Hi,
both Mach3 AND Mach4 run on 64 bit PC's but not the parallel port, that MUST be 32 bit.
Mach4 has a parallel port called Dawrin (Arts joke about evolution I think) for which a $25 licence fee applies.
Darwin is not fully featured, things like backlash comp and lathe threading. Art Fenerty (the same guy
who wrote the original Mach3 parallel port driver) has said that it NEVER will be fully featured. It was intended as a cheap
way for users to sample Mach4 with an active and working motion device as opposed to the Sim(ulator) device.
Mach4 was and is intended to be complemented by an external motion controller. The perceived extra cost has presented
somewhat of a barrier to the uptake of Mach4. At this time there are five manufacturers of external motion controllers,
all US or European, that make credible and reliable Mach4 ready motion controllers. I favour the US made Ethernet SmoothStepper
while others prefer other devices. One thing that all these manufacturers have in common is high quality and well supported
devices and plenty of good history in the Mach3 market. They aren't cheap....the cheapest being about $120, a whole bunch
in the $150-$250 range and the highly developed and acclaimed Hicon up to $600.
As yet there is only one Chinese manufacturer claiming to have a Mach4 ready device, XHC, and it doesn't work. Avoid like
the plague.
There are plenty of Chinese made external controllers that work (sort of....) with Mach3 but they tend to be buggy as hell
and they wont help you fix them. There are also a whole rash of Chinese knock-off devices copying US and European made stuff.
Don't go there!
The cheapest option for you is:
1) Install Windows 7 32 bit
Next cheapest:
2) Buy a UC100, or 57CNCdb25 or a PMDX411, all about $120. Beware Chinese knock offs with these devices, buy direct from
the manufacturer or their distributor. Note that all the devices have Mach3 and Mach4 plugins so you could use either. Note
also that they have one 'ports' worth of IO, that is the equivalent of one (only) parallel port, 12 outputs and 5 inputs. That's OK
for a very simple machine, if you want a bit more then you need a more capable device and rather more money.
If your budget allows then I would consider an external motion controller, ideally one that could do both Mach3 and Mach4
should you wish at a later date. I found the motion to be smoother and faster with the ESS than the parallel port it replaced.
I like also that now I have such a wide choice of PCs that I can use and all without the parallel port stuttering and stalling.
Craig
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