000, one in 7/7 and one in 7/8. Now the first download has 23.475 M and the second one has 21.846, but same version. Which one is the correct one?

Thank you,

Zoltan

Newer = better


Art didn't put in the newest Lcam and had to update the install, Sorry for the trouble... it is a B#)$h to get all the stuff into the build folder when you are working fast (I have done the same thing int he past )

Hi, Brian

the new LazyCam download is mis named as LazyCam2.01".1EXE", I renamed the exe and it seemed to load fine, OooPss.

Thanks, Chip

Art & Chad,
I installed the new version and the higher kernel speeds produce a much smoother mill operation for me. However the velocity displays are not correct. Example if I use a kernel speed of 60,000 and my feed rate is set to 1000 in motor tuning, jogging at that speed shows about 2500 feed rate on the velocity DRO although it is actually moving at 1000. When I run a file with a feed rate of 1000 the velocity reads 1000 but it actually runs much slower, about 400. Do I need to set something else to adjust for the higher kernel speed?
Leo