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Author Topic: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background  (Read 3147 times)

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Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« on: June 08, 2018, 07:36:06 AM »
I was working on my mill and I needed to change a few things on my part so I minimized the screen opened Mastercam made my corrections , reposted my gcode file and pulled up mach3 only to find my dro had changed to 215.00 inches in x and 115.00 in y and 21. In z . Has anyone had this happen before , is there something I'm doing wrong I would hate to have to close mach3 open Mastercam back and forth every time I want to change my program any suggestions? ???? ??? ???
Cadcam Man

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2018, 07:55:21 AM »
Sorry not to show much sympathy but...

Over many years similar issues have been found and that is why the recommendation that Mach3 should be run on a dedicated PC with no other software running in the background has been made by Artsoft. OK, faster & higher spec. PC's nowadays allow liberties to be taken but why do it ?

All I can suggest is that you use a separate PC for your CAD work and transfer your Gcode files to and from your Mach3 PC by memory stick or network connection.

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2018, 08:11:51 AM »
Thanks for the fast reply ....
I can understand why that is I would have thought there would have been a fix for it . I use Mastercam and cimco edit the same way and it does not have that problem , I really enjoy using mach3, I have read about mach4 do you think mach4 is better than mach3??
Cadcam Man

Offline ger21

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Re: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2018, 08:24:48 AM »
If you are using the parallel port, a motion controller like an ESS or UC300ETH can help. And a faster multi core computer wouldn't hurt either.

But if you are using the parallel port, you shouldn't be doing anything else while Mach3 is running.
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Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2018, 08:31:54 AM »
It is, in my opinion, a Mach3 issue.

Although it does the same job Mach4 is entirely different to Mach3 and there is perhaps no direct comparison between the two. I believe Mach4 will allow you to do eaactly as you have described in you earlier post without issue but it is not something that I have tried.

(Although I have and occasionally use Mach4 I still use Mach3 for all serious work).

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2018, 08:43:52 AM »
Thanks tweakie that helps out  a lot
Cadcam Man
Re: Problem with mach3 while another program is in background
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2018, 08:56:39 AM »
Hi,
I have licenced versions of Mach4 on my laptop and my machine PC. The machine PC is a very low powered dual core Atom MiniITX board and I try to keep this
free of any other software. With the exception of Autoleveller, a Gcode viewer and a text editor the wee Atom performs well even with these auxillary programs
installed and running.

My laptop is an i7 machine, originally Windows 8 but after a meltdown I reverted to Windows 7 32 bit. I have on occasion run my machine via the ESS from my laptop and have
done so with both Windows 8 64 bit and Windows 7 32 bit and it runs fine, in fact within the exception of doing the initial load and draw faster the two PC's perform
identically. My laptop is loaded with all sorts of stuff. I try to have no other software running if I'm using it to run my mill but to be honest I never had a problem with
other software upsetting Mach4.

Following the recommendation 'don't load and certainly don't run any other software on your machine controller PC' is still sage advice and I do my best to comply not
withstanding my experience that Mach4 will run fine in the presence of other programs.

Craig

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